The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-03-17
The Green Eyed Monster


y ceived, in the morning mail deliv
cred at his house, a letter addressed tc
him in a dainty feminine hand. Mrs
Jobson had gone to the basement door
to get the letters from the postman
and she was somewhat puzzled as to
who Mr.. Jobson's feminine correspond.
ent could be. She did not know the
handwriting. 1t was hat of none OF
her female relatives nor of his. How.
ever, she handed the letter to him al
the breakfast table, simply asking, not
in any particularly curious way:
"Who is it from?"
"I1l know better as to that after I've
opened it and seen the signature" re-
piled Mr.. Jobson, choppily.
Mrs. Jobson ran oyer her WI letters
while Mr.. Jobson vas reading the mis-.
sive addressed to him in the feminine
and across the table at her spouse he
was apparently suffused in bushes, and
there was quite an amount of self-sat-
isfied ~complaisancy in his manner.
Anything important" inquired
Mrs. Jobson.
"Oh, l don't know" replied Mr.. job
son, leering at himself in the sideboard
mirror and twiddling with his fork.
SIS it from anybody 1 know" in
quired Mrs. Jobson.
81 think not" replied Mr.. Jobson, ad-
justing his cravat and pulling down his
cuffs in a truly Lothario-like manner
Business m~atter?" asked Mrs. job
swell, hardly that" answered Mr..
Jobson, with another quite killing look
at himself in the sideboard glass.
Anything I'd be interested in?" in
CURED Mrs. Jobson, not with any par
ticular indication of excitement nor
any evidence of pique.
81 wouldn't undertake to say as to
that replied Mr.. Jobson, rubbing the
hair over on the bald spot on the top of
his head. and smiling mysteriously to
himself.
"lt's not in regard to the church fair,
is it," asked Mrs. Jobson.
Anything but that" replied Mr.. Job
son, toying with his fork after the man.
ner of a leading juvenile at a stage sup
per. Anything in life but that"
rs your coffee strong ennugh?"
asked Mrs. Jobson, and Mr.. Jobson
looked signally disappointed that she
did not pursue her inquiries further.
Mrs. Jobson was, however, saying to
herself:
Hes just aching to have me come out
and demand to know the contents of
that letter, and the name of the writer.
but I'll just do nothing of the sort
so there, now! 1 would like to know
the name of the impudent thing, but l
wouldn't give him the satisfaction of
asking outright for worlds! AS if l
cared! Huh! Moreover, I'll see the
letter anyhow-that is, if it's in his
coat pocket at bedtime tonight. But
I.guess it's nothing very serious, else
it wouldn't be addressed to him right
here at his house. Now, just look at
him, preening himself, and imagining
that 1 am already insanely jealous! AS
if I should eve become jealous of any
living man, indeed!"
Mr.. Jobson pulled the letter out of
his pocket, unfolded it, and read it with
great elaboration, two o. three times
over, and the mysterious smile on his
countenance deepened each time that
he perused it. Somewhat to his cha
grin, as exhibited by the frequent
glances that he cast at her out Of the
corners of his eyes, Mrs. Jobson seemed
to have quite forgotten about the let
ter, and all bis ahems and other osten-
tatious efforts to attract her attention
to it failed dismally. Mr.. Jobson kissed
her quite amiably before starting for
the Office. and still looked quite COM
PLEASANTLY mysterious as he descended
the steps.
When Mr.. Jobson was at the dessert
stage of his dinner that evening he
hooked up at Mrs. Jobson and said:
"Came near going out of your mind
from Jealousy this morning. didn't
you2"