Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-09-09

-tCO-tCf1-me can anQ-dlIu HSii IA Va
YOU. when it was all your fauiC, 10 coins
Iand-and-expose me Like TINS. -,
"J-leave me. you-you wr-wretch!
murmured Gladys at the same moment
her voice muffied by the SOFA CUSHION
IN which she had buried her race.
GLOW can you dare to rem-m-naln IN
NV presence. after forclng--hlerallv
forcing-a kiss from .ho
"Ob I say" interposed Robert the
barrister. "Ifs TOO bad OF you 10 say
that: il is. indeed. Why, you never re-
sisted at all and you-you actually
seemed 10 like it,. , oa
AT this point Amy suddenly stafleu
round. The shame had Almost VANISH Si
ed from her look. She was null OF rtht,
eous. wifely wrath. She had graspeu
the situation.
"Robert." she demanded, in an awful
voice "am-am 10 understand that it
vas you who-who kissed and carried
on with Gladys in--in a public placer
well, you see, my dear
Don't try to make excuses, sir. And
you, Gladys" Grounding upon her I'M
fortunate friend, edo you mean TO say
that you-you let him kiss you, and
-you-you actually seemed 10 like it?''
Gladys, however, was equal to the oc-
casion, for she, too, had now graspsd
the situation.
and you. Amy" she demanded
fiercely, you dared entice my husband
TOTO"
mo, no, my dear. Not enticed,"
struck in the Anglo-Caxon, mildly Il
cant say she enJiced-"
Can't say that I enticed, indeed"
retorted Amy, heaving with indigna-
ton, you know, you false wretch"
Am | to understand, Tom Jiffkins. "
Numbered Robert. the barrister, at this
point, that you dared TO kiss my wife
n a public placer"
Am l to understand, Robert Pilking-
ton" retorted the 6lue-eyed Saxon. fir
ing up, that you dared to kiss my wife
in a public plao ?"
Damn IT," said Robert, the barris-
ter, 'yoI needn't get excited. 7 did,
know she was your wife. And. besides.
/ was only carrying out the rules of the
Alcibiades Club"
SO was I carrying out the rules of
the Alcibiades Club. y
And | was only carrying out the
rules of tAe Aspasia Club" said Amy
now beginning to whimper.
Gladys. -
"Do the rules of the Aspasia Club
compel YOU to undergo kisses from
strange menu demanded Robert. the
Darrlster. Because if So"
No, no. Not that. Only 70 perpe.rate
some act Of w-w-wifely independence
But what is the Alcibiades Club? I new
or heard of it before" questioned AMY
driving her tears and again looking in
dignant and suspicious.
well, YOU see, my dear" exnlainod
Robert, "as YOU have Joined the As
pasia-a club whose avowed object is
TO encourage the independence If
wlves-I and some ogher disguised hus-
bands formed a little club of our own.
to encourage the independence Of hus-
bands. We called Il the AIcibiadas.
And a necessary condition of member
ship is that every man in che club
should kiss a pretty wOman-not his
wife, Of course, but if some one else's
wife, so much the bet;er-at least once
week, and"
Robert" cried Amy, with flashing
eyes and painting bosom. of you don't
leave that-that club at-at once. sir, I
shall get a divorce"
"And if you don't withdraw vour
name, Tom, t'his very evening. shall
go home to mamma" threatened
Gladys.
well, you see, ladies'" answered
Robert, the oarrister, 1--WE have an az
ION in the law that no agreement is
good without consideration. And If we
agree TO withdraw from the Alcibiades
for | have no doubt that my friend
Jiffkins will back me up in this-you
must withdraw from the Aspasia. That
is the consideration we demand. What
do You say?"
It ended in both the Iad:as resigniYg
their membership in The Aspasia. JEFF
kins and Pilkington also threw over the
Alcibiades-not a very difficult step.
since the so-called club had never con
sisted Of any more members than these
two.
say" observed ROBERT, on meetjrg
Tom few days later, we managed
that affair very neatly, didn't we?"
"Prime!' assented the other, grin
ming.
But look here" inquired the barris-
ter, dropping his iocular tone, and
speaking rather anxiously, "my-my-
little woman didn't-didn't really draw
you on to kiss her, did she?"
''Not bit OF it, old man. She objected
strongly to the liberty. Aud my wife,
now-she-she-sh - didn't really
seem-seem-to-to like being kissed
by you, did she?"
Incredible as it may appear" cen
fessed Robert. the barrister. surveying
his comely person in an adjacent pier
glass, "she did-not!"