Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-07-12
STUKELY'S TROUSERS

q ~ 49, ANHHAfW 80 RN% - - "f4 - ~
for the ore bar to the perfection Of do
mestie bliss in Mrs. Stukely's case was,
from a certain point Of view, Insignificant
= sort OF crumpled rose leaf in her fairy
bed. a freckle % the face Of smiling fortune,
If such poetic SMILES may be applied with
propriety 10 a pair of checked trousers.
stukely had been a bachelor for so long
that his friends mad almost despaired OF
him before be met his fate in the person
OF the lady who now adorns his home, the
result Of wnlch was that he had become
"set' in some of his habits. He had certain
ways OF doing certain little things, particu.
lar methods Dwell, winding up the clock,
for instance; Of folding his napkin and ar
ranging special pieces OF bric-a-brac-littIe
~exactnesses that were rather p~raiseworthy
than otherwise and attachments to peculiar
objects. One Of bis strongest attachments
was that which he had formed for the
/ checked trousers.
1t was a wonder that he did not wear
them at his wedding. He had a sort of
theory that their pattern and hue were
especially adapted to a frock coat, but his
best man overruled an actual suggestion to
that effect and he submitted against his
own convictions. Nevertheless, he wore
them to church on the return from the
honeymoon, and from that time hey were
inevitable every Sunday and on all state
occasions not demanding full dress.
1t was some time before Mrs. Stukely
really noticed them, or rather the monoto-
nous regularity OF their appearance, and
some little time after that before she spoke
about them. she felt a little delicacy on
that score. One day, however, she re-
marked: You've had those trousers quite
a long while, haven't you, my DEAR"
Stukely beamed with qualification. eyes,"
he replied. g~laneing at them with a com.
! placent smile, i've worn those trousers
now for nearly five years. You would hard
ly believe it to look at them, would you?
think they're rather a neat pattern. The
check isn't too large and they hang well,
too. | believe in avoiding extreme styles
in clothes; then a man can get something
good and stick to il. Now, this cloth doesn'
seem as if it ever would wear out"
II fancied," said Mrs. Stukely, who dis
liked checks, that it did look just a tiny
bit worn. Don't you think there is a little
threadbare place at the knee?"
why, no." replied Stukely, mot a bit
of it. They're good for another five years,
as far as | can seq" He spoke so de-
cidedly that Mrs. Stukely wisely said moth
ing more at the time. Nevertheless, she
made up her mind that the trousers would
not last five years longer ii she could pre-
vent it in any way.
She hesitated for some time, but the
closet door was open and the trousers were
hanging in plain sight. 1t seemed such an
easy and simple thing to do. She went to
her sewing machine, opened a drawer and
took out a little oil can, Then she took
down the checked trousers from their hook,
spread them out and carefully dropped the
oil Just above one knee. 1t made a nice,
conspicuous stain, and Mrs. Stukely smiled
in a satisfied way and replaced the trous-
ers.
She was 50 self justified that she did not
even blush when Stukely made the sad dis
eovery. He had called her to him and was
contemplating the great stain ruefully. Il
can't think how It got there" he said. I'm
always 50 careful, and | should think that
/ would have noticed it when | put them
away
"A stain doesn't always show when it's
fresh, you know said the guilty woman.
sweetly. Its too bad. It's certain that you
cant wear them, isn't it?"
Il suppose so" replied Stukely, with a
sigh. Then he hauled out the wedding gar
ment, to his wife's profound JOY.
About noon the next day a man came to
the house and presented a note from Stuke-
lv asking his wife to give the bearer the
checked trousers. Mrs. Stukely lost nc
time in getting them for the poor fellow,
who looked as if he was in need of some
! thing to eat as well as TO wear. She asked
him. in her kind way, whether he would not
like a cup of coffee and a sandwich; but,
rather to her surprise, he declined the re-
freshment. and, taking the bundle under
his arm, slouched off with it.
There's a good radiance said Mrs.
Stukely, as the man closed TIE door, I'm
glad that I've seen the last Of those trous.
ers.' She went about her domestic occupa-
tions singing cheerfully. The barrier Of her
happiness was removed.
That was on a Monday. On Saturday the
man returned and this time got out OF a
wagon that stopped at the gate. He car
ried a parcel under his arm.
cts my trousers" said Stukely, who was
in the hall when his wife opened tie door
81 had them cleaned-and, by Jove.' he
added. as he opened the parcel and held the
trousers to the light, ''they look better than
new
Ms. Stukely struggled against an inelina
ton TO cry. 81 thought YOU had given them
away to the man. she said.
II was more than eXasperating the way
Stukely crowed over those trousers after
that. II was unbearable. But Mrs. Stuke
ly was not at the end OF her resources. One
DAY she vent to the closet again, and, taking
down the trousers, struck a match on tbs
heel Of her shoe and burned a neat little hol,
in them. 'He won't get that cleaned out,
she said. viciously, and she was right.
Stukely blamed himself for his careless
ness in dropping burning cigar ashes ana
was grieyed, but he conceded that it was
impossible to wear the trousers any Longer
end said that-he would order a new pair al
once. Mrs. Stukely breathed more freely
When he brought home some samples o
cloth she helped MIN to make a selection
from them.
at was a most peculiar thing sale
S,ukelv that evening, smiling cheerfully a
his wiie across the dinner table. 81 wen.
to tie %iailor's this afternoon, you know, Il
get measured for my trousers and what d,
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