The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1905-02-23
Tins Tactics
Ey CECILIA A. LOlZEAUX
A e ~
Copyright, 1904, by Cecilia A. Loizeaux

laid the dog in the open arms Of his
pretty wife. She received him enthusi-
astically and bought him an elaborate
collar. He was cute dog. Even Mrs.
RobinSOn-Smith, who lived next door
and hated dogs, admitted that-that is,
she said he wasn't bad for mongrel.
| And it must be admitted right here
that the dog wasn't of any particular
breed; he was just dog.
He was soon in high favor in the
neighborhood, especially with the Rob-
inson-Smiths, who were intimate
! friends Of the Jones Browns. Both cou-
pies were newly married, and during
| the day While their husbands were III
the city the young wives sewed talked
and called together.
But to come back to the dog. In time
he passed the stage of puppy fireworks
and was old enough to know better.
Then Mrs. Jones Browns sister came
to visit her And during the same
week Mrs. Robinson Smith had a card
from her nephew that he was coming
down to spend month with her. He
was nearly as old as his aunt, who adj
mitted that he was called catch il
/ town.
| The expected guests arrived almost
simultaneously Ethel Herriot with Ii
| large trunk and Jack Marvin with di
| vers battered suit cases They were
duly ensconced with their respective
relatives. and then the trouble began.
On the second evening Mr.. and Mrs.
| Robinson-Snith trailed their nephew
across the lawn TO call on their nearest
nei2hbor. The two young people wee
int oduced Et.el, as Mrs. Jones'
Brown afterward said, was unnecessa-
rily embarrassed for girl WHO had
| been three seasons out
La the horribly irritating way OF
young married people the neghborly
quartet immediately began TO talk Of
domestic affairs. leaving Jack and Eth
Ell to take care Of themselves. They di1
not notice that there was an awful ST.
lence, during which Ethel was threat
ened with mental hysteria ana was
saved only by Tim, the thoughtful. Who
OPPORTUNITY appeared and jumped into
her lap Size Logan to talk to him. and
the day was saved temporarily. Still
patting tie dog. Ethel finally said TO
| the man:
'Why Gid YOU follow me ont here?'
81 didn't follow you" said Jack
promptly. IF l had known that you
were in this neck Of woods you don't
suppose I'd have disturbed it, do you?'
Then he added, why did you come to
stay next door 10 my aunt?"
''How was | to know you had an
aunt out here:r Ethel asked indig-
nantly
Well said Jack, 81 guess we're
both innocent, so we need not quarrel
over that
Then there was another silence. Tim
jumped down from EtheFs lap and
leaped into Jacks. Jack grinned.
mice dogg;er' he chuckIed. petting
him effusively. Ethel knew he .hatei
small dogs. She tried to think Of some
thing crushing to say, but before the
| words came Nj and Mrs Robinson
Smith rose and said good night, and
their dutiful nephew rose with them.
! He put out his hand, and Ethel was
/ forced to let hers touch it for an in
slant, while he said:
$50 glad I've met you, Miss Herriot.
It's aWfully jolly that we know SO
many of the same people,
Ethel smiled. though her eyes were
blazing wrathfully.
isn't it," she said. Good night"
When Mrs Jones-Brown turned to
speak to her sister she found the girls
chair empty and moment after heard
her ascending the stairs.
Late that night Ethel rose, lit the
lamp and took from her trunk a pack
age of letters, which she sat down to
read Long before she had finished
them she was crying softly, and when
she did go to bed again it was to lie
wide eyed and staring till nearly morn
ing She was awakened by Tim, who
was licking her hand She patted his
head
Naughty Tim! Did the missus let
you in?''
Rising on her elbow, she saw that
the door was ajar and supposed that
her sister had sent the dog to wake
her.
Tim seemed full of spirits of puppy
hood this morning He would worry
the bedclothes with his teeth, dash
wildly across the room to catch some
unseen thing and then rush back upon
her, frantic with delight
Ethel lay staring at the ceiling. Her
, head ached, and she felt utterly miser-
able. She wondered how she could get
away from her sisters house and that
man next door. Tim, finding himself
unmatched, worried awhile at some
thing he found on the floor beneath the
| table, then took it in his mouth and ran
, off with it.
IF he only wasn't so glad" thought
the girl, referring to the man, not the
dog. HE shows SO plainly that he's
CHAD it's OFF,
Before she got up she determined to
show Jack that he wasn't the only one
! who didn't care She would treat him
| -l,o A;x%