The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1906-1908, 1908-05-30
Confined From Page Twol

NCOnLlnUed from rage IWOl
said she'd got real mild tobacco, ana
anyway she guessed everybody that
learned TO smoke was sick some.
She said I must teach her how TO do
It, and il you'd believe me she
brought out her tobacco and some
pipes she'd bought Well, | saw she
was set on doing it. and l thought the
quickest way to cure her was to let
her have her way. but I tell you
was on nettles all the time for fear
some Of the neighbors would drop in
during the lesson. as she called it.
She took a few whiffs, and then she
turned as white as chalk, and had to
carry her TO the sofa and open all the
windows to air out. Well, / thought
that would be the last Of it, but the
next night when went to take my
usual smoke, she had to go through
ths same performance. She says she
thinks she'll get the hang Of 1t pretty
soon, and | declare l believe she will,
Tor she held out longer this second
time.
He stopped and set there looking
down at the floor, as moody and trou-
oled as could be. l had hard work
to keep from laughing.
!" Well says, your greataunt Jane
used to smoke. and l don't knows it's
worse now than twas In them days
And there was old Mrs. Plummer-'
Great Scott! Aunt 'Senath, he
broke out. DO you think 1 want my
wife to be like those old smoke-dried
specimens
Perhaps we can think up some
way out of the trouble | says. sooth-
ing like
I've tried everything l can think
OF to make her change her mind. Per
haps you could do something with
her, he says
Il don't believe much in mixing
up in married folks troubles | says,
and besides, why shouldn't she smoke
II she wants to? or course | don't
see why she should want to, but then,
| don't see why you should, either
Pretty soon he stopped tramping
and went and stood by the window. 1
suppose if | should give it up, she
would he said
"A night or two after that l see him
again for minute or two. Mar
garets stopped smoking. he says with
a grin.
How'd you do it?' l says. Have
you give it up. too?'
Margaret thinks | have he says,
and he looked sly | was disgusteder
than ever with him, and discouraged,
too. There our plan was going all to
pieces, and Margaret and / were both
beat
But the next day l found out we
want quite so beat. Every Thursday
they come over to supper, and early
Thursday afternoon Margaret come,
bringing her work in a bag. She
looked kinder white and miserable,
and | see she knew as well as l did
that Paul was smoking on the sly.
We didn't say word about it, but
an hour or so before supper-time she
folded up her work and put her hand
into her bag and took out a clay pipe
and some tobacco.
For the land sakes' says, what
are you doing?'
Paul thinks I've stopped she says,
and she tried to look sly. never give
Margaret credit for seeing into things
so far till that minute. She filed her
pipe and went and got a match and
lit it.
/ thought hated tobacco before
she says as she begun to smoke. hut
| never did till began to use Il. How
long before I'll like it, l wonder?' and
she laughed in way that made me
want to cry. didn't realize even then
what she was trying to do, and that
she was playing her trump card.
She got whittier and winter. till I
was pretty well scared, and then she
put down the pipe with shaking hands
and helped her to the old lounge.
There she lay with her eyes shut
| didn't see how twas ever coming
out right, and it worked on nv feel
ings so most dropped tears into the
supper.
When Paul come in, he looked so
healthy and handsome that l declare
| almost hated him for minute. He
saw Margaret, and scared look came
into his face. What's the matter? he
cries.
She's sick l says, as short as
could
He went and looked at her. What
is it, dear? he says.
TIN be ever in little while saws
Margaret, and | see the tears creeping
out under her long eyelashes.
Paul glanced around and see the
clay pipe. For a minute he stood
there, looking kinder guilty and mean
Then he just dropped on his knees
side of the old lounge, and went out
and left EN- there.
Once in awhile | could hear the
low murmur of their voices, and then
after a long time Paul came to find
me. | tell you there was different
looks on their faces, and we pronped
Mo- rot In