The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-11-11
HENNIKER'S OLD PIPE

not stipulated, for Henniker was never IN
any condition 70 make stipula.ious. he sur-
rendered a. discretion from tie very first
that Hennlker shOuld not be divorces from
ms pipe. Mrs. Henniker that vas 10 Be had
notleed HennIker's brier, and she said shat
she liked pipe, and on several occasions
she actually urged Henniker 70 smoke Il
This Il unden1able There we're witDesse.
to it.
Altogether she Is one Of the most charm
ing OF women, and although Henniker has
been married to her now for nearly sir
months ne seems to be az devoted a. ever.
Perhaps even more So
he brIer Tss really a gen from n
mzscuiine p0irt Of view II was Old. Of
course, 80 old that Henniker almost for
gets how many years he had Il, but be
clearly recollects that ia original cost was
. cents, and he knew that 10 money would
tempt aim 10 part with It.
Therefore i was quite blow TO Henri
ker when his wife said, one evening. eIsnrt
that pipe getting little strong, Toni
he looked Al her moment, hardly I'd
dersrandIng- Il don't mean that / mind
Il, she pursued. Don't think that r1eaue
tn1t- II seemed % me that L vas getting
sort Of worn out
! CUES It's good for awhile Iou0erg
said Hennlkers with an attempt at cheerful
ness II seems 70 burn the tobacco all
right"
That's Just Ike you" cried Mrs. Hen
mixer, With sweet fervor. ~You sIxsvS frv-
20 make the best Of everything and never
complain You would 70 on smoking thar
black old thing forever and never think OF
buying new one as long as i held together
and burned tobacco"
4 guess that's 50, said Hennfker. dryIy-
few days after tEzt It was Hezniker's
birthday and ne sat down 70 breakfast with
a radiant face
We'll" said Mrs Heunfker, @xhy dOu's
you look az your plate instead Of booking at
me-"
Henniker looked at his plate. and bessde
i vas square package with an inscriution.
Il doesn't natter what the inscripti1n was.
hut II assured him that the package was his
he opened Il, and after uaroIling large
Quantity Of tissue paper discovered a nice
llgat-green PIPE cz%e and within the case a
white, sliny mee-xe lzum pipe
HennIker acted very well His expressed
rapture was beyond ezvI and he went
straight to his tobacco jar and could hardly
oe prevailed upon 70 Esis Until &c lad eaten
De breakfast before be smoked lis present.
When he did rs wife stood By his chair and
watched the filing and lighting With breath
less interest- With the first puff Of smoke
Hennlker eHhaled Egh OF supreme sztz-
faction
Then you like it. dezry-
Like IT, exclaimed Henufker- srWeIIt7
Il wasn't sure whether YOU would. b.
cause, Of course, / never did Such = thing
as 10 buy pipe before; bat knew any
way that whatever I got II would be an
improvement on thas old thing my poor
boy hzs been smoking
Henniker sighed again This he said.
is pipe as < pipe"
Il burned his tongue and It made the
tobacco taste ike wood shzvinzs. bat he
might have been smoking a ehoice brand
l OF hasheeza to al appearances VIXEN be
started for the Office be filed the pipe
Z again and smoked Il until Re vas out Of the
house. Then he put It carefully IN It's ease
/ and filed TIE old brie<-
1t vas not very hard for him to begin
Z smoking that meerxehzurn again when ne
I returned that evening II II had been, Mrs
Z Henniker'z delighted smile would have
Z been compensation enough But 1t was
rather hard 10 have TO smoke Il IN the biz
1 armchair after dinner That was the par
l ticular tine Of al times when the old
Z br1er was dearest 10 his soul Presently
q bright idea occurred 70 him
Mily," he said. Il have thouxht.
want 70 sort Of conxecrsts this beautiful
pipe of yours 70 this day II L to be ny
birthday pipe shall snake Il only On the
anniversary Of this day / sh4H put Il
away IN ny treasure drawer for the rest
Of the year and on my birthday I shzI take
It out and We Vii SIT together and rsmen-
Der this evening as l smoke t. l won-s
take any risk Of breaking II by smoking Il
on ordinary days It's too fine for every
day"
Nothing Is too fine for ron, Ton, said
his vie 1t was beautiful thought, and
Just like you, but / shall feeI hurt Il you
don't smoke Il AL the time"
OF course, there was nothing TO Be said
after that
One DAY As Henniker was filing the meer-
seasum It's shining surface slipped through
his fingers and It fell With q quick move
ment he STOPPED and c4nxat II before it
reached the ground, bat he trsmbled 10
think Of the Eearness Of the disaster What
If he had broken it.
The thought kept recurring to him What
II he rad broken IL After swhiIe Il did not
seem 50 terrible, and he found himself say
ing. half aloud; Il wish, By the great horn
spoon. that had broken IL" and blusheI.
as vel ne might
A day or Two after that-for crime Is not
always q mushroom SrOwth-Hennike-
dropped the neerschaum again and PICKED
1t up with a slight dent IN the side 1t vas
a week before he had the courage to tn it
again, and then Il dropped on cement SIDE
walk Another bruiss was the only result.
It was a sd ending. Henniker vas re-
turning home after a bona-fde late session
with tie books at the Office He lives IA
a northern suburb and ms house Is quite a
distance from the railway station Il vas
very dark on this particular aizSs. but
HennikeT Is courageous. and was not IN the
least ARMED when the figure Of maa
emerged from the gloom and stopped be
fore him-
Beg y'r pardon. mister Szsd the figure,
but havea'5 you got 4 little tobacco about
you, / walked iron Waukss2n to-day an
/ haven't had bite 10 eat / amt hun
sry. but I'm dead for smoke
II wSz touching appeal HsnEiksr felt
in his pocket. and his hand closed on tie
pipe Way should he not make this poor.
forlorn fellow creature happy Could !
pipe, even wiie's gift, be devoted 10 !
nobler. heller purpose