The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-05
ONE WOMAh'S WOE


Are you ready, my dear?" called Mr..
Tompkins from his dressing room into
the adjoining room of his wife.
No; I'm not ready" came back the
reply, uttered in a half-despairing. half
exasperated tone. And, John. l wish
you wouldn't ask me again. I'll let you
know when I'm ready. I'm that ner-
vous-'
why, what ever is the matter with
you, my dear" wonderingly asked Mr..
Tompkins, as he appeared in the door of
his wife's room. engaged in the difficult
operation Of buttoning a refractory col
lar. Haven't you started to get dressed
yet? You came upstairs an hour ago.
Dodson will be waiting for us What
under heavens are you doing with all
those dresses?''-as he was suddenly made
aware that the room before him looked
like the ladies' suit section of a depart
ment store on busy day. This is
hardly the time. my dear, to go over
your wardrobe. Dodson-''
Let Mr.. Dodson wait" snapped back
Mrs Tompkins-if the word can be used
in connection with a lady. hope he
will have to wait. / don't care if he waits
all night and at this last she jerked off
one waist in which she had been critic
ally examing herself before the mirror,
and reached for aonther.
How do you think / look in this?' she
now pleaded, almost tearfully. Don't
you think it makes me look fearfully-
eh-eh-large?"
why, on larger than any other. so far
as 1 can see" blunderingly replied Mr..
.Tompkins.
What, You think 1 look large in every
thing" and now. there were actual tears.
TN never go to that dressmaker again.
Why didn't you tell me before that L was
going around looking like a perfect-a per-
feet tub" and Mrs. Tompkins sank down
into the pillows of dress goods which were
overlooking every chair
L didn't say you looked large in every
thing. l merely said l didn't see much
difference between one dress and an
other" replied Mr. Tompkins. with an in
jured air You look well in anything,
my dear" he quickly added, in bungling
attempt to soothe his wifes strangely ruff
fed feelings.
Now. the idea of having a large woman
wear stripes, It's all wrong. and l al
ways know it," continued Mrs. Tompkins
1T only goes to show how a person will
be influenced, against her better judg-
ment, by what a nignorant dressmaker
may say. Stripes only accentuate your
size, and you know it. John Tompkins,"
poor Mr.. Tompkins was not aware he
had said anything TO the contrary They
only measure off your size. as it were, 50
that anybody can quickly calculate how
many inches you are across the shoul-
ders around the waist, how many around
the hips. Stdipes in a dress perform the
function Of tape measure. l don't see
what ever possessed me TO get that dress
Seems to me, John. you ought to have
known better and told me. But you don't
care how l look'-and here Mrs. Temp
kins succumbed to the tears.
Il must say I don't know what's got
ten into you today" said Mr. Tompkins,
with some show of irritation Il never
knew you to carry on so. Why. what diff
ference does it make what you wear? It's
only Dodson, a man you've known all
your life
- lIidl just H. lIltIi upIeu MIS-
Tompkins and here she seemed TO go off
in a revery
I've a good mind to show you that
letter I received yesterday telling he was
coming she finally said. half doubtfully.
But il viii make your fearfully angry.
You know he always puts things so
dreadfully. He is positively indecent some
times. But there's no changing him. and
l suppose we must take people rs they
are and here a little pleased smile
began to creep over Mrs. Tompkin's late
" doleful CONFERENCE.-The smile half
regretful, greatly proud, Of a married
woman who is reminded of her former
connuests
"Confound the fellows mpudence"'
calculated Mr.. Tompkins. as he read the
letter his wife handed him:
Miss s. returned from the
east last week. and brought back the
distressing news that YOU have actually
grown stout. Is it not cruef fate that
every girl l have ever been in love with
always gets TO look like tub after she
has married the other fellow?'-New
York Globe.