Cochise review., 1900-11-07
WHEN MADAME WAS AWAY.
A Woman Overhears the Plaint of . Man Whose Wife WaS in
 the Country.

the Country.
 Two men sat behind the vines of se- ] cluded veranda to smoke their after dinner cigars the other evening. As they smoked they grew confidential ! and told each other some secrets that were burdensome to their comfort A | woman sat within the house, near a window that opened on the veranda. It was a warm night and the window was | open. But the woman was supposed to be reading, and the men forgot her ex- | istence. Snatches of the conversation foated in to her, and as the theme was particularly interesting to femininity the woman listened. It eou161't be wrong, she argued, because one man was her husband and the other was her dearest friends husband. Their talk amused and interested her so much che told 1t to friend, and that persnnre- peated 1t in g newspaper office, and 70 1t was secret no longer, says the Buf' falo Express.
 The theme of the mems conversation is not an unusual one in Buffalo this month. Dozens ofother men could take part in it if they chose. The dearest friends husband was trying to keep house while his wife and the children were in the country for few weeks.
 "You know, Clifford, can make . cup of coffee and broil steak a well az the next person, but when 1t comes to washing dishes, I funk, that's all. How the women keep the dishes in shape is more than l know. Then it. beats all how untidy the bridegroom gets. l can't understand 1t, for I never had any difficulty in keeping my shoes. ties, collars and those kind of thingsin their place before. suppose forget to put them away now, thst have the breakfast to cook"
 The woman listening laughed, for she knew all about certain bags and boxes which her dearsSt friend had in which she slowed away her husbands soiled linen and handkerchiefs and kept his necktieS straight, She remembered, too, her friend telling her she had left everything ip apple pie order for Her bert, Hell get along nicely" the lit. tie woman had said, flor the fst iA.ip perfect order; there isn't soiled ar ticle anywhere, and I've left supply of cooked things and have told the milkman and baker to call every morn ing in time for breakfast"
 Tt wasn't so bad until had mademJ first breakfast" the voice on the versn- da went on, that was not success, for after had made the coffee and put on the eggs sat down to read the pa. per a minute. Whats minute when you want 10 find out about tie situR. tion in China? But it was long enough for the coffee to boil all over the range and the eggs to get as hard as bricks. What coffee was left tasted queer. and I hadn't time to wash the dishes. was sure had used only one plate and cup and saucer, but there was enough for half dozen persons. After I tidied up the kitchen thought I would look over the evening paper, when rsmem- bered l hadn't made my bed yet. could have sworn burglars had been in the room, for there were more shoes and neckties and things lying around than could wear in week. Icouldn't begin to put them away! Marion haa one of those long. narrow boxes for my neckties, and tried to straighten;the things out and put them away aS I usually keep them, but 1t took too long"
 Again the woman on the othee side of the window laughed softly, for She remembered her friend telling how Her. bert always tried every pair of shoes he owned before he could decide which ones to wear and how his necktie box had to be tied every morning as regu- larly as the bed was made.
 Tt is two weeks now since Marion went away" the man continued, "and though l have written her that every. thing is all right and that I enjoy housekeeping, shall be. mighty glad to see her back, Every dish in thehouse was used nearly week ago, and have given up trying to wash more than the plate and cup need for breakfAst. After this am going downtown for breakfast and I am going to seId for the washerwoman to come and clean up the house. I told Marion it wasn't nee- essary to have anyone come in that, I could keep things going for month all right. Our flat is % small there never seemed much to do, but either |, am too busy at the office or haven't felt so well as usual, for this house keeping beats me-"
 You'll be glad when. itis time for your wife to come home, sh r. sAid the friend, sS he knocked the ashss of the end of his cigar, and the woman who listened made up her mind she would write her friend that very night and tell her how glad Herbsrt would be to sss her and the children.