Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-03-23
nese nodded his head and wisely van


ished.
Thanks awfully," said Dubois, crop
Ing for some excuse to continue the
conversation. I'VE take such q fool
ish pride in our bungalow and wanted
things right
well, you have them right" said
Mrs. Bronson, "and l do wish you'd
tell me where you bought those dear
little brown casseroles."
That deft bit of dattery completed
tive conquest.
THE little woman's all right" said
Dubois as he told the trio Of his
mornings conversation. After the rest
| had gone Marshall went out to the
kitchen.
"Wyote," he said, didn't you re-
mark that there were no men next
door?"
The Jap nodded.
"Um-um," murmured Marshall as he
went back to his room. Enter the
widow
But the widow did nothing Of the
sort Neither did she give the coveted
invitation for the bachelor neighbors
to call But the occasional domestic
conferences across the area - there
were window boxes on both sills now
did their deadly work. Mrs. Bronson
was a bit of Dresden china, and Du-
bois, being a man of domestic tastes,
naturally went in for the Dresden
type. The brown eyed widow saw 1t
all long before he did, but with curl
Gus persistency and feminine incon-
sistency she refused to .capitulate. The
advice Dubois pretended to need In
those days deceived no one save him
self, least Of all Wyote.
Then came the awful day when
Wyote fell victim to the epidemic
Of measles. Dubois struggled against
procession Of incompetents who
came and went, seldom empty handed.
One hot afternoon in June he came
home early from the Office to find
colored maid departing with one Of
the treasured candlesticks in her grip.
The language provoked by this pro-
ceeding floated across the area and
made Mrs. Bronson, writing in her
den, drop her pen and sit up very
straight. Then came quiet, broken by
an occasional rattle Of dishes, closing
with n tremendous crash of falling
crockery and something very like
groan.
Mrs Bronson ran to the kitchen win
dow, and there she saw a flood Of hot
afternoon sunshine beating in on the
disorderly room, with Dubois in the
midst of 1t clumsily bandaging his
hand.
"Oh, you are hurt" she exclaimed.
"Just nasty little cut, but some
how can't make 1t stop bleeding"
"Of course you can't, binding 1t up
in that fashion. Come right over here
and I'll fix II for you"
"I can't" answered Dubois In muf
fed voice. 'Tt was $3.50 beastly hot
just slipped on my paiamas to do up
this mess"
A giggle sounded close to Mrs. Bron-
sons pretty pink ear-it was very,
very pink just now-and she turned
abruptly.
kitty, come with me this minute"
Down the back stairs they sped,
through the cellar common to both
apartments and up the back stairs into
the chaotic kitchen By the time they
reached his side Dubois was feeling
bit faint from tho loss Of blood.
"There. you're bound up for keeps"
said Mrs. Bronson as she adjusted the
last fold in the bandage. Now l shall
send the janltor's wife up to straight
en- this kitchen, and you and your boys
must dine with us. oh, yes" she add
ed as he protested. "I've the best Of
servants. and one may be neighborly-
yometimes-even in New York"
The other members Of the quartet
heard Of the invitation with varying
emotions. Marshall scowled in his
glass az he tied bis cravat. Then, as
he gave 1t a final vicious twitch, he re-
marked:
"Well, 1t may not be enter the wild.
ow, but II is bound TO be exit old Du-
bois-for life."
But 1t was not so bad after all, be-
cause Dubois only moved across the
area, and now his brown eyed wife
really presides over both Aata, ana
Wyote is her most devoted slave, bar
ring Dubois.