The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-03-25
X COMFORTABLE WoMAN.


Just before the quartet finished their
dinner, the Widower said to the Bach
elor, "Shall we see you. at Mrs. Glib
sons tonight"
II suppose So" said the Bachelor,
IF you are there, yourselves"
EOh, We'll be there, all right, won't
VS., boys replied the Whoever with an
Nnquiring nod at the other two men.
1T is beastly disagreeable night, and
on beastly disagreeable night don't
know Of any place that is quite so com
Portable as Mrs. Gibson's parlor."
''Or on any other night, for that mat
ter" remarked the Bachelor. Mrs.
Gibson is a confoundedly comfortable
woman to be with at any time"
At o'clock the Bachelor was re-
peating that observation as to Mrs.
4 Gibsons amiability to Mrs. Gibson her
5self.
1.-THE boys haven't shown up yet" he
said, when he found that he was the
first of the company of faithful visi-
tors to arrive.
mo, am afraid they won't come to-
night. 1t is such a stormy night they
may decide to stay at home"
"Oh, no, they won't" said the Bach
selpr. They'll be here. We talked it
OYER at dinner, and we unanimously
lSconcluded that when there are wind
and snow and sleet there is no place
like home-your home"
$50 have heard you say before,
returned Mrs. Gibson. Il appreciate
the compliment l am sure, but l am
afraid / don't quite understand it. l
can't see why you all should feel that
way"
ooh, there's no secret about it"
laughed the Bachelor. ut is because
you are such comfortable woman to
be with We spoke of that, too, at
/ dinner. We said you were deucedly
Scomfortable. And that's what man
likes, you know. He likes to have
comfortable woman around"
"That doesn't really explain any
thing yet" said Mrs. Gibson. 1T
sounds nice, but it doesn't get to the
bottom of the matter. Why am l a COM
Portable woman to be with?'
The Bachelor reflected. II guess"
said he, sit must be because you are so
liberal You allow us all sorts of mas
culine freedom without ever raising
row about anything we do. Ever
since you broke away from the old
crowd down at the boarding house
and set up housekeeping for yourself,
lis poor devils without any home have
felt that we had kind of haven
to fly to in time of trouble. We can
drop in here and do as we like. We
can smoke, or play cards, or chin, or,
, If we happen to feel O. little out OF
+ sorts, we can just sit around and NOPE.
and say nothing And in addition to
all these rare privileges we have
nice woman thrown in for a compan-
ion, which is an advantage no real club
could offer us"
The Bachelor paused. Mrs. Gibson
did not help him out. II hope" he
went on after a little while, that you
don't think us fellows presumptuoua
In availing ourselves of your hospitali-
ty? You always said you wanted US
to feel at home here, you know"
"Of course I want you to feel at
home here,'' cried Mrs. Gibson, "but
the point l am trying to get at is, why
do you feel at home here more than
anywhere else? There are plenty OF
places where you could go and smoke
and play cards and talk and NOPE at
will, and have nice woman thrown in
for good measure, yet you don't seem
to care to go there. Why do you pre-
fer coming here? In short wherein
lies the secret of my comfortable
ness
The Bachelor had not an analytical
mind. He had never studied out even
for his own satisfaction the cause OF
Mrs. Gibson's POPULARITY. But that
night by a kind of inspired cross-cut
through logic, he arrived at the truth,
and blurted it out:
"You are comfortable he said, "be-
cause you are safe. Because we al
ways feel that there is no danger OF
your falling in love with any OF us"