Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1903-06-27
By BYPCN WLAr1S

disfavor with his wife. Time was
when he longed for her coming, and:
He knew whose gentle hand was at the
Before the door had given her to his
| eyes,''
But now! How different. 1t all came
about in this wise:
! Happy as two young kids chewing
| the leg off a pair of red-1annel under
| breaches, they went to the theater to-
gether. 1t was a good play. The eevil
| was devilish, the hero was brave, the
| heroine sweet unto madness, The
| music. too, was enhancing, and they
buried beneath a sweet concord OF
| sounds their passing sorrows.
And then Mephisto butted I'M
1t was after the theater. The editor
remembered something at the office
| undone- She sweetly offered to &C
company him, although the hour was
late. They walked along the quiet
| streets of the small city, accosting,
here and there, friends who, like them
selves, were homeward bound after an
evening of pleasure. 1t was a pretty
| night, and as they left the office, their
spirits rose to meet the twinkling
stars, and they were happy!
Passing a place of business, an I'M
| expected friend called the newspaper
scribe.
go in a moment" graciously sug-
gested the wife. Il will walk on to the
| Hotel H and wait moment for
you,"
The friend was pleased to see a
| friend. They chatted until the pub
| Usher feared his wife might grow i'm
| patient, Stepping to the telephone he
| called the hotel and asked the clerk
! to apprise the madame he would be
| with her Immediately.
"Ting-a-ling," rang the telephone
bell in a moment. ''She isn't here"
came back over the wire!
'Well, she is a trump to walk home
alone at midnight, but might as well
| angrier half hour from now" and
thus joking, the married man talked
| on,
After a time he. sauntered home
| leisureIy, quickening his steps an
| unexpected cloud shed rain. Once at
| home he turned on the light and read
| the evening paper a half hour, then
| mounted the stairway to his couch.
Click" went the electric button.
and then
Heavens, no wife!
Where had she gone? Rushing
| madly about the house, he found her
| not! Outside the rain fell faster,
faster! Grasping an umbrella, he hur-
ried through the flood to find the
sweet companion of his bosom.
He found her three blocks away
| coming, coming through the rain. wet,
angry, hurt, frightened.
When he spoke she listened not, but
scorned him with outrageous mien.
Words failed to reach her ears, her
eyes were filed with tears-and sadly
the man followed in her wake. won
dering, sOrrowing, mute and helpless.
She did not speak to him that night
except, for one brief word, and that
was: WRETCH"
She is a good wife and he loves
her dearly but how under this blue
canopy will he ever induce her to be-
lieve that the clerk made a mistake
and he did not really and truly forget
her?
Those who have been married a long
time, please write.
No sooner has President Elit
succeeded in increasing the sale of
Mother Hubbard dresses in our domes-
tic circles, than DR.. Hills arises in his
white cravat and tells US I'VE all go
to the devil on $4,000 a year"
This is an error on the face of it,
as the bull dog said when he looked
at the jackass' photograph. I'VE ALL"
| as they say in the land where moon
shine whisky grows, may have the in
clination to go to Mephisto but mighty
few of "we-uns" have the $4,000.
Chauncey Depew, brave man that
he is, comes to the rescue with a re-
sounding denial. He says a man who
has the disposition will go to the devu
anyhow, whether he has an income of
! SO 900 or $4,000.
This is more like it, but what about
| US common people who only have an
income of $4,000? Is there no possible
chance for us to distinguish ourselves?
Time was when a man could go to
the devil at any price, but one by one
the perquisites of life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness seem to be oblit-
| Grated by the truly rich We once
| knew a young fellow who combed his
hair low over his forehead, wore red
necktie, and went to the devil without
a cent in his pocket If he had waited
| until possessed of DIR. Hills $50, 900,
or Senator Depew's $4,000, he would
never have stolen six pair of 1eft-hand-
ed cowhides and been sent to a dun
colored Jail to recuperatel We have
known for some time that the young
man of to-day must have at least $780,
900 to marry society bud. but this
is the first intimation that 1t takes
$50 900 to go to DIR. Hills devils
house or $4,000 TO the abode of the
devil over whom Mr. DonaU has ir.rf1-