The Hattiesburg news., 1910-01-17
SHE WAS.
SURPRISED

like magazine illustration Of hap.
py evening at home. On one side
of the big table sat Jennings, in slip
pers and smoking jacket, hedged in by
newspapers and magazines and ci-
gars; on the other sat Mrs. Jennings
prettily attired and industriously EN-.
broidering. Between them was the
artistic drop light, at their feet the
family cat.
Isn't it lovely Henry? Mrs. Jen-
nings broke the silence.
"What?" demanded Jennings.
She smiled at him sweetly. why,
this quiet evening at home. dear" she
said. "Im so glad we both take en-
joyment in such simple, real pleas
ures! 1t must be perfectly awful to
be like some people-never content
unless they are racing about from one
thing to another It's dreadful"
"Uh, huh,' agreed Jennings, deep in
his paper. 1T certainly isl"
I'm sure" pursued Mrs. Jennings
with pretty frown of horror. that
| don't know what l should do if you
were like Mr.. Klibbell!"
Whats Klibbell done? inquired
her husband, with some interest. "He
always seemed pretty nice sort"
"Oh, suppose he's all right" con-
ceded Mrs. Jennings with reluctance.
''as most men go. Doubtless his wife
thinks he's the finest man in the
world. But he isn't-not by a good
deal! guess I ought to know, be.
cause I'm pretty we'll satisfied with
my own husband. Not that | want to
fiatter you, Henry; but there aren't
many men like you! Why, MIR. Klib.
bell hasn't done anything disgraceful
i didn't mean that-but he is such a
restless man. He always has to be
doing something. Since they got their
automobile it's been worse, too, for
they are out all of the time, and it
must cost them an awful lot of money.
should think they'd consider that
they have children growing up and
that they ought to be more sensible!"
! "Uh huh." said Jennings.
Mrs. Jennings paused in her work
and pensively regarded the bookcase.
Il was talking to Mrs. Klibbell to-
day." she went on. "She asked if you
and didn't want to join an automo-
bile crowd tonight for ride and sup
per some place, but | declined. | said
you didn't care for such things, and |
agreed with you"
oh" calculated Jennings. why
| don't remember ever saying"
why Henry." cried Mrs. Jennings
You know you've often expressed
your opinion of automobiles and their
reckless drivers and said that you
couldn't see how any sensible man
could fool around with one of the
bell. ! said ny husband was man
who preferred staying home with his
family and improving his mind. OF
course, | explained that | meant nc
reflection on Mr. Klibbell ! said
you naturally had no taste for machin
cry and"
why, the ideal" protested Jen
nings, laying down his paper. "Wher
it comes to that | guess | know as
much about machinery as dozen
Klibbells!"
DO you actually care about en-
gines and things?' asked Mrs. Jen
nings, apparently in great surprise :"
know that If you put your mind to i
you could master them, but thought
autos and engines were not of inter
est to you. Mrs. Klibbell is so ex
cited over theirs, now that they really
own one. It's so funny. That sort O
thing doesn't appeal to me-Im per
fectly content to stay at home. O.
course, if you do own your own ma
chine, | suppose you meet lots o
pleasant people and get out more Blu
! told her | never longed for things
couldn't have and at present W,
should not feel in the least justified il
putting that amount of money int
something just for pleasure, even 1
we really did want a machine. toll
her that | didn't in the least mint
going to the theater on street cars
> She acts now as though she never ha,
! done such a thing in her life and i
so icondescendingly sympathetic will
: me, as though | wanted to be sym
pathized with"
, Il guess my income is as big a
Klibbells," said Jennings, with som
! heat. 81 don't think we are exactl
so poverty-stricken that we couldn
indulge ourselves if we wan
:; ed to! They needn't take that att
tude"
"Oh, it just amused me-" declare
Mrs Jennings Il thought it was ride
ulous. She remarked to-day that Nj
Klibbell was so much more progre.
sive and generous than some me
she could name. OF course, she ma
not have intended it to sound tina
way If you choose to stay home ever
ings and read instead of botherin
with machine and running over PEE
pie it's your right and I'm perfectl
satisfied. 1t just makes me furious t
have people misjudge you! You can
help it II you aren't a natural MI
1 ot NJ. Hl;hhnn hoe hoI la