Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-13
COULDN'T STAY AWAY

remove his eyes from their sockets by the
use of her finger nails. They just scrap like
other folks, get into wordy alterations
about things. hurl rather bitter badfnage at
each other and all that sort Of thing.
And every time there's a. scrap she just
packs up her clothes and goes right back
to the home Of her mamma. who lives
somewhere in tho Hill.
While she's gone he holds down the nat.
The servant Is an old black woman who
knows how to run the plant, and so he
doesn't have any trouble about the eats or
anything of that sort. He Just sits tight
and waits for DEVELOPMENTS. The Develop
ments are always 1ust about tho same.
That Is to say sooner or later-it may be
within three or four days. 1t may be, after
more than a week has passed-she drops
into the fiat to. visit him. Just so. To
visit him and see how he's making out.
These visits of hers to her husband make
the nub OF It,
He is sitting back in his easy chair some
evening after dinner. mighty blue and lone
some, trying to read a book upside down.
and longing to see her. and wondering
what's the use. anyhow. when the fiat bell
rings-the old black woman has by this time
gone home. and he is there IN the nat alone.
He goes to the speaking tube and says,
"Well?"
Its me- the familiar voice says, and he
calls back. We'll. come on up then-you
know the wav."
"She came around all right knew dad
blamed well she would. although she swore
that she never would see me again as long
as she lived!' he says to himself. sort OF
gloatlngly. But if she hadn't come l don
think L have held out much longer than
tonight-Td have telephoned her as sure
as shooting, and asked her to drop around
Glad she beat to it. though-the mink!
I sure glad she's come. ana he opens
the door for her.
He doesn't take her in his arms and kiss
her. would be the usual course If they
weren't engaged in one of their scraps she
doesn't offer her face to be kissed, either
In fact they're both tremendously digni-
fed not to say solemn. about it all.
"'Tay-o" he says to her. carelessly, re
| moving his cigar from his teeth, Blu.
wouldn't l love to Just grab the snlp ana
stake her to a hug for coming around,
thought! SAYS he to himself.
Good evening" she says to him. very
distantly-"The poor. pig-headed Old thlns
looks like lie isn't getting enough to eat
sort of thin and sad looking. says she 10
herself at the same time.
II just dropped up to see if the bird was
being taken care Of" says she. passing
through the hall and into the bijou little
dining room where the bird cage hangs:
"Oh. is that all?" says he. colby Bird
all right Slick as whistle. Feed the little
beggar and change his drinking water every
Knight myself
"Do your" she asked him vaguely and
she sits down on the edge of a chair with
all OF neF wraps OH. Ole gu ieA o"SA1
scenery on too. and looks as if all fixed
up to make hit-with her own husband!
kind O. warm in here" he says. still
carslessly Better lay off your hat o and ID
going to sit around for while?'
"Oh. for very little while she replies.
somewhat stiffiy. but removing her wrap
and hat-and lie notices that her hair is
done up-waved or something-mighty fine
ly. I've got to get back to mamma's real
soon-some folks are coming to play cards
That so?" says he and there is a silence.
He goes and fills pipe.
Better come in here to the den,' he says
to her. and she follows him in there. look
ing intensely bored.
Look at all the ashes scattered around
everywhere-it's wonder Mandy wouldn't
clean up in here once in while-why don't
you tell her about it?" she asks him
'.Oh. it's well enough" he replied. fight
ing his pipe. ashes don't bother me. Don't
like Mandy fussing around in here.
She trips out of the room and goes to
his chifronier and begins to wade through
his collection of socks. She picks up an
armful Of them. gets out the gourd and the
darning f1xings. returns to the den where
he's smoking his pipe with apparently the
| most serene indifference In the world. and
begins to darn his socks.
Somebody's got to do IT." she says.
| snifiy as II apolgizing for the stunt. You
can't go walking around the streets with
holes as big as all outdoors In en-"
He doesn't say anything. but smokes
"How's Mugs?" he asks her after bit.
referring to the, bull-pup that she took
away with her when she left him.
Just grand she replies, with some en-
thusiasm. But he's got into the habit Of
after somebody 1 might mention" but he
doesn't make any reply to the sly dig but
sort Of grins to himself.
There isn't much conversation for a bit,
and then she suddenly says:
I'm as hungry as L can be-d!dn,t eat
any dinner. for l had bit Of a headache.
ANYTHING to eat in the refrigerator?"
on out and dig-maybe you'll find some
thing"
She goes out into the kitchen then and
begins to pillow through the ice box, and
of course she springs eatables enough-the
| markings of some hot biscuits, and plenty
of eggs. and some bacon. and conee. and
all that sort of truck.
cry" she says, putting on an apron. I'm
going to fix something-if Of course, you
don't mind?' looking at him inquiringly
Ddne pick at much at dnnerto oeP busy
thinking about-er-business
She fixes up a mighty tidy little snack
bacon and eggs and hot biscuits and cof
fee and the fike-while he stands in the
doorway Of the kitchen watching her
Its wonder you wouldn't shave" she
says to him while the bacon is frying.
who for?" he asks, with sort of gulp,
taking his pipe out Of his teeth.
why for yourself. silly-you seem to
think such whole great lot of yourself
and nobody else" she replies, trying to get
the right sort of hardness into her voice,
but falling down al that attempt.
"Oh, bother shaving and all that junk"
he replies. miserably. Whats the use?'
Every use," she answers. You shave
every day when I'm with-er-well. usual
ly, don't you? A man ought to be able to
keep himself looking decently without his
wife being-er-
Have l got time to shave now before
that stuff is ready" he asks her.
eff you hurry" she replies. and he hus-
ties into the bath room and shaves and
reappears in time TO sit down to the
snack all pinked up.
The biscuits and bacon and eggs and
things taste pretty good. When he's
about through, he lights a cigar with his
second cup of coffee and feels about right.
He has missed her sorey. She looks slant
wise at him. She has missed him sorely,
too
well. you look like somebody now, since
you've shaved" she says to him.
You always look pretty good to me-,
he says to her.
Then she begins to dab at her eyes with
her handkerchief. And he Is around to her
side of the table in two strides and has her
in his arms, stroking her hair and all
that-and it's all right. Her trunks are
| back in the fiat the next day. She has