Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-12-17
pENELOPE'S CHRISTMAS.


umvirate"; the triumyirate was an oil
earchy of bohemian bachelors who lived
directly below the caves of New York
ilat-house and were their own cooks and
housakcepers; and Penelope, with all due
respect for the proprieties, wished to play
Mt keeping house with them instead OF
subsistmg miserably on the broken meats
Eof a boarding house.
She chose the only way in which an
other member could be added to the
triumyirate without changing its name;
that is to saw. she and "the squire" We're
luly made one 1t was way that was
quite satisfactory TO the squire. 1t was
a way. indeed. that he was accused by
the other two of having suggested to her
And thereafter their co cooperative house
/ Keeping became sort of fairy godmoth
cred bachelOrdom' with a woman in the
| house.
Her brother, Marcus AureIius,' whose
! Christian name was Mark had no objee-
! tions he said, to committing matrimony
| in his sisters name" And ''lzaak Wal
/ ton'-so called because he had once been
on fishing trip and had lived ever since
on the fish he had caught by writing
! fishing stories for the magazines de
clarcd that his fiction had been suffering,
/ like kipling's and Steyenson's for want
Of a model for his women, and welcomed
! the coming Of Penelope as his opportu-
Unity to remedy his one great defect. The
only flaw i'm The arrangement was the
merely financial one from which the
/ triumvirate had always suffered; and
/ that, as Marcus AureIius philosophically
remarked was one which their creditors
would notice more than they.
| It was brought home to them, how
ever, with the approach of Christmas, and
Wien Penelope came into their common
study" from an excursion to market on
| the morning of the both of the month
she surprised them in solemn eonclaYe
which the suddenness of her entrance did
not give them time to adjourn They
| faced her with the studied innocence of a
party of raidcd anarchists. She sat
down in a cane chair and took off her
| hat "Well" she said with sarcasm, as
She rulled up her pompadom, what's
the joker"
Penelope" her brother replied, you
forget that you're only woman and
have no sense of humor.'
= supposed she said. that you were
considering the size OF your Christmas
donations TO the hospitals" She smiled
lat her husband. but he looked So unconi-
fortably grave that she rose with good
datured laugh IL see I'm not wanted.
don't think | take my fun quite seriously
enough TO Join in-in festivities like
these" She nodded over her shoulder
TO them as she shut the door,
Then I2aak Walton said: YOU'RE
bound to let her go
"Wcll il wasn't exactly in our mar
riage contract" the squire replied, but
it's been an understood thing between IT'S
that She was to spend this Christmas at
home. | know she'll be disappointed -
He fingered the veil OF her hat The
trouble is, | don't happen to have more
chan half million OF the needful right
Mt hand and she has TO have decent
clothes and she has to have pocket
money while she's there and the only
story / have unpaid for is with Murray
and they don't pay till publication"
Nov. look here lzaak broke out
You're not the only spade in this hole
: She's darped my half hose tin there's not
two square inches of the original wool
, left in thcm.'
oh, pshaW,' the squire said
, And she's umscd me" Marcus Azure.
Illus put in, through grippe and bank
, ruptey this fall. I've GOT claim here.
, too"
a That's awfully decent Of YOU fellows,
= of course the squire began to object.
: And You'll have plenty to pay us back
. after Christmas" laaak interrupted.
. Wed be a dancl poor let if we couldn't
{ advance a little loan"
y And she may talk Of not wanting to
- leave YOU" Marcus Aurclius added but
! YOU know She's set her heart ON having
, this Christmas with the folks they're
= used to making "a fuss with Christmas
- trees aud family reunion"
h Il suppose She has" the squire con
/ coded. she needs cheering mp ANYWAY.
, II, been blue around here lately with
e rciectious'
e That settles it," Izaak said How
much are YOU worth. Mare"
"lu cash or expectation 3" the pbiIo.o-
: pher count1-que~,oncd variy.
, Cash or realty
Mare made a careful search of an his
pockets, and laid ON the table 81 ~ -,
r. pearl handled p,ukEfe. "a carved iy,,r,
watch charm aud an autogaph letter
one of collection ON which he ~peut mn
his spare money, That" he said .prcoJ
ing the letter "is-or ought Ia he
! worth So Il was given to me five wear.
! ago and was going 10 sell il anyy.s,.
\ / have some others / can part with AMI
/ She'd go more than few sad ,rons
y Aui I've the first edition HAT the ,,,,r
i n Twenty third street offered IN huv ;,
- Meanwhile Isaac had been e.n,s,,i,,.;.,.,
: - |