The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-01-10

Wee simpson took out his
per AND began reading.
1his last act Mrs simpson seemed
"a g 8 peculiar grievance and
4 fact you may have noticed
after an unpleasant discussion 81
whatever passage at arms a man can.
DO nothing more calculated to inspire
wrath unspeakable 81 8 woman than.
t. take mp q paper and calmly begin.
reading.
sAr simpson began the lady, ia.
u~npromising tones, Sit ever a man
should be ashamed BE himself you
should. TO speak to me in that cruel
ANN sind then TO read the par
per- This last thought was too.
much for Mrs. simpson. She pressed
her lips tightly together and, lean
Ing back ia her chair, rocked fast and
6uriously.
even, wen, my dear, let rs say
no more about III" remarked Mr..
Simpson, trying TO save the situation
but glancing nervousIy at the clock
81 was hasty. But now do see about
the dinner, that's a dear"
Mrs. Simpson. with the manner Of
one who forgives, though not forget
ting the injury, left the room and
Don the dinner was placed on the
table.
Mr.. Simpsons after several unsuo
cessful attempts to restore the for.
mer tone Of hilarity to the CONVEX
sation, desisted, and a frigid silence
ensued This was broken at last by
Mrs. Simpson, who noticed her hus-
bands failure to eat ia his usually
healthy manner.
Why don't you eat the lamb?' she
asked in hurt tones.
Because it's underdone. It's too
rare replied Mr.. Simpson, in an
equally hurt voice.
ssWeul" exclaimed Mrs. Simpson.
'tThe brutality of some men beats ev-
erything. This is the second Tins
you've found fault with me this even.
ing. If 1 had such an awful temper
as you, Nj. Simpson, 1 don't know
what 1 should do"
"Temper9' said Mr.. Simpson, try
ing to be calm. II don't know that
I've shown SO much temper. Come,
come, let us s common sense"
Mrs. Simpson tapped the edge Of
the table impatiently with trembling
fingers.
That's right" she said, raising her
voice. "Insult me. Tell me again /
have no sense. Tell me I am an idiot,
while you are about it. You might as
well"
Mr.. Simpson felt himself justly ex-
%asperated. IF you want the truth, 2
he said, you Z behaving very much
like one" =
This was the last straw. Mrs. Simp-
son burst into tears and left the
room.
Mr.. Simpson gazed after her, mut-
tering things about womsn in gem
eral. FINALLY he got up and opened
the door. Mrs. Simpson" he called,
you'd better stop this foolishness
and put on your bonnet. It's time to
go, at once. The play begins at eight,
and it's a quarter to, now"
'sYou can so to the theater, if you
choose, Mr.. simpson, she said, bro-
kenly, in accents of deepest pain and
injury, ''but as for me, / am going to
bed"
Mr.. Simpson sat down and rehect-
ed. He felt very sad and angry. He
thought Of their evenings pleasure
gone while almost in their grasp.
Its almost past belief" he said,
that women should act so. There's
no telling how to please them. And
this is our wedding anniversary" nc
said, gathering new indignation as he
pursued the bitter train Of his rehec-
tions. "a fine anniversary for a man
to come home 10. It's a tragic thing.
That's what it is"
Mr.. Simpson ficked a bit of dust
from his shining boots with his hand-
kerchief.
What might have been the unhappy
outcome of such meditation dare
not conjecture had not Mr.. Simpson
at this moment thrust his fingers
into his new waistcoat pocket and
extracted the theater tickets there
from.
He gazed at them ruefully. 10
think he said, sof the money I
spent on thosel All wasted. ALL
But as Mr.. Simpson was about to re-
heve his mind further on this subject
a sudden light came into his eyes.
He looked again at the date on the
tickets. He started up joyfully and
ran into Mrs, simpsons room.
That .ady was lying upon the sofa,
evidently in the last stages of de-
spair. Mr.. Simpson advanced and
clasped the partner of his sorrows TO
his breast.
"Henrietta," he said, eagerly, 'I9t
us make it all up and be happy" Mr..
Simpsons voice fairly trembled with
delight at the turn affairs had taken.
Il made a mistake, he went on,
watching his wife's face for signs OF
relenting, "a mistake in the date
when l bought the tickets, We
couldn't have gone tonight, anyway
Mr.. Simpson laughed triumphantly
as he disclosed this bit Of intelli-
gence, as who should say Wasn't z
a clever man, now, to have made that
blunder?o
"But-" said Mrs. Simpson.
"But," echoed Mr.. SIMPSON, as he