The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-06-12
a SAD, SAD
ST DRY
Sympath etic Mrs. Massey Wept
CoplousIy.

John said Mrs. Massey. sighin
and wiping her eyes with certain
modest ostentation, did you read thi
piece
Yes" said John, rafting his hal
of the evening paper, and refusing t.
look mp. Yes. | read it"
Then what's it about?" she de
manded, giving him look which wa,
also Of a demanding nature what
II about, thon?'
But as for John, he scowled all owe
his physiognomy and preserved tn,
silence OF stonest and as they ST
there. he pretending to be absorbed ii
his paper and she trying 10 break
down this pretense by the silent power
OF concentrated glare. let me tel
YOU little more about the time, the
place and the persons of the drama
Time, then: The present
Hour; Eight p m,
Place. The Masseys' sitting room
coy and homelike gfeen-shaded lamp
! ON the table, stuffed bird on the man
tetpieee and all the linen worked by
| hand; on one side of the table sits
Mrs Massey, bright, plump and com
| Portable, across the table sits John
| slippered. fed and pampered to the
! mines. credit man of a hardware firm
! downtown short both of stature and
Of temper, choleric peppery and Of All
irritable cast OF countenance when
crossed. Yes. such were Mr. and
Mrs. Massey as they sat there in their
sitting room, he rafting his paper and
pretending to read it, and she setting
him with her eye over the top of her
paper, with an appropriate look Of
Indignation on her comfortable face
What's II about, them she repeat.
Cd John, what's it about
Never mimi" snapped John
Never you mind what it's about!
Can't you see l am reading?"
But do mind" said Mrs
Massey, speaking with a spirit that
can only. be found in a woman who
loves her bit OF talk and who has had
no better company all day long than
81
But do miud." she repeated so
you see you might just as well tell
me first as last
Thus trapped into the pit of his
own digging John groaned In his spir-
il and laid his paper down Whereupon
Mrs. Massey's conteutment became
too great for words and she mutely
looked at the phenomenon of John
Tho Trapped Man with look that
said, 20. this is Very gratifying"
It's this piece in the paper" she
said aloud at last 1T made me cry :"
What do you want to cry for?'
said John. with an alarming gesture
of impatience Its nothing to do
with YOU is it?"
John she said with fearful air
of pride, - was always that way. /
remember when | was little girl and
used to recitc 'Hesperides was all
right till came 10 that verse:
-. father I hear the suukd of bells;
O, say what can II be-?
But father answered never a word.
frozen corpse was he
Aye, dear" she said with a com
Portable tremolo. John. wish you'd
just read this piece. Read it out. It's
the saddest piece''
Chicago, February 28.'" began
John, with a mean look.
Aye. dear, Aye, dear" said Jane, !
dabbing her eyes with her handker
chief
What's the matter now" demanded |
John.
"Boo'" said Jane
There's nothing sa4 in that. is
there? Chicago, February 2S-"
"Eoo-oo'" said Jane Aye. dear! |
Aye, dear"
ITS so sad" she said, wiping her
eyes and speaking in faint, content
ed voice Go ON, John. Go on"
When William Nelson, con
-inued John
"G-r-rl-r,' she Rasped
A sad-faced man"
Poor things' Poor things" she
said, with comfortable and fearful
-" was arraigned before Justice
Pennington this morning
She made n great to-ao with her
aud peacefully gasped
or air
for terrorizing the neighborhood
ao judge said: You don't seem to be
UGH terror this morning"
Jane sobbed away as though her
yelling heart would break
Judge, he said. l might have been
terror last night; but this morning
amt even qualm of apprehen-
ion,'"
John thereuron looked up in affect
d surprise, his mean look at It's eli
max
Why, | don't see anything in that"
e said.
You don't?" she cried.
why no; it's fanny That's what it
s."
Funny" she cried.
Yes; funny, Downright funny! and
here YOU sat cutting up as if"
Read 1t again" she exclaimed sud.
emily, sitting up straight and. speak
az in sepulchral tones. Read ii