Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-07-14
\ TIE PEaDULUMl|
By o. HENRY.
copyright. 1905. by the s. 8. Mcclure Co..

ratified away. and John Perkins drift
ed down the stairway Of the station
with the released flock.
John walked slowly toward his fat
slowly, because in the lexicon Of hil
daily life there was no such word a
perhaps" There are no surprise
awaiting a man who has been married
two years and lives in q fat As b,
walked John Perkins prophesied Il
himself with gloomy and downtroddel
cynicism the foregone conclusions o.
the monotonous day.
Katy would meet him at the doc
with kiss favored with cold cream
and butter scotch. He would remove
his coat. sit upon a macadamizet
lounge and read in the evening pape
of Russians and Japs slaughtered b!
the deadly linotype. For dinner Their
would be pot roast, salad favoret
with 2 dressing warranted not to cracl
or injure the leather, stewed rhubarl
and the bottle Of strawberry marina
lade blushing at the certificate o.
chemical purity on its label. Afte
dinner Katy would show him the new
patch in her crazy quilt that. the Ice
man had cut for her of the end Of hi
fourth hand At half past Z the!
would spread newspapers over the fur
niture to catch the pieces of plasterini
that fell when the fat man in the ia
overhead began to take his physica
culture exercises. Exactly at 8 Hicke!
and Mooney of the vaudeville team
| (unbooked) in the fat across the hal
would yield to the gentle influence o.
delirium tremens and begin to over
turn chairs under the delusion tina
Hammerstein was pursuing them will
| five hundred dollar q week contract
Then the gent at the window across
the air shaft would get out his flute
the nightly gas leak would steal fortl
to frolic in the highways; the duml
waiter would slip of its trolley; th'
| janitor would drive Mrs. Zanowitskf:
five children once more across th'
Yalu; the lady with the champagne
shoes and the skye terrier would triI
downstairs and paste her Thursda!
name over her bell and letter box, ant
the evening routine Of the Frogmor'
fats would be under way.
John Perkins knew these thing:
would happen. And he knew that a
| a quarter past he would summon his
nerve and reach for his hat and tha
his wife would deliver this speech IL
a Querulous tone:
"Now. where are you going. I'd like
to know, John Perkins?"
Thought I'd drop up to McClos
keys" he would answer, "and play d
game or two of pool with the fellows
| or late such had been John Perkins
habit. At 10 or II he would return
Sometimes Katy would be asleep
sometimes waiting up. ready to mel
In the crucible of her ire little more
gold plating from the wrought stee
chains of matrimony For these things
| Cupid will have to answer when he
stands at the bar Of justice with his
| victims from the Frpgnore fats.
Tonight John Perkins encountered q
tremendous upheaval of the common
| place when he reached his door. Nc
Katy was there with her affectionate
| confectionate kiss. The three rooms
seemed In portentous disorder. AL
about lay her things in confusion
Shoes In the middle OF the floor. curl
| Ing tongs. hair bows. kimonos powder
box. jumbled together on dresser and
chairs-this was not Katy's way. Will
sinking heart John saw the cont
with a curling cloud Of her brown hail
among its teeth Some unusual hurry
| md perturbation must have possessed
her. for she always carefully placed
these couplings in the little blue vase
ON the mantle TO he some day formed
into the coveted feminine rat"
Hanging conspicuoasly to the gas je'
by string was Il folded paper. John
seized ii 1t was note from his wife
| running thus:
| Dear John-I just had telegram say
Ing mother Is very sci;. | um going &c
| take the i:2O train Brother Sam Is 60
/ lag lu meet me al the depot there. There
| is cold mutton In the ice box. hope II
| isn't her yun2y again Pay the milkmar
| % cents. She had II bad last spring
| Don't forget 10 write 10 the company
| about the gas meter. and your good sock:
| are In the top drawer. | will write to
| ni1rruw Hastily. KATY.
| Never during their two years ol
1 i,,l ha nd nt hann con
arated for II night. John read the not'
| over and over in dumfounded way
Here was a break In routine tha
had never varied. and 1t left him dazed
There on the back Of chair hung
pathetically empty and formless. thu
red wrapper with black dots that sh'
always wore while getting the meals
Her week day clothes had been tossed
here and there In her haste. A littl'
paper bag of her favorite butter scotcl
lay with its string yet unwound. 4
daily paper sprawled on the door. gap
ing rectangularly where a railroad
time table had been clipped from II
Everything In the room spoke or
loss of an essence gone. Of Its sou
and life departed. John Perkins stoot
among the dead remains with Quee
feeling Of desolation In his heart
He began to set the rooms tidy u
well as he could. When be touched
her clothes a thrill Of something lik
terror went through him. He hat
never thought what existence woul'
be without Katy. She had become 8
thoroughly annealed into his life tina
she was like the air he breathed-
necessary. but scarcely noticed. Now
without warming she was gone. var
ished, as completely absent as II sh
had never existed. OF course 1t woul
be only for a few days, or at most
week or two. but 1t seemed to him q
II the very hand Of death had pointe
finger at his secure and uneventfr
home.
| John dragged the cold mutton fror
the Ice box. made coffee and sat dow
to n lonely meal face to face with th
stra wberry marmalade's shameless Gel
tificate Of purity. Bright among will
drawn blessings now appeared to NIL
the ghosts Of pot roast and the sala
with tan polish dressing. His hon
was dismantled. A quinzied mothe
in-law had knocked his lares an
penates sky high. After his solitar
meal John sat at front window.
He did not care to smoke Outsid
the city roared to him to come join
its dance of folly and pleasure. Th
| nIoht WAS his He might 60 forth III