The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-12-13
A Changed Man.

After ten years of domesticity Pea
body still is unable to understand his
wife.
II there is a tie-up on the elevated
road which necessitates his taking the
surface line and reaching home TWEEN
ty minutes late he Is invariably sur
prised to be welcomed by Mrs Peabody
with tears and a disposition TO hys-
terics. Peabody's mind works slowly
and this constitutional defect makes it
impossible for him to realize how many
horrors a really active imagination
can conjure up in twenty minutes. In
deed, IN a quarter of that time Mrs
Peabody sometimes had seen him the
victim of a wreck. in the hospital with
sunstroke and the prey Of a holdup
man.
As a matter of fact, in spite Of his
wife's apprehensions, nothing ever hap
pens TO Peabody. He is absolutely
healthy and lucky to a degree that
awakens the envy Of all his acquaint-
ances.
Naturally so nervous a wife as Mrs
Peabody is careful not to cause ankle
ty to others. she never goes down
town for an afternoons shopping with
out acquainting Peabody with the fact
over the telephone and also telling him
at just what hour she will be at home
Mrs. Peabody went to call on a south
side friend the other day and was sur
prised 10 meet ut her friends house an
old schoomate she had not seen for
many years. Her friend declared that
ii was plainly foreordained that she
was to stay TO dinner Mrs. Peabody
was the more ready to accept this view
as IL was the maids afternoon out. An
invitation was extended to Peabody
over the telephone, but, though he
generously urged his wife to stay and
enjoy herself, he explained that BUSH
ness would keep him at the Office late
so he would get his dinner downtown.
Then he would so home THAT is, if
you're not afraid to come home alone"
he added as an afterthought
oh, not at all, dear, answered Mrs
Peabody, who shows her unselfsh dis
position by reserying her apprehen-
sions for others; I'll be home at $50
promptly"
It was during the dinner that the
proposal was made to extend the fes-
tivities by going to the theatre. The
suggestion was tempting, but at first
Mrs. Peabody refused to consider It,
BY this time it was too late to reach
Peabody at the office.
If he expected me and / didn't come
he'd worry so" Mrs. Peabody said
But the friends, who knew Peabody,
laughed at this idea 50 heartily that
Mrs. Peabody began to think that per-
haps she was overparticular. Between
the ridicule Of one friend and the coax
ing of the other. her seruples were
lulled to rest So the three women
went TO the play.
Meanwhile Peabody was enjoying
HIMSELF Unexpectedly Just as he left
the Office he ran across an old friend.
whose wife was out of town. The two
men dined together and then went out
to the Peabody lat, where they spent
an enjoyable evening over their cigars.
Waite, who is old enough to be Pea
body's father, has White hair and a
wrinkled face, but his spirit of boyish
fun bellies his appearance. When Pea
body suggested that Waite spend the
night there Waite fell in with the plan
without demur Peabody gave up his
room, as is the practice Of fiat dwellers
when guests are entertained, and HIM
self took the folding bed in the par
lor
The sileacing Of Mrs. Peabodys
scruples had been only temporary. All
through the play she was haunted by
the thought of her husband pacing the
floor and listening for steps on the
stair. BY the end of the second act she
was hardly able to answer 2 question
and she seriously deliberated feigning
an attack Of heart trouble as an excuse
to leave.
Mrs. Peabody made her farewells very
brief and hastily made her way to the