New Ulm weekly review., 1881-10-05
faded into oblivion, and the spirit of
mischief filed his mind with other quo-


tations.
Read it slowly. DEAR" he said,
serenely.
The small woman quivcred.
Theodore, You love anothcrp" she
gurgled, and wildly waved the paper.
'.Anotherp" cried Thompson. with
melo-drama in tone and attitude. "A
dozen of them. dote on anothers. But
who-who has betrayed mep''
He seized the paper from his agita-
ted wife, and spread it wide open be-
fore him then, running his hands
through his hair with wild air, he
read out, with stern emphasis:
IT. TT you love me. meet me at
the same place. I must soc you.
Thompson looked under his cyelids
at his wife. She was following every
word with earnest face and grief
stricken eyes, and q grin peered round
the corner of his lips as he thought of
how he would cure her foolish fancy
for the agony column thenceforth.
80" he said, gravely, '.you know
allp''
"All, Theodore - walled poor Mrs.
H. 40 IulS tuAuk tlu0s
''That thing Is trne," assented Tody,
sadly; ''but I throw myself on your
mercy, and beg. for the sake of the-of
the Corn Exchange that you will do
nothing rash! Think not of yourself
alone in this sad affair, but of your
country
my countryr' sobbed Mrs. T., fall
Svnp hoot, linn onA ooel,ook
Eyes. l am an ornament, as we'll as
q useful member, of that great and
glorious food menagerie-"
':Menagerie - walled Mrs. T., wiring
ing her hands.
Eyes. The bulls and bears are the
source of our income. Expose me, and
you ruin me. Be patient, and all will
be right once more"
Thompson shook with inward glee,
as his rapid imagination wove the in
cident into a good yarn for the boys at
the next supper, excluding the true
names fd,'an,atts pe,son9.
Mrs. Thompson listened with pale
face and q piteous look, that might
have checked her husband in his Joke
but with quiet pride that was new to
her, and seemed born of this terrible
emergency, she hid her pain from him
and forced herself to speak calmly.
Theodore" she said, slowly, ''tell
me. if you please, all about this.'
She touched the paper lightly.
Thompson turned on his heel to stare
at her, but she was busy putting the
breakfast things together, and he could
not see her face.
'Gadr' he muttered to himself, "but
she takes it coolly. I wonder if she
caresw
A sudden pang seized him a fierce
look drove the grin from its hiding
place, and he punched in the crown Of
his hat vindictively.
'Ill draw it strong" he decided,
''and see it she don't come down."
Aloud, and with mock humility.
1t all grew out of the last LordMay-
or's Show. was appointed by tho
Ward to superintend tho tableaux that
we're to take part in the procession, and
it was decided to have one tableau in
particular to represent Ceres, the god
dess of plenty. It was that goddess of
plenty, my dear. that made me re-
creant to my connubial vows, and
bound me in the tolls of the siren.''
Thompson paused, with dramatic
quaver. but looking curiously at the
quiet face bending over the silver
spoons.
"WellP' said the steady voice.
Thompson began twisting his hat
round and round In q startled quandary.
What did it mean? She was as indif-
ferent as if he was telling of some other
fellow, and not himself-her own dear
Tody! She was losing her interest in
him she didn't care for this escapade!
Could it be possiblep Theodore felt
himself growing pale. And how pretty
she looked!
"Well. Theodore?" said the small
woman, giving lump of sugar to her
canary.
"Well, I got entangled, as one does
in those kind of AFFAIRS" suffered
Thompson, failing in his composition.
and wishing he had never begun it, but
urged on now to grand denounce-
ment in the hope of breaking up the
chill indifference of his wife's manner,
and of hearing once more her loving
little laugh and ''Good-bye, Tody!"
"Tody" was beginning to be one of
the sweetest sounds he had ever heard.
''And it's gone on and on until the
present time"
He paused, ignominiously. Now she
would faint. She did not. She took
up the silver teapot and examined it
carefully.
''What strange fancies men have r.
she said, quietly. 1T never occurs to
q woman to make such q fool of her.
self Where does your goddess of
plenty-plenty of what, TheodoreP-
live, may I askP
Thompson sought view of her face;
it was pale and set, and the eyes looked
sleepless and heavy.
''She's hard hit, after all - exulted
the selfish dog. ''Now III make her
admit it.''
And he forthwith gave her an ad-
dress in low tone, with humble con.
triton In his manner, watching fever.
ishly; the while for the stagger and
catch Of the breath which should be.
tray his victory.
Mrs. Thompson turned to him very
quietly, and gave him instead long
look.
':And believed you to be a gentle
man!' she simply said, and walked
past him out of the room.
Thompson was in no enviable mood
that day, and hats and handkerchief
for once were safe in their owners pos
session, for he no longer disported
himself, with cow-like gambols, on the
floor, nor blandly smothered timid bid
ders with their own coat-tails.
On the contrary, he made his offers
with the ar Of Nihilist conspirator,
and often stood staring down at his
feet with fierce frown.
Something's gone wrong with
Thompson, :" said his friends, nudging
each other, and looking paralyzed, as
they were about to pelt him with
handful of grain, and he suddenly
raised his gloomy eyes on them,
'Confound you, let ma aloner' he
growled and they walked away as if
the biggest tiger had broken away
from the Zoo.