The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-05
TIE EVENING STORY
His wIfe's strategy.
lBy Donald Allen.l

Marina, dI@ You there = called dI-
mer Milton from the back door step.
What is it, pa ?" asked his wife as
she appeared with a dish in her hand.
There's Jim Thomas coming down
the road"
We'll, what of it?'
H looks all dressed up
somewhere
Hes probably coming right here to
see our Minnie
Then he'll have creased his boots
for nothing Minnie amt wasting her
time on no such fellows as Jim
Thomas.
The farmer had more to say, but be-
fore he could say it Jim Thomas had
arrived. He was a young man of twen-
ty-hve who had no particular ccUpa
tion, but traded horses, helped to put
up windmills, n now and then acted
as a piano agent.
He sat down beside the farmer.
reached for his jackknife and a stick,
and proceeded to white and talk. Mrs.
Milton came to the door to shake the
tablecloth and gave him a nod but
during the two hours he remained he
saw nothing of Minnie. He seemed
much disappointed.
When he had departed the farmer
entered the sitting room and said to
the wife:
~"Look-a-here. Martha. what's the use
in hurting a fellows feelings 2"
What fellow ?"
Jim Thomas. of course. You didn't
say three words to him. and Minnie
didn't appear at all. 1t was a regular
snub. and I felt sorry for him"
Then your sympathies are wasted.
L van to tell you that Jim Thomas is
a sneak, and if Minnie ever speaks to
him again III box her ears, though
she is going on nineteen years old"
The farmer sat down and pulled off
his boots.
Martha" he began. 1--WE known
Tor two weeks that there was some
thing ID. and that you and Minnie
We're keeping it from me. Now, then,
1 want TO know all about it. Jim
Thomas was down in the lot where I
was at work today, and he had Just
begun to tell me that Minnie and Burt
Anderson were mad at each other when
Elder Davis came along and hung
around SO long that Jim had to go be-
fore finishing his story. You might as
well tell me the whole story"
L told you Jim was a sneak" an
swered the wife. IF he hadn't been,
tween Minnie and Burt, and if he
hadn't been he wouldn't have shown
his face here tonight"
This seem to be a 'tarnei nice
howdy-doltwo folks engaged to be
married and fighting like cats and
dogs! What's the row about?"
Nothing but Burt's jealousy. Min
ME wrote her name in an
album, and found it out through
Jim Thomas and gave her a bloUinr
up about it. She sassed back. and he
got mad, and that's the reason he
hasn't been here for the last two
weeks"
What in thunder is an aw-to-gran
alpum :! asked the husband after
thinking for a minute or two.
IT'S a book that folks write their
names in, and you needn't swear about
II Il belonged to a summer boarder
down at Scots"
name In it?'
That's all, though Jim made Burt
believe the fellow was struck on Min
ME, and said she had eyes like a sioe.v
What sort of a critter is a slow2,
Il don't know and I don't care, and
want to tell you that you are NOT to
mix into this business.
amt I her father, and amt it
my business to go to Burt Anderson
ND ten MN that Minnie is a hundred
times too good for him p
NO, sir, it anti Abijah Milton
you are a thick-headed man. and Won
are so nearsighted that you RIM
against fences. If you had your wav
youd spoil your only daughters nap
plness forever You are not going 10
nave you way You are going to fold
your arms and keep still and let me
work this thing out myself"
thunder. Martha, but"
AAS SOIne more NO WnnHAF
you nave become afraid of lfghtningt
Swearing won't help you, however. vo1,
nave got to do as 7 say. If lin
Inomas comes around again you can
talk about windmills all you want to.
but don't talk about Minnie. IF vo11
see Burt Anderson use him lust az voS
always have. The rest can be LEFT to
me-"
"And what1l you do?' asked the
husband and father.
tfXo7 r-o T. 49, 80 rr
Burt Anderson around here in less than
weeks then my name wasn't Mar
tina Tompkins before 1 married you.
and I didn't take a prize spelling the
school down."
Il don see how but she inter
rupted by saying it was time to wind
the clock and go to bed; and during
the next ten days she ~resolutely refused
to answer a word whenever he a.
preached the subject. Then one evan
ing h queried of him:
PA, what's Burt Anderson working
at now?"
"Hoeing corn in the field alongside
the road" was the answer.
DO 0 think he'll be there stnnao--
?"
Likely to be. Why?"
Never mind why. Did our old
horse Charlie ever run away?"
Lord, no."
Gould he run away if he wanted
He might get up a srot of hen can
Suppose" continued the wife. that
lines were to get under his heels.
and some one was to hit him Ave OF six
cuts with the whip, would ne prea+l
into a c~anter?"
It guess he would. Yes. he'd be 81
astonished that he would probably dust
for a few rods"
And would he keep to the road? p
I guess he would. What are Won
asking all these questions for?"
Perhaps I'll tell you his evening.
Don't bother me now. as I've got three
pans Of milk to skim
Farmer Milton had no sooner left
GUS for the fields the next morn
ing than his wife began fixing up a
of butter for a village grocer.
while Minnie harnessed the old horse