The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-01-16

no l0uGneQ sort O. eheoplsh. IS
sounds funny. but It amt he says.
'Margaret's taken to smoking
smoking?' I says.
eyes. smoking he says. I don't
wonder you're astonished. was my
self. I tried I'd get her of the notion,
but she won't give it up. She said
she thought It would be so sociable to
sit by the fire evenings and smoke to-,
gether, and she wanted to like all
the things did. told her it would
make her as sick as horse, but she
said she'd got real mild tobacco, and
anyway she guessed everybody that
learned to smoke was sick some.
She said I must teach her how to do
1t, and II you'd believe me she
brought out her tobacco and some
pipes she'd bought. Well, 1 saw she
was set on doing it, and thought the
quickest way to cure her was to let
her have her way, but I tell you I
was on nettles all the time for fear
some of the neighbors would drop in
during the lesson, as she called Il.
She took few whiffs, and then she
turned as white as chalk, and 1 had to
carry her to the sofa and open all the
windows to air out. Well, l thought
that would be the last of it, but the
next night when I went to take my
usual smoke, she had to go through
the same performance. She says she
thinks she'll get the hang of it pretty
soon, and declare believe she will.
for she held out longer this second
time
He stopped and set there looking
down at the floor, as moody and trou
bled as could be. l had hard work
to keep from laughing.
WELL says, your great-aunt Jane
used to smoke, and don't knows it's
worse now than twas in them days
And there was old Mrs. Plunmer-'
"'Great Scott! Aunt 'Sanath,' he
broke out. DO you think l want my
wife to be like those old smoke.dried
specimens?
Perhaps We can think up some
way out of the trouble says, soot!l-
ing like.
1--we tried everything 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 l says,
and besides, why shouldn't she smoke
If she wants to? OF course l don't
see why she should want to, but then,
l don't see why you should, ether
Pretty soon he stopped tramping
and went and stood by the window. 4
suppose If l should give it up. she
would he said.
"A night or two after that see hiIl
again for a minute or two. Mar.
garet's 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 found out We
want quite SO beat. Every Thursday
they come over to supper, and early
Thursday. afternoon Margaret come,
bringing her work in bag. She
looked kinder white and miserable,
and l see she knew as we'll as 1 did
that Paul was smoking on the sly.
1--WE didn't say a word about it, but
an hour or SO before supper.time she
folded up her work and put her hand
int her bag and took out a clay pipe
and some tobacco.
For the land sakes!'I says, what
are you doing?'
Paul thinks I've stopped she says,
and she tried to look sly. l 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 1t.
+" I thought hated tobacco before
she says as she begun to smoke, but
never did till began to use it. How
long before Ill like 1t, 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 we'll 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.
I didn't see how twas ever coming
out right, and it worked on my feel
ings SO most dropped tears into the
supper.
when Paul come in, he looked so
healthy and handsome that l declare
I almost hated him for a minute. He
saw Margaret. and a scared look came
into his face. What's the matter? he
cries.
"'she's SICK 1 says, as short as l
could.
"He went and looked at her. What
Is it, dear?' he says.
It'll be over in a little while SAYS
Margaret, and I see the tears CREEPING
out under her long eyelashes.