Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-08-22
SWORTH NEEDS EXERCISE.
And So He Purchases Croquet Set and
Starts In.

down q long, Hat box There's something
that's got life in it,"
"Why, Ellery, what is it?" said his wife,
giving little scream and backing away.
Don't shy" grinned MI. Wigglesworth !;
'twont bite It's croquet set, he add
cd triumphantly, throwing open the lid
and disclosing the brightly painted mallets
and balls.
"O-o-o-h-hP' cried Mrs. Wigglesworth,
clapping her hands. elbow nice! And will
we play with it?"
''Play with it!' mimicked Mr.. Wiggles-
worth; "wha'd We think we'd do; hang it
on the parlor wallp Might wear it to the
governors reception s'pose. Or mebbe
the hired girl would like to stuff turkey
with fishes tried most everything else. !"
Finishing his dinner to the accompani-
ment Of this cheerful style Of comment,
which Mr.. Wigglesworth, along with other
men, kept In reserve especially for his
wife, he went out on the lawn and adjust
ed the wire hoops according to diagram.
"Best exercise in the world, he boast
ed, waving mallet in the air. "Old
Wetherbee told me he reduced his weight
nine pounds in two weeks Come down
here!' he called to his wife, land let's
have game" %
Mrs. Wigglesworth adjusted the ball I'M
der her husbands direction.
"Do knock it through this first wicket
flrstP" she asked.
Course, tartly answered Mr.. Wiggles-
worth; "think We had to knock it through
the last one firstp Might try to get it
through the seventh one fourth, spose.
Mrs. Wigglesworth' new rules for croquet,
got up by herself"
Putting her tongue between her teeth,
Mrs. Wigglesworth struck smartly at the
ball and dug hole in the lawn. Quickly
recovering she dealt second stroke, avoid
ed the ball and tore the wicket out Of the
ground.
"That's the way" howled Mr.. Wiggles-
worth. "That's the way to go through
tho wickets."
He took the bent wire from his wife's
mallet and thrust it back in the ground
"Lemme show We, he said in tone of
Importance, while Mrs. Wigglesworth
stood back and adjusted her hair.
Mr.. Wigglesworth sent his ball through
the first wicket, and nearly got it through
the second, and probably would have done
SO anyway if the minister hadn't leaned
over the fence at that moment and discon-
certed his aim.
Delightful game" commented the
minister in kindly tone. Full of life,
requiring the exercise of skill and an ad-
mirable discipline for the temper. am
very fond of it.
Encouraged by this favorable opinion,
Mrs Wigglesworth hunted her ball under
the wire arch and struck the ball of her
opponent.
"Bravo'' cried the minister, gleefully
clapping his hands. "a good stroke.
Now, you can croquet his ball out Of your
way"
He explained how this could be done,
and under his instruction Mrs. Wiggles-
worth sent her husbands ball merrily
bounding to the far extremity of the lawn,
slowly followed by the husband himself,
muttering. The minister was finished
performer, and with his intelligent assist
ance Mrs. Wigglesworth discovered skill
that nobody could have believed she ever
was capable of. Smoothly she glided
through the wickets, tapped pleasantly
against the turning stake, and then set
her sails for the return home, while anon
she would set upon her husband the op-
posing ball and send it out of the county.
"You think yourself mighty smart,
don't ye?' Mr.. Wigglesworth Kissed be-
tween his gritted teeth to his wife when
the minister's back was turned.
Mrs. Wigglesworth suffered little smile
of triumph to momentarily flicker into her
face, and at that the blood of Wigglesworth
boiled over.
Who's playing this game anyway" he
snOrted, glazing ct the minister.
"Why, Ellery!" expostulated Mrs. Wig
ellsworth.
~ can beat the whole box and dice Of
yel' calculated her husband angrily, as
with lucky stroke the balls oollided. The
full knowledge of the indignities put upon
him in the game singed through his recol-
lection, and he trod the balls into close
conjunction.
"Look out there!' he warned, waving
the minister to one side.
Then he put his foot on the ball, lifted
his mallet aloft and smote with a strength
born Of long bottled up anger. The mallet
shrieked through its circle, there was
momentary agitation Of the atmosphere,
and Mr.. Wigglesworth was rolling among
the wickets with his foot in both hands
anu oonnec'ou s'reain u yelis lssulng
ll e ms ups such us the minister saig
a a. ne coulu never nave pelleveu
'h e,I nuillah lungs were eq,i1i 10 prouuc1ns'
MowLwoMEwow! howieu MI VIZ
glesWorol, CURING aDout ohe nome stake
anu onlus',hs one leg up toward INC heaV.
ens Whiie ne solil grlpped the other loot
au ~
Icy lne nelp you, suggested 'he lhlh-
phUny ~ MS cothVenance.
MF. VlBSleSWOftu 6UTblRnUoueQ OUT ike