The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1900-03-16

TO appear against that Italian whom
we caught grinding his organ at 0.15
the other night, in defiance of the
ordinance"
Mrs. Prentice looked across at the
Professor and shut her lips tightly,
as il TO repress an inward emotion
struggling to get free. Then she
played for q moment with her fork.
And then, with the air Of one driven
beyond endurance, she spoke.
"Why can't you attend to your own
affairs, John?" she said why must
you be continually running around
town trying TO find somebody who has
done something he shouldn't have
done? Other men, at least all those
men who aren't in that old Law
Society Of yours, don't take it upon
themselves TO preserve the morals Of
the community. Couldn't you let
that poor organ grinder earn his
living2 He has a hard enough time,
I'm sure.
To which combination q questions
and remonstrances the Professor
made no reply. He knew that with
his activities as a conserver OF law
ana order Mrs. Prentice had no sym
pathy. Also, from experience he knew
that an argument on the question
would be without result And from
experience he had further learned if
he mede no answer TO his wife's pro-
tests the fire Of her resentment would
die for lack of fuel. Sohe quietly ate
his orange and said nothing.
But on tins particular OCCASION the
teachings OF experience were TO go for
naught. Mrs. Prentice had endured
for years the meddling as she called
il Of her husband At first she had
tried, as O dutiful wife should, to
sympathize with him in his hobby, ne
she then called il. The flesh is weak,
however, and the jibes of the towns
people and the fun that was poked at
the Law Society were too much even
for her wifely love. And the result
had been that for several years past
tho Professor had worked on alone, a
martyr, as he called himself, to the
cause Of law and order. "If not with
your sympathy, my dear" he had
said, "then without it. IL is the
duty OF all men to obey the law and
TO assist the authorities in enforcing
the law"
With the memory OF that reproof
Mrs. Prentice had for time given up
her attempts to induce her husband to
"be like other men" But lately the
Professors increased activities had
stretched her patience TO the breaking
point and OF this particular morning
her husbands silence only added 10
her evaporation.
"You will drive me wild with your
notions" she said, leaning back in her
chair and stifiening for the conflict
''It wasn't so bad when you kept ont
OF our own circles. But now we have
had to resign from the progressive
whist club just because you thought
that to give prizes bordered on gam
bling"
"As principal OF the high school in
this CITY," began the Professor, iu-
dicially, 81 certainly cannot consen:
TO set an example to my boys that even
tends toward demornization. While
the instance you mention may be,
well, let us say, allowable in itself. il
might be the example that would Sc.
one of my scholars on the road 60
ruin. And that this city is small
one only increases my responsibility,
tor i am so much the more better
known
And the Professor looked at the
clock.
"Well, pursued Mrs Prentice, now
thoroughly aroused. "you made a fus
at the church fair last week because
they offered prize to whoever threw
three bean bags in succession through
the hole in The board"
That was a game of chance" re
turned the Professor, land surely yoy
do not think that as the President o
the Law Society could countenance al
above all places, fair of my church
what 1 am sworn 20 break up in tn,
dives and gambling bells. Ny dear
you are unreasonable this morning.
"Well," said Mrs. Prentice, help
less against such an adamautine wave
II think You might be in better bust
ness than chasing poor organ grinde
10 death just because he violated
petty ordinance.
"Fhe welfare and stability of ma
tion," said the Professor. emphasizint
his remarks by little gestures with hi
eyeglasses, 1.-The welfare and stabilit
of a nation depend upon the iigidnes
and impartiality with which its law
are enforced. And no law is so unim
portant, no ordinance il so petty tha
the State can afford 20 have il habitu
ally broken. A law should be enforce
or il should no: be upon the stn.ut
books"
And the Professor arose, put on h:
hat and coat and prepared to depar
for the police court. On the sidewal
he paused for a moment aud disco,
ored Mary, the cook, peeping out ,
the basement door.
"What is IL, Nary"
"Jamos hasn't come vet this morI
ing, sir, and am afraid the asthma
will come before the ashcan is carrie
10 the gate for him"
"Ah, yes, the ashcan, said the Pr
fessor, in his usual dignifed name
'Is the ashcan large?"
"No, sir, not very large. That
why 1 want IL carried ont.
"rhe ashman is coming now" sa
the President Of the Law Societ
glancing down the street. Under Il
circumstances don't mind attSndiI