The record-union., 1899-04-24
"There are too many people,

afraid"
You attend race meetings. YOU
81 certainly begin to believe l am IN
a bad way" said 1. ''T had not thought
of it before. Thank you, Mrs. Cheedie.
But you must not be too hard on me.
All men are not like your husband, you
know
Why don't you get married, too?"
Marriage would not alter me, said
I gloomily.
1T has altered JOSIE"
IT beg your pardon, Mrs. Cheedle. IL
has not altered him in the least.
She grew pale What do you mean!
she gasped.
Il know him SO we'll, you see.''
She half rose You mean to tell me
"a saint, Mrs. Cheedle," cried, earn
estly; IAN angel in trousers!'
Don't be absurd, she said laughing.
Il assure you, Mrs. Cheedle, said l.
that a more innocent man than your
husband does not walk this earth.
Extraordinary as it may appear, she
| was greatly annoyed. ''Nonsense! she
said, sharply.
1T is true" said I simply.
81 know better!' she retorted. "There
is too1much that is evil in Josie, unfor-
| tunately'' The last word sounded
dreadfully like an afterthought.
There is no more vice in him than
in a kitten" said 1. He was always
like that"
"Of course, you are his friend. You
would be sure to say so. 1t is very loyal
and nice of you; but + You can't
deceive me-
! Evidently no man is a saint to the
woman who loves him!
Il have no wish to do So,' said l..
There is no need
My dear Mr. Wroughtnight,' she
said with thinly yelled imratience. "do
you honestly maintain that Josie is any
| better, morally, than the average
MANI"
"Incalculably better" said I.
"Then you are mistaken"
Really I think not. We used to call
him The Saint
1.-The Saint How absurd."
1T was a saying among US, AS in
nocent as Cheedle!''
"Nonsense!' she said again, flushing
angrily L don't believe it,
I bowed and was silent.
"All men are more or less alike said
she.
! I did not reply.
Aren't they, Mr. Wroughtnight?
Everything is as you say, Mrs. Chee-
de- 1 said, carefully betraying my
annoyance.
ooh, was I rude? I beg your pardon.
Do be nice, Mr.. Wroughnight"
You asked my opinion Of Joseph
Saunders Cheedle. 1 gave it," said I,
honestly"
But you may be mistaken, Mr..
Wroughtnight."
"Of course said I. II admit that
If you don't mind, Mrs. Cheedle, we will
change the subject
She looked at me gloonlily for some
seconds. I don't think l ever spent a
duller afternoon. 1 saw Cheedle a day
! or two later. His manner was repell-
! ing.
Good God, mani he cried. What
have you been saying to my wife?'
How should I know" I rejoined,
stung to evaporation.
Were you drunk?"
''Of course [ was, Why ask?"
Il beg your pardon, old chap. But,
really her attitude toward me is un-
bearable lately. You know that pho
tograph of Lottie's?''
| THE one you thought was Lottie's,
you mean. The man did you, Cheedle. .
Are you going to drag-up that old,
! stupid argument again? Anyhow, the
wife got hold Of it Who is this?''
/ said she. My cousin-in Australia I
replied. In tights?' said she. A fan
cy costume, I said. Joseph Saunders
Cheedle, said she, are you milksop or
a hypocrite? I did not like to plunge
on either alternative. What do you
mean?' I asked. Your friends will tell
| YOU said she. So / came to YOU
'She asked me about your Past the
other day" I mumbled. And 1 told
her you hadn't got one. You haven't,
you know. Photographs at one and six
! each are not a Past
, Il can see you overdid it, he growled.
! And, after all, perhaps I did.-Edwin
Pugh, in Black and White.
Avoid danger in the changing seasons
by taking Hoods Sarsaparilla this
spring.
| Coronado water. Stockton sarsapa
J rilla and iron, champagne cider, ginger
/ ale orange cider + McMorry agent