Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-06-03
THE DAILY.
SHORT STORY.
TANNING A SHREW
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"Who was Petrucio?"
"a character in Shakespeare's play Of
the Tanning of the Shrew.' He pre-
tended to be fiercer than his wife Kath-
crime and in this way brought her I'M
der subsection"
That's not Il bad idea"
The next time 1 saw Peter Bliss
was at the club. His wife was in the
country, and he was living n bachelors
life. l went up TO him and offered my
hand, which he took very coolly.
Whats the matter, old MANI?
What did you put me on to that Pc
truciO business for?'
Didn't it work.
"Oh. yes. it worked, but In q different
way from the play"
l lighted a cigar and sat down by
him.
I'VE had been married n week." he
said, "and returned from our wedding
trip. l got down that play you told me
about and read it. The first thing that
Petrucio did to show his spunk was to
complain at dinner that the meat was
not properly cooked and send il away.
l suppose this was to starve his wife
into subsection. Well, l concluded TO
try the same scheme. At our first meal
l fiourished the carving knife and cried
out that the meat was burned to n crisp
and not fit To eat. Kate sat looking at
me in establishment.
Bridget l yelled. take away this
meat. and the next time you roast a
piece of beef in this house don't cook IL
all dayp
with this l got up from the table
and went out. slamming the door after
me.
II didn't go home till late, because
l wanted TO give Kate time TO think
over what Il terrible fellow l was and
make up her mind to smooth me down
gently. When l went up stairs, l
found that she had gone off into the
GuestrOom to sleep. leaving me our
bedroom 10 rave in as much as | liked.
Although l was disappointed that she
had not received me humbly after the
outbreak and cndcavOrcd TO pacify me,
it was plain that she was afraid of me,
and this was so much to the good.
didn't sleep very we'll and the next
morning went down to breakfast feel
fee. Entering the dining room, was
surprised TO see no cloth on the table.
What / did see was Il note from Kate
saying that as the servant had depart
ed bag and baggage the day before
there would be no meals served in the
house for the present. She CKatel had
gone to her mothers for breakfast.
and 1 could get mine where liked.
1.-The result of the first move was not
quite satisfactory. l didn't seem to
have terrified my wife. and had been
the means OF losing very good serv-
ant The truth is. that | didn't have
the heart to 20 any further. Neverthe-
less, after l had got n miserable cup
of coffee at Il restaurant q didn't dare
to come here for fear of having to an
swer questions). | went back home
and. sitting at my wife's writing desk,
wrote her n note directing her to re-
turn to the house, find Il servant and
behave herself. / sent it by messen-
ger, directing that the answer be
brought to me at the office. | was
afraid l wouldn't get an answer. but
did. My wife informed me that as !
had been the cause OF the servant
leaving she would expect me to secure
another, when she would go home ut
once.
There was nothing to do but hunt
the intelligence offices. question girls
and engage one. l went through n lot
of them, selected the best of the lot and
hired her, but she never appeared.
Then l went through the terrible work
n second time, with the same result.
The third girl / engaged appeared. but
while waiting for me to get home the
servant Eext door told her what a
frightful temper l had, and she told
me when / came she had decided that
she did not want TO stay.
Meanwhile had not sent word to
my wife. hoping that my silence would
her. / resolved now to write
her that she was leaving work to me
that really belonged to her and that it
was her duty to come home and attend
to the servant matter herself. l was
to receive Il very kind note in
reply, saying that / was quite right.
She was the proper person TO engage
girl and she would gladly do so pro-
vided the girl was not to be treated us
the last one had been treated. The
note ended very sympathetically.
What had TO do in order to return
to comfort was to make simple prom
ise not to make an ass of myself again
and all would be well. but this was
and assumed that it meant
living under subsection for the rest OF
my life. However, it was the only
thing to do. and when did it apollo
yized handsomely. adding that ! had
tried the experiment of living without
her, but had found she was not only
necessary to run the house. but 1t was
1esolate without her.
II got no reply to the note. but when |
went home at dinner time my wife |
met me ut the door. threw her arms |
about me and made me happy as
king. The servant I had abused was |