The Western news., 1903-07-15

AAdu OCCn ACus OJTaHKc, ne
thought, "how little . man can really
be relied upon to remember these de-
tails"
"Marie!" he called gissfully.
"Where are you, pet7''
AN who be you, to be addressing
me thus?" came q voice from the
basement.
"A new girl" sighed Mr.. Thotless.
He remembered now that Maggie had
given notice.
I'm calling your mistress" he
said, with dignity. "Where is she ?"
AN shure, why should l be telling
the likes of ye?" came the rather un-
civil answer as Marie's red head and
arms akimbo appeared at the top of
the steps.
:Who let you in?" she shouted, with
rising fury. "An' state your business,
quick"
Mr.. Thotless began to grow angry.
where do you come from7" he
shouted back.
where do come from. indeed!
An what business il it OF yours
where come from? 1 come from the
County Cork, if ye must know, an
I'm an honest woman as has had her
place for IA years and knows an
honest face whin she sees it, which
is not yours, sir, a-coming into the
houses of dacent people like the
sneak thief which ye are!" and she
paused, not from lack of words, but
from lack of breath. EFF We don't
git out of here in double-quick time
I'll throw ye out meself. I'll have
the whole perlice force down on ye,"
she added, threateningly, and looked
quite equal to the purpose.
isn't this No. 77?" asked Mr.. Thot-
less, beginning to feel horrible mis-
giving.
''Yis."
"Isn't it sixtieth street ?" with more
assurance.
'Indade it is not. It's Sixty-frst
street you're in, and reckon We knows
1t pritty well, too. But mark We. if
l be hearing Of We breaking into
any houses on Sixtieth street"
But she got no further. Mr.. Thotless
made bold dash for the door and
was down the street as the faint echo
of the threat sounded in his ears.
That was why the very next, day
when young man came into his Office
with book giving rules on how to
strengthen the memory, Mr.. Thot.ess
dropped his work at once and gave
four dollars for the volume.
"You see," said the young man, in
explanati ton, "all you have to do is to
follow the rules and memorize these
numbers. Why, sir, at the end of the
week you'll find you can remember
whole lectures if you want to-"
"How delightful said Mr.. Thotless.
81 don't care so much about the lee.
lures; the practical things are what
I'm looking for"
"Oh, that's all right" said the young
man, glibly. Naturally, if you can
remember one thing you can remem-
Der another" he explained. vaguely.
Then he departed, leaving Mr.. Thot-
less in blissful possession Of his mem
ory strengthener.
All day he forgot things-forgot to
write letter, forgot to send a tel
egram, forgot to send over to the
bank in time before it closed-forgot,
in short, pretty much everything he
had wanted to remember, but he was
buoyed up with the hope that soon
all this would be changed. He was
even cheerful after he had gone into
shop, and, putting his cane on the
counter, took up the feather duster
which was lying near it and jauntily
carried it for block before he dis
covered his error.
At last the day was over. He took
his book in one hand and his over
coat on his arm and boarded the
homeward train. And really that book
was splendid. Before he had reached
Fifty-ninth street he had mastered
a whole page of intricate numbers.
He was jubilant, and walked home
with the elastic tread of boy.
"Marie," he said, showing his treas
ure to his wife, II have the finest
memory strengthener you ever saw.
All you have to do is to study ac-
remember anything you want in five
minutes. No more forgetting of let
ters, eh, my love?" he queried, play
fully.
But Marie was not listening at
tentiyely She was looking him over
critically and he felt instinctively
that something was wrong.
ly, "where is your new overcoat?"
And then William dropped his book
and set up a great cry. II left it on
the train" he said, sadly. II was
reading this fool book and forgot it
completely"
Since that day Mr.. Thotless has let
bad enough alone, and he is willing
to give that memory strengthener to
anyone who wants it. But Marie finds
it useful when she has letters to mail,
for she just shows it to her husband,
and somehow he never forgets her
letters.-N. Y. Times.