The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-06-14
look pleasant, take their dish Of crow
and under the pretense of liking it
swallow the unsavory morsel?
S N p S H 9 It's.

they called each other John and Jack
respectively.
"Jack, you ought to get married"
Not by a, jugful. Do you think III
give up my Independence
"Plague take your independence!
Don't l enjoy as much of it as you do?
1 tell YOU
"What you have told me a thousand
times before
"Jack. what do you have against the
women anyhow
"Oh. guess l know a thing or two
about them, and they're all alike"
you're cranky. Look here. take my
own CASE
eyes, even your W case"
slack. what do you mean?"
"That your wife,
"You don't know anything about her.
You've only seen her nce or twice."
Don't matter. She is handsome, in
telligent. clever. yet for all that as
Jealous as'--
"Jack. you're Joking. Why, I've been
u4uIl1Cu uNC yCulS LLu 1uNC SWO
Don't care ii you have a dozen.
She's jealous, and l can prove it to you
in less than a week. I'll bet u dozen
bottles Of champagne on it. Take me
up if you dare"
"Take you up! OF course l will. and
we might as we'll have the first bottle
now at your expense. because
"We'n see."
"Why. Jack, the excursion we are go
ing on tomorrow will take us three
days, and you will have only four left"
Never mind. I've thought of that"
The next day they arrived at their
destination, the little summer resort in
the mountains.
John. my sister is going to join us
here, and as I'll be Juggling my camera
about l shall have to leave her to your
tender mercies mostly"
"Your sister. Jack? Why, l haven't
seen her since you and ! We're at col
lege together, and she was just a little
girl then. How delightful!'
Then followed two days of tramping
about in the mountains, fine weather.
grand scenery, a glorious time. and
then away again.
Two days later Jack called at the
home of his friend. John is not there,
and that he knew beforehand, but his
wife is. OF course the little trip Jack
and John have made together becomes
at once the subject of conversation.
Eyes, indeed. we had a most delight
full time. The weather, the mountain
air and the scenery-oh, l enjoyed it
ever so much, and so did John! He
was very much taken with the trip.
and his only regret was that you
weren't with us to enjoy it too"
Indeed. Well. that was cry nice
for him to remember me. But really |
preferred to stay here at the seaside
! with the children. especially as | am
not very fond of the mountains any
how. Yet John has been telling me so
much about it ! almost wish l had
gone"
Eyes, I'm sure you would have en-
joyed it. OF course l had my camera
with me, and l took some pictures,
snapshots. Oh. nothing special! Mere
ly amateur work, but l thought you
might enjoy looking at them, and so
l have brought up some of them for
you. l will just leave them here, so
you can look them over at LEISURE"
swell, how kind you are! OF course
l shall enjoy them ever so much"
Two hours later John comes home
| and finds his wife wearing a look on
] her face as threatening as a cyclone
stormcloud.
"That must have been a fine time
you had on your trip"!
""Certainly. Haven't l been telling
you about it till my tongue almost
won't wag any more? !
"Oh. yes, indeed! I'm on to you"
"Why, Lottie, dear
Don't you 'Lottie, DEAR me! ]
know just what kind of a time you
have had, and I've got it black or
white too. Oh. yes. you needn't look
SO innocent"
"Why. Lottie, l told you about al
the places we went to and all the peo
pie we met"
Eyes, and who is this m witt
you who
"That? Why. that is Jacks sister. !
merely forgot
"Oh. yes. you can't work that on me
There. how tenderly you help hel
across the stile. there eating from thu
same lunch basket. and there ever
actually holding her in your arms
Won miserahle"-
"Why. Lottie, she stepped on a ston'
and would have tripped and fallen If
hadn't caught her. but where did you
get these?"
"That nice friend Of yours was kim
enough to give you away"
"a dozen bottles Of champagne!
And then he broke down, and he laugh
ed till he cried, while his wife looket
on, half wrathful, half inclined to joil
IN his merriment. but utterly at sea a