The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-01-27
some GOOD ADVICE
ALL AROUND
ny n. QUAD.

sever made Q mistake. but you can
deubt bin word. u ~ hadn't On this
night Mr.. Bradshaw and Mrs Dins.
more wouldn't have found themselves
side By side In an asso. and Mr.. Dins-
more and Mrs. Bradshaw wouldn't
have taken the same cab. Mr.. and
Nrs. Bradshaw had bad something Of
q misunderstanding before leaving
home. and during the performance at
the theater he had made Up his mind
TO say things on the way home.
For ave minutes the woman beside
him ignored his existence. She was
still In the sulks, and she might have
continued to ignore had not Mr.. Brad
shaw suddenly uttered q swear word
and announced to the chauffeur that
mistake had been made. Mrs. Dins-
more gasped and uttered a little
scream at the announcement, but did
not lose her self possession. For three
long hours she had been thinking how
she would like to lacerate the feelings
of some man, and she said:
"Tm going to ask you how you use
your wife,"
MADAM, isn't that rather a singular
question r. he replied.
you may think SO. but I'm some
thing of reader Of character. II you
are not one of the bossy kind around
your house then I'm much mistaken.
think you are also selfish and con-
ceited. You were at the theater with
your wife. I'll wager that you gave
her to understand that 1t was mag
unanimous concession on your part.
You'll expect her to sit with freezing
feet and save a ton Of coal the next
week to make even. Oh, / know your
sort. II you weren't so self important
you'd have never made this mistake.
You thought you owned the only auto
In town and that this must be yours
because 1t drove up to the curb. There
II feel better, and you can take me
home. I am Mrs. Dinsmore of 342 Ma
pie avenue"
"Yes," said Mr.. Bradshaw as he
headed the machine In that direction.
ut 80 happens that know your hus-
band. know that he Ii hard up and
on the point Of failure, and ! have
heard a dozen people say that 1t is on
account Of your extravaganza. Don't
interrupt me. but you are living in a
too expensive house. Your wardrobe
costs too much. You keep too many
servants. Your husband is afraid of
you and dare not hint at retrench-
ment. You are wearing diamonds
now that will be in the hands Of his
creditors In less than three months
II you don't hold up. Here is Maple
avenue, and here's No. 342. and there's
your husband and my wife waiting for
u.s."
On leaving the theater and finding
themselves In the same cab Mr. Dins-
more and Mrs. Bradshaw discovered the
mistake by the time the driver had
Travelled a block. The vehicle was or
dered to set them down on Maple ave-
nue.. and they had been waiting there
half an hour when the others drove
up. Meanwhile they had been talking.
"Oh. SO you are Mr.. Dinsmore?" re-
peated Mrs Bradshaw. i have heard
Of your wife"
"Yes2"
"She goes Into society a good deal"
"Yes," was the reply, accompanied
by long drawn sigh.
That sigh caught Mrs. Bradshaw.
She was a Sympathetic woman by ma
ture, and she had lust witnessed an
emotional play and was more sympa-
thetic than usual. Besides. she had
heard about Mrs. Dinsmore's extrava-
gance Therefore, weakened and hum
BILE minded as she was in the presence
Of the overshadowing Mr.. Bradshaw,
she plucked up courage to say:
"Mr. Dinsmore. am very. very sorry
for you, but yet 1t Is our own fault In
way"
Just what do you refer TOT"
ITO your wife, of course. Why don't
you stand right up and tell her she
can't have this and thatf She may
have temper. but frmness would con-
quer that. She may threaten divorce,
but pay no attention to that. That Is
a woman's bluff. don't think It too
late to begin now. but you have got to
make up your mind to be nrm."
II see." said Mr.. Dinsmore, who
hadn't interrupted her speech by rails
ing SO much as a finger. MRS. Brad
shaw. 1t happens. queerly enough. that
also know something about your
family matters. You are a servile, su-
pine wife. You don't dare to call your
soul your own. You are bossed and
bulldozed. Your husband makes you
efface yourself like a servant. While
he belongs to three or four expensive
clubs. buys the best wines and cigars
and has an auto for his special ben
Rft. you are squeezing the pennies and
nreading the gas bills. Why do you
DO it? Why don't you get up and as
sert yourself?"
Mrs. Bradshaw was gasping for
breath when the other vehicle drove
up, and the four saluted each other.
After a moment the men stepped aside
a bit to explain to each other how the
mistake must have come about, and
their wives did the same. having been
introduced.
"Dinsmore," whispered Bradshaw,
''your wife has given me an internal
wigging."
Ditto" replied Dinsmore.
"Mrs. Dinsmore," whispered the 9th
| or lady. "your husband has given me