The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1911-09-14
Be4uty
Adorned

Mrs. Joyce gazed persistently out OF
the car window.
She's mad as hornet" Joyce told
himself. But he could not think what
he had done to produce the gathering
storm.
They had been in the park and
there had enjoyed themselves like q
couple OF children playing truant.
Everything had been merry until just
before they took the car for home.
Then Mrs. Joyce had suddenly froze
up. Joyce had made numerous efforts
to thaW her out, but he had met with
no encouraging signs of success. He
decided to try again.
You don't know how much prettier
you are when you smile he said With
a labored attempt at joke
Silence greeted this remark.
DO you know you have, two deep
wrinkles when you frown like that?'
he asked.
A whitening glance was the only
Acknowledgements of this remark.
I'll say make If you will say
up" Joyce tried again.
Mrs. Joyce gave not the slightest in
dication that she meant to say up or
anything else. Joyce surrendered and
went to reading an evening newspape!
which he drew from his pocket.
Frboxv roG1 ~ox,aro1 hlOoLc with No
change In their attitude. Then Mrs.
Joyce, glancing out of the window on
the opposite side from her and Incl
IDENTIFY stealing look at her husband,
was dumfounded to find him deeply
immersed in his newspaper. That he
should calmly read when she was
angry and had refused to become
reconciled was an unheard of thing in
their lives 1t did not reduce her orig
inal disp'easure any degree.
She stood it as long as she could,
then she burst out: Il wish you would
not sprawl all over the seat that
way!"
"Eh?" said Joyce, who was not as
deeply interested in what he was
reading as a casual observer might
have imagined.
Il said / wish you would sit up In
your seat and not crowd me So" Mrs
Joyces voice was as cool and tinkling
as ice.
Joyce moved over and gave her
half of his third of the seat. Then she
exclaimed: Its the last time I'll
come to the park with you, staring at
strange women as you were and hu
initiating mel"
Doing what?" asked Joyce, genu
inely surprised.
Nov, that's right; pretend you
don't know what | mean You know
you stared at that blonde woman In
blue till she grinned right in my
facet
Esther, what In the name OF Moses
are you talking about?''
"Oh, you know as well as do,
responded Mrs. Joyce.
q certainly do not. But If you
think / was staring or even looking
at some othe.' woman you are much
mistaken" Joyce knew from expert
ence just the kind of time he would
have if this thing was allowed to run
on.
Louis Joyce, do you mean to tell
me that you did not stare at that fat
blonde with the blue hobble and the
French heeled pumps and the low
neck that she ought to be ashamed
to wear even in ballroom? Now
don't tell me you did not see her, for
] saw you looking right at her"
Joyce had seen her and she did
not exactly fit his wife's description
but he felt that he must settle this
matter at once.
"Oh," he said. do you mean that
fat, red-headed woman with the three
chins and the duck waddle? Of course
I saw her. but | never thought. you
would accuse me of staring at a
woman like that. Gee whites! A
fellow couldn't any more help seeing
her than he could the elephant in a
circus parade Take it from me,
nave liz uCOll y " 0tdiS o. OIIS1 WIN
en- when / have the prettiest little
woman in the park right beside me
Why, Esther. you really wound me
sometimes, IL hardly know what tc
say"
WELL" said Mrs. Joyce, on the de-
fensive, "she thought yo. were look
ing at her and that kind of woman
always thinks she can get any mans
admiration"
she does, does she? Well. she's
got several more thinks! have
right here a little woman that has
all the blondes from here to Helena
faded to a fragile. :" Joyce beamed
on his wife.
Mrs. Joyce smiled and pulled her
skirts closer to her as she said: q
/ wish you wouldn't sit so far out In
the aisle. You look awfully uncom-
Portable tina. way"
Several davs later Joyce was hold.