The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-08-25
! The Truth About Tobias
T TOOE Eanora quite a time to find

T TOOE Eanora quite a time to find
out the truth about Tobias. Not
that Tobias could ordinarily be con-
sidered a mysterious individual. In
deed, he was precisely the reverse
From the cool dawn hour in which
he arose to go forth and drive the
team for Twist d Taffeta. OF which
firm he was trusted collector. until his
return at $50 10 the modest fiat where
his sister-and supper-awaited him.
his life was a clean and commonplace
page, spread wide for every casual or
interested glance. His nights, if less
exposed to the arc lights of public
scrutiny. might a well have been so.
For, after eating heartily of the food
Hanora had prepared, and referring to
the. same in admiring terms, he was
wont to remove his shoes as unneces-
sary impedimenta. place his feet in
their well-darned hose upon the chair
''beyant." light his pipe, drink the SOL
ttary bottle of beer which Hanora per-
mitteG him. and read the mighty accu-
mutation of both morning and evening
papers until the autocratic spinster
who ruled his abode suggested "A
decade" and turned the lamp low by
way of a gentle but quite sufficient
hint.
Tobias was 4O-plus five. He had a
brickdust skin, pale brows, a pugna-
cious nose. and a smile of such sudden.
suffusing. apologize radiance il ex-
planned his love for his fellow-men in
general and for Hanora in particular.
Indeed, his was the only love that had
yer come Hanora's way. She had never
been guilty of that form of highway
robbery known as coquetry. Not that
she was unsophisticated. She knew
that a woman quick of perception and
adro;t of finger may appropriate the
purse of one who walks her way and
suffers incarceration. And she knew
also that one who possesses herself of
an unappropriated masculine heart not
only goes free in the sight of the law,
but glories if she will in her guile and in
the magnitude of her deeds. Whether
the bonds of inopportunity had shack
led Hanora Ryan or whether she had
preferred maiden triumph TO the ex-
ultation of matronhood deponent say
eth not. Anyhow, to get back to the
truth about Tobias. On one memorable
midsummer eve he devoUred lemon
pie without protest. Hanora knew he
loathed lemon pie. On the following
morning he meekly ate the French
toast she set before him, instead OF
his regulation potato and rasher. This
was her second test. For Tobias had
frankly declared only two weeks ago
that he would eat nc more French. or
Flemish. or-no. begorrah-Boer toast.
that was made of stale bread dipped in
egg and fried! So there! She began
to feel suspicious. He was a good
brother. but alarmingly docile when
presented with viands for which he pos
sessed an aversion.
She was like the parrot which its
owner declared said little but done a
devil of a heap of ~thinkin'!" She
Tobias suggested bringin. d friend
home with him to dinner she thought |
more than ever, albeit she possibly said
less.
"To be bringin' a man here for a
male!" guoth she. what kind of 4
maj might he be, now. Tobias?"
"Sthraight as they make EN-"
promptly responded Tobias. HE drives
the rush bus. He's a good wan. He'd
relish one of your raspberry rolls
that he would. Hanora!" Whereat
Hanora blushed in a wintry sunset
sort of way and said he might bring his
friend.
He did bring his friend. And-to
tell the truth-Hanora looked exceed
ingly well. She had given her black
silk skirt a dip" whatever that mystic
rious phraseology may mean. And
she wore with this a shirt waist of
softest lawn, which she had bought a:
quite an absurd figure because it was
one of the smallest sizes. This she
had duly and delicately Numbered. Not
that
THE household art was the only dover
She would bring for a gift to him she wed"
But the household art shone up in
r~esplendence on that particular night.
thought treacherous Tobias.
a glow at his heart. had any man
such a sister. and if it were not for
he broke off in an agony of
deception which made him temporarily
oblivious of the merits of the rasp-
berry roll.
You amt eat a bite!" avowed
Hanora.
Tobias made a sweeping gesture
across his Adams apple. "Clear to
he declared, with delicious
l.