The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-10-08

Too Good To BE True
The little matron sat down in an arm
chair In the dining room and gazed
about her disconsolately.
Tomorrow we ove she sighed.
and how I dread it,"
She put a finger to ner lip and began
to think it all over.
And how Jack hates moving. too,"
she unused. He'll be as cross AS a bear
until we're all settled in the other
house He always is when We move.
And he's so perfectly helpless, and such
a nuisance around during a novel I
wish / could induce him to run out OF
town for a couple OF days-I shall have
enough to contend with without having
him Sowing at everything and saying
snappy things about his 'ragtime home,
and all that. But / uppos I shall
have to endure il. If ne would only"
And h went right on musIng in that
strain. The strain was broken, how
ever, by the unexpected arrival home OF
Jack" 1t was only IL o'clock in the
morning, and h couldn't imagine
what had brought him home so early.
But she heard him open the door and
walk in whistling.
Hello, little girl" he said, giving her
a hug. Surprised to see me home,
hey? Well you'll be more surprised
when l tell you that I've got the day
off. and come home to help you get
CAV " NES III III lolllOlAoS. 0dSl
you give me a bite of lunch, and then
I'll pitch in n tear things up around
here in a way that'H astonish YOU. All
you have to do is to just watch me
that's all. And I've got a good notion
to take tomorrow off. too. SOS 1 can
help you to get things to rights in the
other house"
why, Jack, how good you are, and
how changed 1 really believe-well, in
fact. 1 know-that I've been doing you
a frightful injustice" was all the little
matron could murmur and she gave
him an affectionate smack.
She hustled about and fixed him some
lunch, while he went up stairs TO put
on a suit of old clothes. He was down
stairs again in a jiffy, looking all over
business in his working toys, and he
bolted his lunch in order to get to work
at the earliest possible moment. First
he took his wife by the shoulders and
gently planted her N a rocking chair
in the front room, saying: "Now, that's
where you sit for the rest of the after
noon-this is my day TO toll and moil,"
n then he proceeded to take down
the parlor pictures.
She was amazed to note the dispatch
n the dizziness with which he accom-
plished this task. He took down the
pictures all over the house, and laid
them in neat piles, with Turkish towels
and wraps and comforters between
them, so as not to scratch the frames.
well, who'd ever have thought it,"
she murmured ecstatically.
well, you never could have thOught
it, little one, of course" he said, giving
her a chuck under the chin, 1.-The way
I've always loafed on you during NOV
ing times ever since we were married.
But I just made up my mind that I'd
show you a thing or two, and If there's
| so much as the ear off of a china dog
| hrnEQn 6urinO this move tt won't he nv
| fault"
Then he-began at the carpets, and in
an almost incredible space of time he
had them all rolled w in a neat pile
in the sitting room. He didn't tug at
| them and rip at them as the married
male person ordinarily does in such
cases made and provided. but he got
them up gently, yet swiftly, moving the
furniture about almost noiSeleSSly as
the occasion demanded
well, did you ever in thrs VIDE, wide
world" almost sobbed his little wife,
her pleasure was so great.
Nope, never did before, but I'm go
ing to right along in the future" he re-
piled. beaming upon ter,' and then he
went UP to the attic, got out the fur
niture covers and covered over the
pieces with all the skill of a man born
| to the business.
Then he proceeded to take down the
curtains and portiers. The way he did
it made the task look awful1y easy TO
his wife, who had always had a lot or
trouble at that sort of work.
Then he took her upstairs and plant
ed her in a chair in their bedroom,
dragged out the trunks and proceeded
to pack them.
my dear, you had better let me pack
nv dresses, hadn't your she suggested
to him.
well, 1 guess not" said he, firmly,
TvI r. --~,,n dow nff
Don't think 1 can pack dresses, hey!
Wait till 1 show you, that's ALL"
He got down her dresses and laid
them out neatly and folded them in
just exactly the folds she had always
used in packing them, and then he pro-
ceeded to lay them away in the big cos,
tune trunk in a ann that left not
he possibility Of a wrinkle appearing
on any of the frocks when they should
be u~npacked.
'If that don't peal ALL" she muir
INJURED. why, I wouldn't have be-
lieved it if I'd been told a thousand
times Overt"
ooh, a fellow can do any old thing
that he sets his hand TO, if he's a mind
to-" was her husbands pleased reply
By 8 o'clock in the afternoon the
whole house had been dismantled, un
aided, by the man who a never
deigned to put a hand to such work De
fore, and all or the nousenoio Soou
were stacked Up in neat pies III Tie
middle Of the rooms.
Now, my DEAR said she, well JUS
fix I'D and 20 down town and have din
ner-don't want to put you or the glrI
to the trouble of preparing meals Wner
the place is in such disorder"
He skipped lightly out in the dlrectloE
of the stationary washstand to perform
his additions. The surprised little ma
ron was gazing about her with new
born appreciation Of her husband wher
she heard what seemed like a loue
clash-and she woke up in her arm.
chair in the dining room. Her husoanc
looking pretty cross. was standlng De
fore her with his hat on his head.
SMOKING. eh?" he said. II JUS
dropped up on the car from the ofhct
to tell you that those loafers with TN
moving vans will be up at Z IN ths
morning. and so there'n have to be Z
@-0 n "n-