Middletown transcript., 1908-02-01
EHE EASTING OF JOHN
BY 9 UEOR0B WESTON

--e---
have good dinnerG
Fine / said John, relieved, and
beaming al bis outstreiched feet.
Fine be repeated, beaming more
than before, if that were possi-
BILE.
Whereupon Mary sighed mot
because John had had good
dinner, but because she was
thinking. g.-and then she knit her
forehead in . most determined
way, and remarked
John
All Johns alarm returned and
taking his feet of the opposite
chair, be turned toward Mary,
saying
Well, Mary? Well:
Now-er-did you like your
macaroni, John? she said.
Fine! said John, patting him
self to please his wife.
Mary drew a few more stitches
through ber embroidery, paused,
looked at the back OF Johns head
for a minute or two, bit her
thread, and then. for the third
time, exclaimed
John
Yes I? said John, thinking he
was about to be asked TO pass
Judgment upon the potato chips
and ready to say "Fine ]" ngain.
Yes, Mary?
John, it's no use talking any
more about it! she cried all in a
breath. You've just got TO get q
top hat
If ever a woman looked as il
she had sprung a mine, 1t was
Mary; and if ever man looked
as II he could not believe his ears
it was John, as he turned his
head round with a sort of under
motion until be looked straight
into Mary's eyes, and then nut
tered
A top hat, Mary? A top hat J
A top hat /! said Mary.
Her eyes flashed so and her
cheeks glowed SO that John
groaned in spirit; but, neverthe-
less, Fremont was edited by the
sight of John in his new head
gear the very next Sunday after
noon, and John, on his return
home, was even yet in a state OF
nervous perspiration when Mr..
and Mrs. Scott, their next door
y
neighbors, went out for their Sun
day afternoon walk, and as for
Mr.. Scott, he had his top hat on,
too.
Seeing this, Mary ran straight
into the kitchen and began max.
ing a lobster salad-a prime fay
0rite of Johns!
Do you like II, John ? asked
Mary, putting another spoonful
on his plate.
John recrossed his feet under
the table in an ecstasy, his
mouth too full for utterance. :
and gave Mary a mute look so
full Of gratitude, pride and de-
votion that her heart almost
failed her; but for moment
only.
John, did you see that big
black dog when we were out
walking ? she asked.
John shook his head
Wouldn't it have been awful If
he'had bitten you
John nodded his head with
vigor.
And if he had come for you,
You wouldn't have had anything
to hit him with, would yon, John?
John shook his head in sorrow.
A dog is frightened at stick,
isn't he, John /?
John nodded his head, Ibis
mouth still far too full for utter.
ance, -recrossed his feet again,
and gave his Mary such a fond
look that Mary had to harden
her voice when she exclaimed
John, you must carry stick
After John had stopped choi1.
ing, he coughed very hard, caught
his breath, conghed again, and
cried In most lugnbrious tones
A cane, Mary: Do you mean
a cane?
Yes, cane cried Mary. And
that's all there is to IL!
Her two eyes sparkled so and
her chin was thrown up at such
an angle that john surrendered
at once, and the next morning,
when he Went 70 work, he carried
in addition to bis new hat, d cane.
1t seemed to be fad thai bad al
at once become The style in Ere
mont, for when Mr.. Scott wenl
to work on Tuesday morning, he
carried a cane, q o. but in mos
shee ish ma ner.
Seeing this, Mary ran for the