Evening star., 1905-11-04
A WOMAN'S CURIOSITY

Observing something in the newspaper
that he wanted to preserve. the young
married man produced his penknife and cut
the article out. The clipping was about
quarter of column In length. Then he
finished reading the newspaper. placed It
on the center table for his wife, who was
upstairs with woman neighbor rhapsodiz-
ing over some bargains she'd got during the
days shopping, and, after calling upstairs
to his wife that he was going out for a lit
tie while, did go out.
When he got home, a little after 0 o'clock
in the evening. he found his wife puzzling
over the newspaper from which he had cut
the clipping. Her jaw was quite set. and
she looked considerably worked up.
''Hey-o," he said. chipperly. coming in
after hanging his hat and coat up in the
hall. Your neighbor gone homer?
To which she vouchsafed no reply what
ever. but, turning over the newspaper IN
her lap, pointed to the space from which
the clipping had been cut, and asked him:
What's this you cut out OF here?
Rubber said he. banteringly. Curl
osty killed eat"
Nary the smile did the wife of his bosom
crack, however. II anything. her jaw be-
came just little bit more rigldly set than
it had been when he entered
tone mot the least! Dear me, no! But
what was it you cut out?"
How dye know 1 cut 1t out?' he asked
her, tantalizingly.
To himself he was saving, NOW. aren
women Just the limit for being wild and
crazy to find out the least little thing that
seems like as if it's sort O. under cover?
I'll just keep her dancing over that a
WHILE
We'll nobody else has had the paper but
you" she said, 'and so Of course you must
have cut this thing out. whatever 1t was.
Now. what was it? Tell me-
Il haven't said that / cut anything out
of the paper said the man.
do you know" she said in tone that
became harder and harder, you are acting
very strangely about this. 1 don't profess
to understand 1t at all, deed l don't. CUT
ting things out of the Star-paper and then
looking guilty when I ask you about em.
Deed. 1 can't understand 1t. What's the
reason, pray, that you are afraid to tell
me what this was that you cut out OF
here?"
"Oh, don't be so burned inquisitive," said
he. shedding his coat and donning his smok-
ing jacket. What goods 1t going to do you
to know"
She was beginning, plainly, to become ex-
cited
John Swuggs." she said, sternly. rising
to her feet and casting the paper from her.
what is the meaning of all this mystery,
anyway"
"Oh, mystery, nothin'," he replied "Mys-
terry. shucks. Whatchoo talking about
mystery
Il demand to know" she exclaimed, walk
ing over to where he sat curled up In his
easy chair. what this Is that you cut out
of the paper. Is 1t about something that
you don't want me to know about? If so,
do you think I am going to permit myself
to be hoodwinked in such easy fashion? Do
you SpoSe there are not other copies OF
this paper? But the idea-the very Ideal
of your sneaking around that way, cutting
things out Of the paper. and then not tell
Ing your own wife what they are. Is that
thing you've cut out of the paper about
you?"
"Tommy-rot," said the man. picking UP a
magazine and turning the advertising pages
over idly. about me. Whatchoo think
paper?'
That ctly-what-I-don't - know
but-what-I-m -mean-to-hnd-out." replied
his wife, with snap of the jaws after
every word. IF it's not something about
you, then there's no reason why you
shouldn't be willing to let me know what it
was about. or who. The idea Of your being
so secretive all that,
oh. bother" said the man. 'Lemme
read"
John Swuggs," said his wife, now begin
ming to exhibit symptoms Of tearfuIness,
do you think You are treating me right?
DO you think it Is manly for you toto
keep me in the dark in this way? That
clipping certainly contained something that
you didn't want me to know about, or you
wouldn't be so stubborn about telling me
what 1t was and showing 1t to me-
you're from Missouri aren't you?' said
the man, meanly. Got to be shown. haven't
you?
It's only perfectly natural" she replied.
showing more symptoms of tearfulness
that l should wish to know about any
thing that concerns you. even If it isis
something disgraceful. If you've gone and
done anything wicked to g-g-get your
n-n-name in the p-p-paper why, / ought
t-t-t-to know all about it. and
And then, of course seeing that she was
getting her handkerchief all up into a wad
and her nose was becoming all red with
weeping, the man had to produce the clip
ping and show it to her and fit it into the
space from which it had been taken-and.
by the way. she bought another COPY of
The Star on the following day to see
whether the clipping he showed her was
actually the one he had cut from the paper
The clipping he had cut out was an ad-
Observation-Disclosures reading matter refer
ring to winter trips to Bermuda. The man
wanted to write for a booklet about the
trips, and so he'd cut out the ad But he
had to show her.
Sounds improbable, eh? Just try cutting
anything out of the paper and then put the
paper where your wife is bound to come
across it and see the vacant space and
find out how improbable it is,