Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-20
A MUTTON
TRAGI-COMEDY.

all snnely constituted men, abomnated
mutton. So conscious was he of his own
utter detestation OF the meat Of the
sheep that he foolishly believed that ev-
erybody else held 1t In the same semi
humorous contempt and that when ho
said to his fiancee in effect, II like NUT
ton." she should not take him literally.
Nellie Henderson was soft eyed,
trustful little woman, too tender to hate
anything-but mutton. That she disliked
with fcrvor even greater than that Of
Jack Weldon himself.
However, that remark of Jacks gave
her the opportunity which her loving lit.
tie heart longed for. the opportunity Of
sacrificing herself on the altar of her hus-
bands tastes.
He should never learn how she abom-
mated that meat. For his dear sake 1t
should be the one chief dish of their
married life. Even during their engage
mcnt, whenever Jack dined ut her moth
er's house, mutton figured largely on
| the menu.
Jack observed Nellie's pronounced and
growing devotion to mutton with many
| inward qunlms. He had entirely forgot
ten his own foolish and incautious re-
mark and believed her love for mutton to
| be n genuine passion.
Mutton as the concomitnnt of honey
moon may be even tolcrable, but when
q man and woman are just slipping back
from the pnnacles of the romantic clouds
| OF the just wed 1t surely must begin to
| pail.
In the days of the third month OF their
! welded life Jack and his wife were each
/ secretly endeavoring to excogitate some
plausible escape. Pending the discovery
of the means, both bravely stuck to their
attitude of eternal fondness for the soul
sickening dish, and both were dropping
away sadly from their former state Of
health and innocence--innocence because
the constant deception made them both
feel themselves hypocritical worshipers
of false gods. .E
As saviors of their kind, the Bradleys
arrived on the scene and on two weeks
visit. ss,- .tr..
although we are very fond of mutton,
Jack" whispered Mrs. Weldon, 1--WE can
not expect the Bradleys to share our
| tastes"
"Oh, no. certainly not!' responded
Jack. And neither OF them had the least
suspicion of the others alacrity in ac-
Quiescence. though inwardly both re-
| joiced.
When Bradley and his wife were alone
( for few moments, they remarked on
the haggard, worn faces Of the young
husband and wife.
After dinner the men retired to We'll
don's study to smoke cigar. There
was an uneasy silence for few mo.
ments, broken by Bradley.
"As an old friend, want you to tell
me what is the matter"
Bradley, am not happy. / am liv-
ing life of deceit"
Bradley started and was about to
speak when Weldon stopped him.
"No, no! 1t is not that. The truth is,
am II martyr to my wife's misguided
love for mutton. Oh, yes. you may laugh!
For me the humor Of the situation is
long since departed. Until today l have
not had an honest, wholesome meal since
I married." And then he told the whole
sad story.
"Look!' he said, opening the door of a
closet and disclosing an array Of pre-
serve jars, timed meats, biscuits and
food packages. "How can ! ever tell
Neil have been deceiving her? She
would never trust me again. feel like
thief when I smugsle these things into
the house. and ! feel like scoundrcl
when / lock myself in here after din
ner to eat them. l must eat to live.
That is my only excuse.
ALREADY fear Nell suspects me.
Once, two months ago, she remarked
that l was eating very little mutton,
although 1t was my favorite dish. and
there was such n tone Of reproach in her
voice that had to tell her that ! was
always light eater, and now leave the
table half hungry because l only eat of
the other things in proportion to the
amount of mutton-ugh.-that ! can
swallow"
Weldon dived into the cupboard and
produced six by four inch cake of
brown, mottled. pasty looking material.
"They call it army emergency ration
The fellows down In Cuba. you know,
and places like that use 1t q good deal.
TITS hard to get used to 1t, but It Is very
nourishing. You can boil It In water and
make kind of jelly of it. or You can eat
1t as 1t is. This cake will sustain life for
three days. Here, taste it."
The while Weldon unbosomed himself
to his friend fearful scene was being
enacted between the ladies. Mrs. Brad
ley, by dint of questioning. direct and
suggestive, managed to drag from Mrs.
Weldon her view Of the grim monster
OF unhappiness that haunted the house.
Mrs. Weldon was loyal to her self sac
riHce. Her confession was disjolnted and
not very explanatory, aud left MrA.
Bradley with but a confused notion of
the whole affair The women wept FREQ
ly on each others neck and understood
that Jack Weldon was brute who forci-
bly, compelled his wife to gorge on NUT.
ton to the exclusion Of ail other food.
Her husband found her in fearful in.
dignation when he retired for the night.
"Chnrlcy Bradley. we do not stay one
single hour longer under this roof. and
before we go you must tell that monster
what he is. The idea Of his forcing
that poor innocent girl to Gil herself
with sleeps meat just because he likes
1t or because he Is too mem or too
callous to get anything else! Oh Char
ley. it is horrible"-
A threatened display of Mysteries was
judiciously averted by Mr.. Bradley, who
gradually broke to her what he had
learned Of the situation.
A day or two later, at the earnest So
licitation of Mrs. Bradley, Mrs. Weldon
allowed herself to be seen by a doctor
recommended by Bradley, who sternly
excluded mutton from her diet.
Jack Weldon, who felt q convenient
pang OF indigestion, was ordered to cat
no more Of one or two things he never
( desired to eat-and mutton.-Crsterion.
| -
| The Limit.
"Put your tongue out" said the doc