Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-08
WICKED JACK.

lCAID y AOA.
~ don't know-I almost think-I
should like you better--if I possibly
could like you better, Jack, -dear-if--if
you were just little-ever such
tiny bit-wicked.
I lifted my eyebrows in mild aston
ishment. I had an idea that was suffi-
ciently wicked, not desperately or vi
ciously wicked, you know, but just
about wicked enough.
'tWould you like me to poison pussy,
or steal Aunt Jane's knitting, or put
gunpowder in the governors pipe, or
smash the mater r's-no, 'pon my word,
Cis, won't do anything to the dear lit
tie mater"
Don't be so absurd" said She Sc
verely ("She" with big S, if you
please).
"You don't look pretty when you
make faces, Cis, f"
"You said yesterday that couldn't
help looking pretty"
We had only been engaged three days
then.
"Oh, Jack!'
There were explanations here which
do not affect the argument.
81 didn't mean that sort of wicked
ness," said she.
Isn't kissing wicked?"
"Of course not, when people are en-
gagged. Don't, Jack. /"
"Well, what's the particular crime
you admire, Cis?" inquired cheerful
ly. II dare say I've committed it in the
course of long and evil life."
"You know I don mean real wicked
ness that is wickedness I'm quite sure
that you wouldn't ever-quite, quite
sure, DEAR
wasn't SO sure, but I was clear
enough that I shouldn't tell her Of it.
II only mean little wickednesses--not
wiokednesses really, only y-er- you
know what I mean"
"You are always strikingly lucid"
observed politely.
You are always teasing me-"
Is that wickedness which is or
which ism n't?'
"I'm not going to discuss frivolities,
sir. You know what mean. I"
"I'm hanged if dop'
"Well, I mean-people say-that a
man ought not to be-that isl know
what I mean, but I can't express it.
And won't be laughed at, Jack. I"
"You are being laughed at, Cis.
But don't like it, please. y
"Well, you mean that it doesn't seem
manly for man to be too good and
proper. Is that it, Cis?'
"Of course it is.
Upon my word I'm not"
"Ah," said she triumphantly, set
ting herself magisterially in a corner Of
the large armchair (she doesn t nearly
fill it3, "what have you done? I shall
expect you to tell me all. F."
She almost looked as if she expected
it, too, which was absurd So I deter
mined to make a careful selection, but
there was such all embarras de richesse
OF course couldn' t tell her Of the wick
ednesses which were, and wickednesses
which weren't found somewhat diff
cult to define
"Well"- began hesitatingly.
"Go on, sir-the truth"
"When I was boy
"Oh, that doesn't matter. / suppose
you've done something wrong since
them
"Er-I've sometimes had a bet on a
horse race or a cricket or football
match.
How much-e5?'
"Well-er-not more. You see, I'm
not really betting man.
II I'd told her Of that coup on Yellow
Dragon, it might have got round to the
governor, you see.
"Oh, we'll. that isn't very much.
What else?''
Sometimes when ! was at Oxford !
had quite enough to drink"
"Oh, Jack! But you didn't ever get
quite-not really-so that you could
not
"Drunkp Oh, dear, mol That would
have shown great weakness Of char
acter. /"
II wasn't worth while to mention
that night when tire other men put me
in bed the wrong end, with my boots on
the pillow. ! was only overcome with
the smoke and excitement, you know.
''There's good boy! I'm glad, /" she
said, just touching my hand with hers.
Anyhow I'm almost teetotalez
now. Well, that's nearly all. I"
CHOW, Jackr'
Except that I might have said q
swear word or no now and then. Foot
ball and billiards are very trying you
know"
II she'd heard me talk to that cabby
On boat race dayl
"Uml'
Isn't that wicked enoughs"
"Ye-es, but men all do 1t. Even dad
when he dropped the big hammer on his
foot the other day said
"Whati''
Never mind. Perhaps II was 'Dea,
met"