St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-12-03

more to do with men,, she complained
bitterly. "The very brazenness of that
Emery Jarvis-to say that normal
minded girl shouldn't take such things
amiss. I'm sure no girl with common
sense would allow her fance to act in
that scandalous manner Anyway, I'm
glad it's all over" To prove this,
Ethel burst into convulsive sobs and
hid a flushed and tear-wet face in a
convenient pillow.
Weeks passed, but the two erst-
while lovers seemed hopelessly es-
tranged. Ethel made no attempt to
salve the wound caused by her letter,
nor did Jarvis try to explain away the
misunderstanding.
Gradually the gossips in the little
town-and there were many-grew &C.
customed to the new order of things.
and everybody ceased to interest
themselves in the affairs of the young
couple.
1t was a month after this that old
Pollit Che was portly butcher, own
ing the meat shop next to the drug
emporium) ventured to incorporate
something of a remark that caught
the youths puzzled interest.
What was that?" demanded Jarvis,
ears metaphorically a-cock. "Just re-
peat that last sentence" IT,
II said," came from the butcher,
that that there book I've been read
ing-Dr Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde'-re-
minds me of your doings." He poked
pudgy forefinger playfully into the
ribs of the youth.
You'll have to be more explicit"
snapped the drug clerk. Il can't un-
derstand. What are you driving at?"
Cant understand, eh?" commented
the other, sourly. He was angry at
the tone of the lad. well, guess
can put 1t palmer, all right. I mean
that you tried to play double just like
that Jekyll-Hyde Teller did. Every
evening after you called on the girl
you was engaged to, you went straight
to the house of old Doc. Blyly to see
his daughter. My wife she seen you
do it time and again, she did"
The dull red stained the face of the
angry butcher. She's the one that
put crimp in you, too. Ethel Muir
ray Is too fine girl to be galavanting
around with a young fellow that she
thinks thinks a heap Of her, and all
the while he don't, but is making her
out fool by sneaking away from her
house to call on another girl"
$50 it was your wife that caused
this trouble between Ethel and me,
was It? Pity she can't learn to attend
to her own affairs, isn't it?"
The butcher. his mind relieved.
stamped heavily out of the drug store,
but he left a knowing youth behind
him. Mrs. Pollit was a gossip monger
of some notoriety in the community.
She resided just opposite the Blyly
home, and now that the i.ate meat
man had given him his cue, Jarvis
could understand many things.
That evening, his heavy jaws set
firmly and his broad shoulders thrown
defiantly back, the drug clerk mount
ed the steps to the Murray home and
rang the bell.
Ethel answered the summons. An
angry flush dotted her cheeks when
she saw who her visitor was, but EN-
DRY ignored these trouble signs, and
pushed by her and into the familiar
parlor.
II am here to explain" began Jar
Wis. Mrs. Pollet's loquacious hus-
band has just told things. and I
think I understand"
II don't care for explanation" in
terrupted little Miss Murray formally.
Nevertheless" persisted Jarvis, pa
tiently, "you are about to receive
them. Listen, dear, l have never
called on Millie Blyly in my life-let
alone after left here. When you re-
ferred to the skeleton in my closet,
took the phrase literally. There is a
skeleton in my closet-a six-foot skel-
eton of a man that DR.. Blyly loaned
me to aid me in my studies, because
we'll, I'm studying medicine with him,
you see. / don't want to be drug
clerk all my life. L"
But here his late fiancee, face
asmile, interrupted his sentence in a
very pleasing way.