The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-09-13

EHSIUMV SSoI lAC gay LOtAdhiO. AAO
GSSSSS was the most commonplace,
not to say plainest, looking of mortals,
q respected member of the board Of
trade and thorough business man. l
don't suppose any woman excepting
Smollett's wife ever looked twice at
him, and yet Mrs. Smollett was inordi-
nately jealous.
Smollett's marriage, rather late in
life, was quite unexpected one. He
was 42 if he was day when the pa
pers announced the surprising event.
The sly rascal had never let breath
of it out, and the very day Of the cere-
mony he shrewdly 'pinched" johnson
and Joe and Ed Latelle in c., B. and
O., clearing enough to pay the expenses
of his wedding journey.
Only there wasn't any journey. No,
sir They settled down in Smolletts
up town house like an old married pair.
l was Smolletts closest friend, so l
knew something about the match. 1t
was purely marriage for love if ever
there was one, and the bride, who was
one of the daintiest, prettiest little crea-
lures you ever saw-she was 20 years
Smollett's junior-began at once to en-
joy herself by being wildly jealous Of
her homely husband.
If the bridegroom had been Jealous
of the bride, there might have been
some apparent sense in it. But poor old
Smollett! Why, he was as homely as
a hedge fence.
Lydia, however, never seemed to see
this incongruity. She had loved Smol-
lett ever since her school days, when
he used to carry her wonderful French
dolls and smuggle pounds and pounds
of candy into the boarding school to
her, and now she thought that of course
every other woman the poor fellow had
ever spoken with must have loved him
too
A long while ago Smollett had part
ner, who died and left his daughter, a
child of 10, to Smollett's care. This
daughter was Lydia, and it was long
before her guardian had even dared
think of marrying her. 1t is one of the
mysteries of the decade how she ever
managed to show the perverse fellow
that she cared for him.
Well, they got along delightfully."- for
two years, excepting when Lydia got it
into her foolish little head that Abram
was spending more time in his office
than he ought and became frightfully
jealous of the typewriter, whom she
pictured in her own mind as siren Of
unlimited power over the other sex.
When she made an unexpected de-
scent upon the Office, however, she
found a long legged, redheaded boy
battering the keys of the machine. and
the only woman on the premises was
the scrubwoman, of whom even Lydia
could not be jealous.
Smollett is as methodical in his hab-
it's as well regulated town clock. On
a certain day every spring he leaves
off flannels, and on certain day in the
fall he puts on Overshoes. Once in
every two years he has his watch
cleaned at the jewelers.. The time for
renovating his chronometer came
around lately, and Smollett left it with
"a JShSiSi III tAC ouOpplAS ulSlIlSI.
Stocks were rather shaky about that
time and he had to be at his desk early
and late to watch matters. He could
not find time to go around after his
timepiece, and it's absence was always
bothering him, for he had to depend
upon church clocks, a French mantel
clock that was never known to be right
half day at time or his wife's chate-
laine and was always missing cars and
being late at appointments.
So dear Lydia, with the best of inten-
tions, found the jewelers. ticket and
went herself after the watch, saying
nothing to Smollett about it. When she
presented the ticket to the jeweler, he
looked at it and then at her.
'"rhis is gentleman's watch, miss"
Lydia blushed prettily. "Oh, yes; it's
my husbands" she said.
He brought it from the safe and said,
II think it's all right, ma'am." He
snapped the case and opened the back
of the watch to look at the works. AS
he did so tiny lock Of hair slipped out
upon the showcase.
The jeweler glanced at it and then
at Lydia. Her hair is a golden brown.
The lock which had dropped out of the
watch was yellow!
The jeweler was a wise man; he was
married himself. He glanced slyly at
Lydia. Her eyes were flashing, and a
red spot burned in either cheek. She
! had seen the lock of hair, but he, out of
the goodness of his heart, tried to shield
the victim. He closed the watch with
out putting back the hair and started
to pack the timepiece in box.
"You have forgotten something" said
Lydia in a hard voice.
81 beg pardon"
"You have forgotten something" she
repeated, pointing to the yellow lock,
which he had sought to hide with his
coat sleeve.
"Oh, that?" said this blessed Ananias.
II guess you're wrong, ma'am. That's
a bit of hair a customer of mine want.
ed me to put in locket for him'-
81 saw it drop" said Lydia, with a
calmness that quelled the jewelers.
glib tongue. 'Put it back in the
watch"
He obeyed. She paid the bill and
swept regally from the store. That is
why Smollett. going home that night
after a particularly vexing day and
longing to forget business for few
hours in the society of his charming
little wife, found in her place an ice.