Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-01-05
SHE WAS.
SURPRISED.


settings the library looked precisely
like magazine illustration of a hap
Ply 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 CT
CARS; 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 I'm 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. at certainly isl"
I'm sure" pursued Mrs. Jennings
with pretty frown of horror. chat
don't know what l should do if you
were like Mr. KlibbelI!"
! whats Klibbell done?" inquired
her husband, with some interest. "He
always seemed a pretty nice sort"
FOh, I 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! l guess l ought to know, be-
cause I'm pretty well satisfied with
| my own husband. Not that l want to
fatter you, Henry; but there aren't
many men like you! Why, Mr.. Klib-
bell hasn't done anything ydisgraceful
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
Il was talking to Mrs. KIibbell to-
day." she went on "She asked if you
and didn't want to join an automo-
bile crowd tonight for a ride and sup
per some place, but I declined. 1 said
you didn't care for such things, and I
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
things. That's what l told Mrs. Klib-
bell. I said my husband was a man
who preferred staying home with. his
family and improving his mind. OF
course, 1 explained that Ismeant no
reflection on Mr. Klibbell 1 said
you naturally had no taste for machin-
cry and" suaT aus.
''Why, the ideal" protested Jen-
nings, laying down his paper. when
it comes to that. guess I know as
much about machinery as a dozen
,Klibbellsi"
do you actually care about en-
gines and things? ?" asked Mrs. Jen-
nings, apparently in great surprise. 81
know that if you put your mind to it
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 of
thing doesn't appeal to me-Tm per-
fectly content to stay at home. Of
course, if you do own your own ma
chine, I suppose you meet lots of
pleasant people and get out more. But
told her / never longed for thing
couldn't have and at present we
should not feel in the least justified in
putting that amount of money into
something just for pleasure, even if
we really did want a machine. 1 told
her that 1 didn't in the least mind
going to the theater on street cars.
She acts now as though she never had
done such thing in1Sher life and is
so condescendingly sympathetic with
me, as though 1 wanted to be SYM
pathized with"
81 guess my income is as big as
Klibbell's," said Jennings, with some
heat. 81 don't think we are exactly
so poverty-stricken that we couldn't
indulge r ourselves If we want
ed to! They needn't take that atti-
tude."
ooh, it just amused mel" declared
Mrs. Jennings. 81 thought it was ridic-
ulous. She remarked to-day that Mr..
Klibbell was so much more progress
sive and generous than some men
she could name. Of course, she may
not have intended it to sound that
way. If you choose to stay home even
ings and read instead of Dothering
with a machine and running over PEG
pie it's your right and I'm perfectly
satisfied. It just makes me furious to
have people misjudge you! You can't
helm il If Won aren't a natural nc