Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-02-01
MIR. Jobson Gets Dinner


afternoon he found the front door
locked Concluding that the catch had
accidentally dropped, he got out his
latch key and opened the door. He
was surprised to find the vestibule
door locked, too. Mumbling something
about the inet1icacy and imbecility of
modern patent locks, he used his latch
KEY on the vestibule door also, and en-
tered his abode. He had hung his coat
and hat on the rack before he noticed
the queer, lonesome silence that broods
over house the occupants of which
are all out. Mr.. Jobson was visibly rat
fed.
''.Jane." he called to his wife, some
what commandingly from the bottom
of the stairs, at the same time mutter-
ing something about women who stay
upstairs primping all the afternoon.
But there was no reply. Mr.. Jobson
went to the head of the basement stairs.
ant. Lily replied not.
"Well. here's a deuced pretty motel"
calculated Mr.. Jobson, spreading his
legs out in the hall and looking savage.
What the meaning of it, Id like to
know? Man comes home from toll
and drudgery at his regular daily hour
and finds his home as deserted as a
northwestern boom town church. Wife
gadding the streets, servant off attend
ing some five o'clock tea and par]or So
cial, and TO more sign of dinner than
of elephant tracks. And I'm so hun
CRY that L could eat burro stuffed
with firecrackers! Now, this is the
worst yet. I'm willing to do as much
and to stand as much as the next man
for the sake of peace and quiet life,
and to keep my home together, but I'll
be eternally fibbertgibbeted if this
isn't too"
The situation bore so heavily upon
Mr.. Jobson's spirits that he couldn't
finish the sentence. He set to work
thinking out schemes whereby he
could exhibit his displeasure. He was
in two minds as to whether he would
receive Mrs. Jobson upon her return
with fiery and sarcastic illusions, or
greet her with solemn, martyrlike dig
nifty, displaying evidences of grief and
disappointment too profound for ade-
auate expression. Mr. Jobson felt very
much abused. He looked around to
see if there was any note Of eNplana
ton tackled to the top of the bureau.
or resting on the mantel, or stuck in an
easel on the piano. There was no note.
"Nope," unused Mr.. Jobson, when he
had finished his search, there's not
even a line of explanation. Just a plain
case of heartiess. callous Indifference
And after the way l have toiled and
moileC-''
The thought was almost too much
for Mr.. .Jobson's co1nposure. He col
1ecled himself, however, with a great eff
fort, and decided upon a course to pur-
sue. At first he reflected that it would
be a good scheme for him to write
short. jerky note addressed to Mrs.
.lobson. stick it up in some prominent
place. and then depart FOR a wild, tu-
multuous time of it downtown. return
ing at three o'clock in the morning in
a night-iiner and an aggressive frame
of mind. But he remembered that the
last time he had chosen this method
of exhibiting his displeasure over Il
fancied grievance he had hardly been
able to drag himself around for week
afterward.
100 much of boomerang that way"
thought Mr.. Jobso-, deciding not to
have recourse to the tumultuous plan.
81 know just what Ill do" he sud-
denly thought, and he proceeded i'm
mediately to put his scheme into oper-
alton. He took off his coat and elab-
orately rolled up his sleeves. Then he
descended to the basement kitchen.
He lighted all the burners in the gas
range, coming perilously close to blow
ing himself to eternity in the opera
ton, and started in to cook dinner for
himself. First he dumped about half
a pound of coffee into the pot, and, IL
ing it up to the top with water, put it
on to boil. Then he dug around for ma
terials wherewith to make himself
some corn bread. He ranged all the
materials about him on the kitchen
table, and within five minutes he was
in corn meal, molasses and other things
up to his elbows. He put great many