The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1889-12-27
DEFENDING HIMSELF.

OEf6NOIN6 t1Im0C1Ts
Or the Story Of 3 Subterfuseous Man Who
Made Failure.
A man who had not been conducting him
self very well, and who was endeavoring to
make himself agreeable to his wife, remarked
after a long silence:
speaking of cyclones"-
'We have not been speaking of cyclones"
she reproachfully broke in.
weren't we speaking of cyclones this
morningp' he meekly asked.
''No"
clonesr'
II don't know"
"Wasn't it last week7"
II tell you don't know"
1--WE must have been speaking about cy-
clones some time"
~ don't remember that we have"
swell, now, you may not remember it.
Memory, you know, is very treacherous
thing"
ut seems to be" she answered. II told
you to send some coal up this morning, but
you didn't do it."
II ordered it. Are you sure it didn't
comes"
"Ordered it, she contemptuously repeated.
eyes, ordered it. Wasn't my fault that it
didn't come. Did my part"
why, you told me not more than an hour
ago that you had forgotten it, and now you
say that you ordered it."
They were sitting in front of the CRATE
He passed his hand over his brow in a help
less way, looked at the clock, shook his head
sadly and said:
II cannot help what my former declara-
ton was; may have uttered numerous alb
surdities, while worried with a troublesome
deal that have had on my hands for some
time, but | know ordered that coal early
this morning"
Eyes, suppose So"
"Louise, you are cruel"
"Do you think sog' she exasperatingly
asked
Eyes, do. You are not only cruel, but
are actually heartless."
'Did you bring that lambs wool?"
II stopped in the store and they said that
they were out of the best quality"
''Why didn't you 60 to another store?"
"Well, l wanted to catch a car and-well,
I wanted to get here in time for dinner, and
thought that another time would do for the
lambs wool, SO when they told me that they
didn't have the best quality hurried away
so could eat dinner with YOU"
"But you didn't get here in time. You
were nearly two hours late"
Again he passed his hand helplessly over
his brow.
II started all right" he said, 'but the car
stopped just as we were going into the tun-
mel. l asked the conductor what was the
matter, and he said the cable was broken"
"Why, you told me that you were detained
at the Office"
"Oh, that was yesterday evening""
mo, it was this evening""
''That's SO. It was yesterday evening that
the cable broke"
"Why, you were at home on time then"
He leaned over and propped up his chin.
He was the picture Of i'll used sadness, of
cruel neglect. She spoke again and he moved
uneasily.
''Well, Louise, we won't talk about it. /
have done my best, and if have failed, why,
l cannot help it."
''You have done your best to prove that
you have not failed" she answered.
Silence followed. "What were you going
to say about cyclonesg" she asked, after a
time
"Oh, yes. l was thinking Of something
that took place out on Kansas prairie. A
terrible cyclone about ten feet wide came
through the country. The narrowest and
most forcible cyclone the people had ever
known. When it struck building it simply
cut hole through it and went on. Struck
hill after it crossed the prairie. Bored hole
through. Railroad is going to use the hole
for a tunnel. Went on and struck another
prairie. There it encountered two men walk
ing along. They were about ten feet apart
They didn't hear the cyclone, and one of
them had just taken out a corkscrew, and
was about to hand it over to the other one,
when here came the cyclone. It passed be-
tween them, but took the corkscrew away.
Terrific wind. Why, when they found the
corkscrew, about a mile further on, it was
Strengthened out like darning needle"
"James, you actually tire me. You'd just
as well stop trying to talk. Did you bring
an evening papers"
Zone in my overcoat pocket, 1 believe"
She went to his overcoat and took out a
small bundle, unrolled it, and then laughed.
whats the matter, Louise?'
Nothing, only here is the lambs WOOL"
He arose, put his arms about her, and
tenderly said: Darling, have been a villain.
tried to defend myself for" -
mo, James," she answered, putting her
arms around his neck, ''you are the most
lovable man in the world when-when-you
don't try to deceive me. But you won't do it
again, will you?"
"No."
"Never in the world!"
"Never so long as live"
She was satisfied, was happy, and James
really meant what he said. Maxwell, ali =
Opie P. Read in Arkansaw Traveller.
A Little Boys Idea.
Mamma" said Freddy, whose duty it was
to run a great many errands, II wish was
only as big as dollar"
why, do you wish that, my son?'