The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-07
THE BL0ITlNG BOOK

/ villa at MAZDA Vale, and consequently
made matters generally unpleasant foI
everybody and everything about. The
! parrot weird bird. had squeaked a vel
come TO him while lifting up one foot
| and distended claw, as though giving hin
! its benedictilon, but he had only replied
| by fiinging his muller at it. whereupon il
| had burst into a series of strident laughs
| interspersed with a few voice expletives
it had learned from the major himself
| The black cat had also mewed a welcome
to hear master. whereupon that master
had endeavored to kick the ''arniless
necessary one though he had only
missed his mark and fallen forward on
the coal scuttle and harden his shins,
which did not make his temper any the
more angelic. Meanwhile, the cat jumped
| on the arm of a chair, and sat blinking
! her green eyes at the dear major with a
semi-contemptuous and semi-seraphic APP
| pearance
| ''ere. you. down there,'' the major
howled, rushing to the head Of the base
| ment stairs. Mary, Eliza, where are
you? Talking TO the butchers boy again,
| Ell? What? The postman, is il III post
man youth have discipline maintained.
| What are you shining? I'm not a soldier
at thirteen pence a day Ell? I'll show
you. Come up herer'
| Then, a few minutes afterward, the
! nymph named Eliza appeared.
Il amt your wife," she began, ''tha nix
evings. and / amt a soldier servant, for
which I says thank 'evings again. II l
don't suit / can go; mother says 1
oughtn's to stay in a 'ouse with a man
who uses the langwidge you do. So here's
| months notice for you, and you can
go to the old registry offiss again. Oh. 1
don't want any character, thank you
kindly. I'm going to be married to per-
liceman shortly
Where's your mistress?" the Major
asked in a quieter voice now, perhaps
because he thought that before a future
matron he had better simmer down a
little.
''Gone-to the club. She's got an ap-
pointment
'-as she?" the Major said, looking ON
inously-for his wife's future comfort
And as she thought I was going 10 be
away for a week. 1 suppose she was go
ing to have an appointment at the club
every day and all day"
Il dunno 1 shouldn't wonder. Her life
isn't happy, and tins likely to be. Then
she's going TO her mas for three days,
she says
Yes. 1 don't doubt she does say so.
Err" contemptuously. Her mother!
Wen Sc about that. Her mothers, Ell?
All right; you can go"
After which the Major ramped around
the room somewhat, and picked the cush-
ions up and flung them down again, and
shook his fist at the parrot, who chuckled
like a fiend in a choking fit. and NUT
tered Mother Club, indeed III club
her. Discipline must be maintained. l
won't stand it, and I'll write 10 her and
tell her so now at once"
And the black cat sat on the arm of
the chair and looked steadily and sar-
donically at him. The Major flung him
self down at a little Davenport, of Ches-
terrified, table-with a caster off-whch
was his wife's particular property, and
seized on some of her light smoke-colored
writing paper and her gold j pen, and
began to dash off a very strong letter full
of reprimands and commands as to her
future conduct. The words Il intend to
be obeyed, and discipline must be main
tanned" brought the first page to a con-
clusiOn, and the Major turned the sheet
over face downward onto the blOtting
book, which, as it had a kind of japanned
cover with ridiculous imitation opal
bosses. or bumps, all over it. slid about
like a skater who is a beginner on
sheet of ice. Then when he had cap
tured this wandering object he was JUS
going to bring his outseretched hand
down on the back of the sheet when he
uttered a hideous grunt.
What's this?' he cried, snatching up
the buvard and rushing with it to the
window. What's this in Matilda hand
writing. What, What, Oh, the serpent,
All, the wretch, The minute my back
was turned, too. Gone home to her
mother. Ell? Yes; that's where she will
go before 1 put her in something else.
Oh, heaven help me-
Then he held the telltale blotting paper
up to the light-after stamping his foot
at the cat because it had a painfully
fit of sneezing-and read:
My own sweetest love, He'-I sup
pose ii is he or is il an H meaning
me, Henry2-'he, poor, deluded husband.
has gone away again. for week this
time. 1 expect lis hep the Major NUT
tered). land tins likely to come back till
then. So (bother the blotD can go to-
gether' con! oh" groaned the poor
MAORI Il have told Eliza I am going
to mothers for three days (Here's an
other blot the Major said) " Take me
for a run TO Brighton. l have missed
you so. 1 can't tell you -
THAT will do" the Major said. That's
about enough, l think. IN so and see
my lawyer"
Then he looked at the parrot. who had !
gone to sleep in an idiotic position. and |
the cat. who was regarding him with 4
, malevolent glance.
''All the same it has been a happy home /
for me- he unused. Perhaps I've been /
little stern with her; she always said l I
reated her like some wretched recruit I.
had got hold of. but I've been kind /
o her | bought her a new blouse the /
,ther day and she said il startled her
when I brought il home. and she burst
nto tears. and said she would always
reasure it for my sake and never wear IL
vat And now it's come 10 this. III go
md see the lawyer
Eliza he bswled ont again at the
lead Of the basement stairs. Eliza. come
lerc at once.
Ten or twenty minutes afterward. which
vas probably ELIAS idea Of at snce,
hat young maiden walked into the room
nd said:
IL it's any more fault-hnding. I'd
ather so today. DIRECTLY can't stand il.