Willmar tribune., 1900-03-14
Mr.. Jobson's Generosity

A T NOON the other day Mrs. job
n son received, per messenger boy,
a large, fragrant bunch of double vio-
lets, with Mr.. Jobson's calling card at
tached thereto, and his affectionate fe-
licitations scrawled on the back of the
card.
Mrs. Jobson couldn't understand it..
She turned the violets upside down
and sideways, and studied them from
all points of view. Then she scrutin-
lied the card as if it were written in
Arabic and the job of translating it
were difficult and slow.
"Violets!" said she to herself, won
deringly. ''And from Mr.. Jobson! Let
me recall how many years it has
been"
But she couldn't recall.
'T wonder if there's anything the
matter?" she mused. "Violets! And
from Mr.. Jobson!"
Another messenger boy rang the
bell about three o'clock and handed
Mrs. Jobson a two-pound box of choc-
olate creams, nicely done up. Resting
on top of the candies was Mr.. job
sons calling card, his affectionate fe-
licitations scrawled on the back OF the
card.
Mrs. Jobson, flustered by the re-
ceipt of the violets, was now complete
ly fabbergasted.
''There's something wrong; I'm sure
there isl" she said to herself, excited
ly. "It can't be that he's dr.? No,
that is out of the question:! Perhaps,
though, his mind is wandering little
he was fighty when he had that re-
turn of the grippe in December! What
can the matter be? If he has become
little fighty again as the result of
the grippe, maybe his fightiness has
taken the form of the delirium of
grandeur that I was reading about
somewhere not long ago. I do wish
that he'd come home, so that could
put him to bed and put mustard
plaster on him and send for the doc
tor. Goodness gracious me, there sure
~ is something wrong!"
Thus Mrs. Jobson worked herself up
to high pitch of nervousness. Vio-
lets and candies from her husband, all
in one day! 1t was all very delightful
but it was too delightful. Mrs. Job
son had foreboding of trouble. How
ever, she put on her prettiest tea
gown, pinned the violets thereto and
waited anxiously for Mr.. Jobson's ia
miliar step.
Mr.. Jobson got home at the usual
hour. He wore an expression of be-
nightly as he entered the vestibule,
where Mrs. Jobson, in saluting him,
found out that he hadn't drank drop.
"Why, you dear old extravagant
thing, you!" she said to him. II never
saw such lovely violets in my life, and
as for those candies, why"
"Tut, tut, little one," said Mr.. Job
son, amiably, ''don't speak of 'em. Just
happened to think to send 'em up to
you, you know, and they're no more'n
you deserve, at that. I tell you what,
if were a rich man, you'd have every
thing"
But Mrs. Jobson scarcely heard what
he said. "Little one!" she was saying
to herself. "Why, it's been years and
years since he
''Haye you been speculating in
stocks, my dear?' Mrs. Jobson asked
him, timidly.
''Stocks? Who, me? Well, I'd like
to see myself" said Mr.. Jobson, good
Anaturedly. mo, ma'am; no stocks for
mel"
Mrs. Jobson looked him over care
fully, but he was all right, so far as
she could see. His extraordinary good
nature sat on him as naturally as if
that were his everyday manner. He
stepped out into the hall for mo-
ment, got package that he had
dropped on the rack in coming in and
opened it..
Happened to remember. as I was
coming up, that you wanted some
books" said Mr.. Jobson, in an off,
hand way. brought you up a few.
Hope you'll like EN- -
Mrs. Jobson took the books and
looked them over in a dazed kind of
way. They were just the books she
had been wanting for a long while
all good, substantial editions, too.
She couldn't refrain from giving him
a hug. - = :'*} 80 j.
why, you generous, silly old
thing!" she said. "Just the books
that I've been pining for for ages.
Won't you please tell me what it is
all about-what I've done to deserve
all these lovely pre- t. T..
.'.Never you mind" said Mr.. Jobson,
smiling amiably. ''I only wish were
as rich as some of these pinheads that
don't know what to do with their
money-if you wouldn't: have thumb
rings and automobiles and couple o.
thousand silk skirts, and--oh, by the
way, that reminds me- Saw tailor
made dress in window as was
walking downtown to-day that I want
you to have. Sign on it says that it's
q Paris model and that it's been
marked down from $s5 to $50. Don't
know whether that's true or not, but
It's dandy, md I want you to get