The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-21
AdDersity- and Matrimony


HHEY had quarreled-and parted, vowing to meet
no more She had packed up her trunk and her
dog and all the bric-abrac and the sofa pillows
and gone, not home to mother, but back to her girl
hood boarding house. He had put on his hat and hur
ried out to meet the boys. The fiat looked as tho
whirlwind had struck it.
AS she rose wearily the next morning after sleep
less night, she came gradually to the full realization
that she was grass wiodw. All, that was relief!
No more quarrels, no more weary nights OF waiting
for him to come home from the club. No more-oh,
well, she guessed she could earn her own spending
money She was free-free to do as she pleased
With that thought she started to dress She pulled
vnced her that she had been neglecting herself The
toes were almost gray for want Of polish
She pulled things out Of her valise and the top
of her trunk in rapid search for shoe polish, when
it suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't drop
of it. She never had any in fact. She always used
Tom s.
Then she took out nice clean shirtwaist and
smart stiff collar She had struggled into the shirt
waist and buttoned it down the front, when she dis
covered to her great dismay that she hadn't such
thing collar button She searched and searched;
but when you We been in the habit Of depending
for collar buttons for two years. you get out Of
the habit Of carrying them around with you Impa,
for something else. She thought for moment that
she would put on her Peter Pan suit, but with Peter
Pan you have to wear smart four-in hand tie, and
she had always used Tom g four-in-hands.
Oh, very welll She pulled out a dainty muslin
waist with an attached collar and slipped her arms
into it. Alas! It buttoned up the back She strug,
gled until she had fastened the two top buttons and
then twisted round till her muscles ached to hitch the
lower buttons. When she had worked herself into
dripping perspiration and nearly sprained her right
wrist there still remained two unfastened buttons at
the acute angle Of her back They were the two Tom
had always buttoned She finished dressing with q
horrible consciousness of her openwork back and
dered what time it Alas she had forgotten to
take the family clock. Oh, if Tom only there
with his watch She'd write to Tom and ask him to
send the clock. After fifteen minutes search she
found the stub Of pencil somewhere at the bottom
of her ribbon box. The pencil had no point. Vaguely
she looked about. She knew there something she
wanted. It Tom g razor-to sharpen that pencil.
MEANTIME.
He turned over in bed the morning after the flight
of his wife with feeling Of relief. No more nag
ging, no more questions when he stayed out late.
= Gee! He was going to have the time of his life.
He started to pull on his boots, but his feet were
warm and the backs Of the Oxford ties stuck to his
5 ne got " for shoe put % 5 he
his wife had taken her silver shoe horn with her
He got into the shoes best he could and began to
shave When he finished he reached mechanically
down into side drawer for the talcum powder and
the powder puff They gonel
He went out into the kitchen and cut piece OF
bread ready for toasting. The knife slipped ane
shaved bit Of flesh from his finger. When he ha6
stopped the bleeding he went back into the dressing
room to look for courtplaster. Alas! that TOT
had gone with the powder puff and the shoe horn ant
cream and cotton rag with which to tie up hi
wounds but she had taken the cold cream with he
and he didn' know where she kept the rags. Whe'
he had finished cold and lonely breakfast, he pu
his coat and took his hat, prepared to start TO
town. just then he NOTICED that button hangin
by thread to his coat After he had looked tn
house over from garret to cellar for q needle and
piece of thread he decided that he would rather Gu
the button off. This was 4 good idea, but it too
him five minutes more to discover that his wife
scissors were lost to him forever and to find his jack
knife button.
ing out of the house, a boy handed him special d.
livery letter. 1t was written with evidently point
less pencil and he had some difficulty in making on
it's scribbled words. They were: -
Dear Tom: m sorry to- trouble you, but pleas
send the clock and your razor and the shoe polls
and a collar button-and I'm sorry said all thos
hateful things
He wondered why his heart seemed to grow su,
denly much lighter, but he went inside and wrot
this quickly as he could
ttDear Girl: Come back home and bring your poy
puff and the scissors and The needles and the threa
and the shoe horn, and you can have anything yc
want