The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-03-02
How Jones Discovered His Christmas
Present

Peace, like whitc-winged dove, has
lately brooded over the Jones family:
but one day last week the demon of dis
cord entered most unexpectedly. Jones
was getting ready TO go down town in
the morning. and i'm looking for n hand
kerchief in the family bureau found a
drawer that resisted HMM fact it was
locked. most unheard-of thing in that
family. AT first it only made Jones
mad. because the resistance threw him
across the room, and bounced him up
against a chiflonier OF the other side,
but when lac regained consciousness h.
called Maria and asked her with white.
calm lips. where the key was. She said
il was in her pocket, He demanded it.
She refused to give il 10 him; and then
ensued one OF those most painful dnmel-
tic silences which are 50 mach more
narrowing than words or blows. Jones
vent oui and came in for three days,
and sulked during the whole time. for
al awful suspicion had taken possession
OF him He remembered that Maria
had been distraught and mysterious
lately, with Il CLASSY lock in her eyes,
He recalled the fact that several times
the door hell had rung in the evening
and she had cvaded his inquiry as to
who was there. He knew the evil ten
dency of the age and shuddercd ut the
idea that Marin had mel n handsomer
mau than he. Grecn-eycd jealousy took
possession Of his soul and ate and ate in
to his heart like canker!
But all things come tn an end. One
.n.lt Ina
tripped past the parlor door she looked
in and said: "Jeptha. if You hear the
baby gurgle wish you'd look ut him."
That was his opportunity-now or
never. He crept softly upstairs and en-
tered the peaceful room where their
child was sleeping and turned the gas
down to the merest glimmer; then he
stealthily produced key and fitted il
into the lock of that drawer and pulled
it silently open, and there lay before
him-thc picture of that other man-p
Oh. no! but pair of slippers embroid-
cred in red. green and yellow with y
terra Gotta -. j." in y wreath ofeglan-
tine on each toe and merry Christ.
mas" card tackled to the pair Poor
Jones! this was even worse than he cX-
pected. 1t is enough to break up any
man to thrust pair of embroidered
slippers upon him, and as he stood and
looked and shivered and realized that
the things were four inches too short
and had soft heels, he saw paper
sticking up curiously on one side. 1t
was addressed in n mans handwriting
to Mrs. Jones. Ha! ha! this, then, was
a clue!
1t was; it was the bill from the man
who sold the shoes, and it included one
for the velvet and another for the en-
broidery, and Jones was trying to foot
the matter up to his satisfaction when
tremendous blow fell on his head and n
fearful howl rent the air as Bridget
shrieked:
SOW, We mizzable, thieven, maraudin'
blaggard, I'll tache We to stale into
decent peoples houses - oh. howly
Moses! it's the master himself, bad cess
to him. How was to tell him from
emmy other thafe?"
Jones patched up peace with Britg-
ct. who promised not to say ''divil a
wurrd'' to Mrs. j., but oh, with what a
weary heart did the unhappy man
wait for the coming of Christmas!-
Detroit Post