The Elbert County tribune., 1906-11-01
THE VILLAGE
CUT-UPS

| one very well-known young married
man is going around this town and
saying several times day. His
crouch seems justihable Here is the
story;
About two weeks ago a plenty-gay
party of four persons. equally divided
| as to sex, We're dining in rathes-
kellar in this town. The atmosphere
was not a marker to the moist time
they were having along with their
dinner. Everything moist from the
top-rim of the wet menu down 20 the
cordial list was sampled a couple of
times over. and at the chartreuse
stage of 1t; when everybody was tell
ing his or her real name and all talk
ing at once, the cup-uppishness of the
bunch asserted itself.
They began TO talk pleasantly of old
pals. They all mutually knew lot
of the same folks. The young women
spoke somewhat regretfully of a num-
ber OF their former male friends who
| had eone OF to be married during re-
cent years.
The mention by one of the girls OF
the name of one of these married
ones was what got the village tease
thing started.
.''Jim's married to horribly jeal-
GUS GIRL said one of the men.
Know what an independent cuss he
FUSED TO be? All over now. No longer
ii. Just excess baggage. that's all"
The mention of the jealousy of Jim's
wife got the four hoydenish things
to looking mischievously at each
other.
Il just believe I'll do it," declared
one of the girls Deed / think |
shalll Such larks,"
Then she unfolded her little scheme
and they all thought it would be
grand-and it went through.
The girl who thought IL would be
such larks. stepped over to the tele-
phone in the rathskellar and called up
the house address Of "Jim.' the with
the Jealous wife
A woman's voice answered.
"Jim?" said the feminine voice at
the other end, rather sharply Are
you referring to Mr.. Blank?"
"Oh, well. If you want to call him
that" replied the girl at the raths-
kellar phone. Hes Just Jim to me.
What | want to know Is, is Jim there
now?'
Jim. as you call him." replied the
harshened female voice at the other
end of the line, IS not here now. He
is at his office, or at least he sent me
word that he would remain at his Of
flee this evening. Who are you, may
inquirer
"Me?'' said the girl at the raths-
kellar. phone, winking merrily at the
other cut-ups seated around the table.
"Oh. I'm a friend of Jims I'm ring
ing him up because | can't understand
what the trouble Is, you know. He
| promised to take me out to dinner
this evening and he hasn't made his
appearance"
"Oh. he did that. did he?" said the
hoarse voice at the other end. Are
you aware of the fact that Mr.. Blank
is a married man?'
Deed I'm mott" SAID the girl at the
rathskellar phone. He never told
me that. Is he?"
"He certainly is. and I am his wife,
and his three children are sleeping
| peacefully in their beds at this mo-
ment." said the gaspy voice at the
other end. And as for you. you"
The girl at the rathskellar phone
hung the receiver up right there.
Now, 1t actually happened that even
ing that the Jim OF this strictly on-the-
level story could not get home. There
was some kind of kink in his books
and he simply had to. stay at his Of
fee to straighten the kink out. He
sailed out and got quick dairy lunch
after sending word to his wife that
he'd remain downtown for some time
that evening and he worked like a
burrowing hyena smack up to two
o'clock in the morning. when he went
home, dog-tired and all in.
His wife was waiting up for him.
She was reading an upside-down book
when he got in, and her countenance
twitched convulsively when she saw
him.
She told him OF the conversation
she had had over the phone with the
young woman with whom he had
made the dinner appointment.
81 suppose" she added. dryly, after
telling him the story, that you kept
the appointment after she telephoned
Nup here"
He tried to explain his delay at
the office and vowed. vummed,
averred and swore his utter and abso-
Lutte innocence in the whole business.
Not a chance in the world for him to
get away with 1t. She doesn't believe
him yet. She doesn't even speak to
him. Hasn't spoken to him since that
night. There isn't a chance on earth
for him to square himself and he is
going around town biting his nails
and gnawing on his lips and looking
wolffish and wicked. The worst of 1t