Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1900-12-07
WHAT A ROORBACK IS
Mr.. DOODLESAP EXPLAINS TO
LITTLE FRANCIS.
Owing to Difficulty In Giving the Lad
q Correct Impression He Relates Q
Narrowing Domestic Experience of
Recent Occurrence.

PA" said little Francis, whats
roorback?"
"Well," Mr.. Doodlesap replied, Il
don't know as l can explain it SO you'l
understand exactly, but may be you
can get an idea Of what 1t is from lit
tie story I'll tell you. About two weeks
ago received a.letter from lady who
asked If could get her half-fare tick
ct on a certain railroad. Before an
swering her or taking any steps In the
matter l thought l would tell your
mother about it. So, when came home
from the Office that evening said to
your mother, says 1:
Mamma, got letter from a lady
to-day who wants me to get her half
rate railroad ticket. She knows l have
opportunities to do this, and suppose
she thought she might as well save the
money as not If would help her.
"'Show me that letter, Tom Doodle
sapv' your mother demanded.
"I put it in a pigeon-hole in my
DESK told her, 'or else l threw 1t in
the waste basket. / don't remember
which,
"Well, Francis, your mother was not
amused. She Informed me that the
woman who had written the letter was
q brazen thing, and wanted to know if
I had ever seen her. had. l told your
mother SO. In fact, had known this
woman before your mother and l were
married, Francis. Your dear, fond
mother jumped up and down several
times, and said things to me that am
going to try to forget. l may not sue
ceed in doing this, but I am going to
try. She told me that If I had not en-
couraged the woman in some way she
never would have dared to write to me
as she did. protested that had nev-
er, to my knowledge, given her word
of encouragement-at least not since
your mamma and have been husband
and wife. Before that had tried to be
kind to her-had, in fact, done all in
my power to win her favor. l admitted
this openly, but it did not seem to
strengthen or renew your mothers con-
fidence in me. She denounced me as a
sneak and a deceiver. She said she
didn't believe l had told her half, and
fatty informed me that if l ever had
any more to do with this woman our
happy home would go to smash like a
cold storage egg upon the cheek of a
political candidate, or words to that
effect.
"'But my DEAR said to your moth
er, suppose that 1 get the ticket and
you send it to her? There would be
nothing improper about that
"'Whatv your dear mother an
swered, would you pull your wife
down to this persons level! No! And
you shall not get the ticket! You bring
that letter home tomorrow! You know
where it is, and you know, too, that it
hasn't been put in the waste basket
Don't you come home tomorrow with
out it!'
"'And,' says 1 to your mother, you
won't reconsider about the ticketY
81 win not repeat the answer l re-
ceived, Francis. Your mother was firm
in her decision that the lady must re-
ceive no further consideration from me,
and so the matter was dropped until
Tie next udy, except that received
some looks which were calculated to
make my clothes great deal too big
for me-
"Well,-Francis, the next evening
brought home the letter. 1t was from
your Grandma Paddleford, who wished
to come and pay us visit, and thought
I might send her the half-rate ticket as
well as not. When your mother had
read the letter she was up against
about the nearest thing to roorback
that I am able to describe Chicago
Times-Herald.