The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-01-03
shamefaced and uncomfortable. Then.

| Wv IL tHt- IL VIII ne Tor her good III
the long run. Besides. it makes me
feel Uncomfortable to know that she
is always watching me- in that way
| ~ here WAS Il tine not 50 long ago. -
| reminded him. when it would have
pleased YOU
Yes" he agreed. still locking some
what slueauli.5h: you are right. Of
course. 10 y liIitcd extent. III not
deny thl,. Ard il would affect me
that way now only that I'm SO anso-
iutciy cer'ain about her loving me-"
1T is ra,,icr selfish of you. this point
of View" | reminded him caustically.
But don't ycu see" he objected.
what IL ,,ood joke it Will beg
Philip Sturgis." demanded saw
agcIy. haven't your ncourt:ed prac-
teal jokes. as you call them. made
you enough enemies already: The
| fellows at the club have all been hop
Ing your marriage would cure you of
that silly habit Practical joking has
! never gained you one friend. 1t has
made you many enemies and has cool
Ii
toward YOU"
But" he insisted, with the air of a
man who is unconvinced, this is
harmless"
1T is not harmless" l rejoined lit
Is the most cruel attempt at a joke
have ever known Of your perpetrating.
and it makes me very angry with you
to think that you should propose max
Ing your wife, whom you ought to-
love above all others in the world the
victim of it,
Philip Sturgis and I went our ways
with no words on our lips. | knew
that his proposed action was nothing
short of shameful, though he obsti-
nately refused to admit. even to him
self. as could see, what he must have
known in the bottom of his heart ali
the time.
Will. as rule. make a cOnfidant of
his wife and get her advice This was
my course Of action. l have not lived
with Edith for going on to four years
without learning that her qualities of
perception, as regards affairs in which
the workings OF the human heart are
involved. are inestimably superior to
mine. | was convinced of that when
I was led to propose. There is as
much difference between her and me
on those things as there is between
the sun and the moon.
7 fA1 cir o<
Sturgis' despicable plot and found her
quite as indignant as l had been y
this had not been the case l should
have been greatly surprised. And. once
enlisted in the cause. Edith remains
forever it's faithful adherent. l was
not little elated, then, when l saw
that her quick and active feminine
brain was at work to devise a plan Of
fitting punishment for the man who
could. in the name Of practical joking.
SO basely treat his young and loving
wife.
AS the direct result of my confer
ence with Edith she and~I walked
across the street to the modest resi-.
dence of the Sturgises the next day
Immediately after Philip had boarded
the in town trolley. Mrs. Sturgis an
swered our ring and pleasantly invited
US to come in. We came. we talked
and we conquered.
After exposing the full sum Of her
husbands villainy we had hard time
Of it to bring Beatrice to treat him as
he deserved. and I do not think now
that the punishment was at all COM
with the magnitude of the |
offense
Even before we had left the tele- |
gram came 1t read:
Beatrice:
Have gone to Salem to see Felice. a
perfect dear. Particulars later.
PHILIP.
Beatrice rose to the occasion. She |
looked at my wife, and there was in
dignation in her eyes.
ga perfect dear!" she shifted, with
the same poise Of head that had ad-
mired on the golf links. Her self as
was again coming to the
fore. yes, l viii do ~ you suggest.
Mrs. Blakely," she announced. with
determination.
Think" urged her, 'how much
worse you would feel II you had not
been warned In advance about this tel
gram and enlightened by us a. to the
Of its contents"
II will cure him Of practical joking
low and forever" she answered vigor-
,usly, with much Of my wife's manner
bout her.
We had all the next day to make our
and very thoroughly we
made them, the three Of rs chuckling
neanwhile at the prospect Of success
ur curative little plot promised. We
ad not expected Philip to return be-
ore 6 O'Clock, but at 4:30 Beatrice.
lancing from the window. uttered
title shrek of dismay to see his tall.
>&y- A0NvpN