Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-11-11
THE NEW TENANT.

ed Mrs. Peel; land now, listen to me-
I have accepted Herr Schmidt's offer, and
he will enter the adjoining house as ten
ant tomorrow"
Not if I know it, MADAME shouted
Phineas, jumping from his chair and
bringing his fist down on the table. DO
you think [ am going to have Rhyde
cottage turned into menagerie, and my
garden into a bowling wilderness? The
house may remain tenantIess forever, but
Herr Schmidt and his monstrosities shall
not enter there"
Herr Schmidt, my dear, is merely a
naturalist
L know it!'' stormed Phineas. 1--WE
heard of these plaguey naturalists be-
fore. I've no desire to come downstairs
some fine morning to find a ring-tailed
monkey sitting on the window sill, act
ing as referee while kangaroOs and crocO-
dies play leapfrog over the flower beds.
No. madam No naturalists for Phineas
Peel!''
Pretty Mrs. Peel never allowed her
temper to get the better OF her. She
laughed softly at her husbands fears,
and did not alter her determination in the
least.
Has it slipped your memory, Phine-
as" she asked that Rhyd cottage is a
portion of my property? If l choose to
let it to naturalist-even though he be
4 foreigner am perfectly justified in
doing So
This was true enough, and Phineas
Gained down.
Herr Schmidt's collection of mon
strosities,' as you call it, went on Mrs.
Peel. probably contains nothing more
dangerous than a deaths head moth in
a bottle. Anyhow, l have no intention
to disappoint him.
But Il
lou Will treat him with the respect
due from one gentleman to another
Phineas.'' broke in Mrs. Peel ''And
now. dear, We'll dismiss the subject"
Phineas Peel was-though at times he
doubted it-a lucky fellow. He had car
ried off 4 young and handsome woman
from host of suitors.
Why Mary Marsden had chosen 20 be-
stow her hand and fortune on such 4
plain. everyday sort of fellow as the
diminutive Phineas Peel was always 4
mystery to her acquaintance. The we'd
ding was an accomplished fact before her
relatives had recovered from the shock
caused by the announcement of her en-
gagement.
Mary appeared to be happy enough,
too. Phineas, taken as whole, was lot
q bad sort of fellow. He was jealous,
that was true, but his wife came to re-
gard that as an extra proof of his deyo-
ton.
I1du the IEOpOSou JouduI u huyu COL
tage been an aged, decrepit broken
down old man, Phineas would have
stretched out the right hand of fellow
ship. But alas! Herr Schmidt was
young and handsome-far too handsome,
Phineas thought.
Very well, Mary" said Phineas, tax
ing his hat from the peg and making for
the door: you have oyerruled me as
usual. and must be prepared for the con
sequences. In less than week we shall
have the house and garden Overrun with
every conceivable variety of reptile
from the beastly lizard to the boa con-
strictor."
And Phineas stalked Indignantly forth
with the merry laughter of his wife ring
ing in his ears.
\ month or more had passed, and so
be groundless. Herr Schmidt's mon
strosities" had been kept well within
bounds, and as yet Mr.. Peel had not seen
so much as a strange caterpillar in his
garden, which never looked better.
However, he was not happy. He had
taken an aversion to the new tenant from
the first, and would never be satisfied
until he had got rid of him.
''Confound the fellow" muttered
Phinaas one evening, as he sat on an
upturned bucket behind the peasticks,
hes prowling about on the other side
sight of me, for I'm about tired of his
oily tongue and eternal smile. Hullol
what the duece is the meaning of this?'
Down the garden path tripped Mrs.
Peel The naturalist was evidently ex
pecting her, and greeted her with q
smile that almost brought tears into the
eyes of the furious Phineas.
-Goot efening,'' he said. you yos
joost leetle latep'
1t was soon evident that this was not
1Jaf I'D, IL
boundary hedge. Though Phineas
strained his ears he could not catch the
drift Of the conversation. Like a flash
he remembered that Mary had often OF
late taken a stroll in the garden al
dusk. Was this the explanation?
Phineas had been glaring at the couple
from behind the peasticks for ten min
utes or so, when he saw his wife take a
rosebud from his favorite tree and hand
it over the hedge with a charming smile
to the delighted Herr Schmidt. Then
with a pleasant Good night Mrs Peel
tripped lightly into the house
You yillaini" Kissed Phineas savage
". jumping from his seat and shaking
his fist after the retreating figure in
the next garden, I'll pay you out fo1
this"
The rage of Mr. Peel was something
to fa remembered. Nothing but blood
he vowed, would obliterate his wrongs
Eat he would be cautious. He would
smile and smile and murder while he
smiled. Selling a peastick he tragically
buried it in the heart of an unoffending
cabbage and played havoc with a state
~ row of sunfowers.
Half an hour later Mary saw him take
down huge, old-fashioned duck-gun
from the hook in the hall
There's a German yulture in the
neighborhood." he volunteered. impress
siyely land I'm going to bag him at the
first opportunity"
However, as nothing short of ar
earthquake would have induced the old
gun to 90 off in any circumstances-and
Fhineas had made assurance doubly sure
by dropping in the shot first and powder
afterWard-the ''vulture" in question
was not likely to be seriously damaged
and Mary contonted herself with ex.
pressing 4 hope that her husband would
not hurt himself
On the following evening Phineas took
UP his old position in the garden, with
murder in his heart. Herr Schmidt