Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-26
A MATRIMONIAL JAR.

1t might have remained there long
time, Picket's new hat, if Mrs Picket
did not repeat every time her eyes fell
upon it:
"What in the world possessed you to
buy another new hat when you leave it
there for weeks without ever opening
the box it came in?"
"But, said Picket, "Ihave not worn
it because you keep telling me that my
old one looks all right"
"Yes, and you already have ~ hats
that you have quit wearing, and you
leave them in your closet covered with
dust. What in the world do you keep
them for? Why don't you throw them
away?"
''Throw them away! And yet you
know very we'll that you never throw
anything away. You would not throw
away match that had been already
lighted. You're so fond Of saying, 1T
might come i'll handy
"Well," said Mrs. Picket, sit is true
that I never throw away things that
might come in handy, but how can old
hats ever come in handy? What sense is
there in piling up old hats which are Of
no use to any one when there are so
many poor creatures who walk the
streets barefooted?"
"But," said Picket, "they could not
wear my hats on their bare feet"
IT don't see anything funny in that, !"
said Mrs. Picket icily. "You know what
mean. You needn't pretend that you
don't understand me. Why don't you
send for an old clothes man and sell
him your hats?"
IT never think of it."
"I'd like to know what you do think
of. I don't think you think at all. But
do as you please. Buy new hats; wear
them; don't wear them. It's your own
affair." Mrs. Picket concluded with
saying, You make me tired" and she
retired from the room, slamming the
door with violence which made the
chandelier rattle.
"Such is married life," said the
stupefed Picket, gazing after his wife.
whether I do thing Or don't do it,
I am certain not to please my wife.
Take that new hat, for example! What
did you buy it for, said she, when you
never wear it? and the first day that /
put it OH to 60 out she will be sure to
say, What are you wearing your new
hat for when the other one is all right
still?' "
Some days afterward Picket said to
his wife, II am going out. -
"Indeed, said Mrs. Picket. "Where
are you going?'
'I am going to see poor Marley, who
is i'll. Z"
"And do you put OH your new hat to
see poor Marley"
"Just what expected you to say"
remarked Picket Eyes, that is what I
am going to do. am going to wear my
new hat. See?"
"Well, why don't you throw your old
one in the closet with the others?"
With rising rage Picket took up his
old hat, opened the closet door and
hurled the hat into the closet
sThere," said he, II hope you will
give me rest OH this hat business!'
"That makes the twenty eighth, re.
piled Mrs. Picket, with burst of sar-
donic laughter.
Picket went out. He started toward
Marley's house, but he had scarcely
gone more than couple Of blocks when
it began to rain.
'There, said tie unfortunate Picket.
"Just my luck. Beginning to rain. Got
a new hat on and no umbrella.
He started into q neighboring door
way to wait until the shower should
cease, and as he did 80 a man carrying
along plank on his shoulder turned and
swept the unfortunate Picket's hat from
his head into the gutter.
Cursing like pirate, the luckless
Picket pursued his new hat and rescued
it from the gutter, much damaged and
covered with mud. A passing good Sa.
marian stopped and said to him:
"There's halter couple Of doors
up the street there. He will brush it off
and touch it up with the iron, and it
will be all right"
"Thank you," said Picket, and he re.
paired to the hatter's When he had his
hat polished, he stood upon the doorstep
for moment, and, not wishing again
to expose his hat to the fury Of the ele-
ments, he determined to step into a
friendly restaurant next door, where he
would wait until the storm was over. He
went in, seated himself at a table, hung
up his hat on one Of the hooks over his
head, ordered a sandwich and began to
lnnk nvar thu nanar Hut he could not