Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1911-07-07
THE CRACK
OF THE WHIP
Bv SADIE OLCOTT
Copyright by American Press Assoc
riation. Isli
Bs SADIE oLcoT

Neil Walker mao been counting m,
Tor s"ihe time. Dut no IIr"ln>a, came
tine day lie iuld NE where the mitch
was
Amiability.' be said. lis indispen
sabi. IN wife. How can I know De
FORE marriage that you are amiahipy
fou show great deal of good
sense. ] replied. Their. Ia u great
deal In what YOU say. Come and take
up your quarters with US for a mont h.
There you will see me every day aud
ofien when ! am of my guard. /
snail h- compelled to show MY natu.
raj dismsitiuu''
AND as soon az the month Is over
~ viii enter upon that other m0nth
rai'"d the honeymoon he cried enthu-
siasthaiIy. ana. throwing nis arms
around my neck. he covered my face
with kisses.
Now. We women have a way Of do
ing things ny strategy. ! didn't feel
any more fear Of betra ying disagree
able nature with Neil IN the house
than when he came to call on me. I
knew we'll enough that mat rimony IL
different from cOurtship and that when
two people settle down to work 10 d0u.
Die harness. there il going to he a
good deal Of friction. for awhile, at
any rate. thought II a tine cha nee to
let Neil see before marriage that these
frictions are not all the wifes fault
| was especially equipped to do this
Tor my little brother Jack was at
home. and | well knew that II Neil
could stand Jacks antics without ,us.
ing his temper he would he quite able
to stagger under my most giariny
faults.
Nell came and settled himself for
the triai-my trial. He hadn't said
anything about being tried himself,
and didn't tell him that he was to
he under observation. Neil went TO
business In the morning. returning
about In the afternoon. Jack took
him In charge as soon az he arrived.
Neil tried to get rid OF him. but Jack
stuck like a ieech. Neil would he re,,d.
Ing poetry to me In the garden Jack
would come up behind nim ana with a
stick and horses hair aud tiny ball
OF paper would make him think that
a bumbiebee was lighting on his nose
Jack sneaked into Seil's room and
filed his underclothing ton the inside,
with burs. Neil got the clothing ON.
then had to take II on again and was
half an hour picking out the burs.
He was late to business that day and
came home In very bad humor.
by such innocent juvenile express
siOns Of a chiids nature did Jack In.
grattate himself into Neil's disfav Or
Neil remarked THAT the boy had been
very badly brought up. whereupOu /
simply said thar It was evident he
didn't like children. To me these little
FRANKS were delightful. Neil satd that.
the bOy being my brother. l was doubt.
less used to him.
Jack during this prepare ton for
honeymoon found hoy ne would
rather play with than annoy Neil. so
! was obliged to brihe my brOt her with
candy every day and the promise of n
football at the end OF the season tn
keep him at home during this test Of
my disposition. Besides. l was obliged
to cOnjure up methods for harassing
my lover and suggesting them 10 the
dear boy. When Neil was snO0zing
Jack poured sand in his ear Then
Jack would steal up behind Neil and
slip a small piece OF Ice down his
back under his clothing. And one day
when Neil aud were walking over
the lawn together Jack. who was
watering the grass with the hose.
turned II on my companion and
drenched him.
This WAS the climax of a long term
of annOyances. ana Neil could not nave
Kept his equanimity any longer unless
he had been descended from the
angels. He broke loose III a profusiOn
Of Bible quotations IN which the word
''damnattOn" occurred oftenest. Then
he ran after Jack. vowtng that ne
would knock every bit Ut spirit out of
bis villaInoIs little body.
"Mr. Walker" ! exclaimed severely,
how can you speak 50 OF the dear
chlldw
'Child!" be cried. 'Hellion. ratherw
mir. Walker" / continued In q Dig.
nitied tone. 'r am disappointed sup
posed that your disposition was as |
gentle az lambs. find that you are |
easily angerpd and when angered not |
)nly fierce. but vindictive. How fortu- |
nate thar | should nave discovered the |
true acerbity OF your makeup. Our
engagement IN at al end. Had I mar
Red a man with such a temper 1
should have looked forward to the
rest VI my life with horror"
These last words We're the same IA
ne had used to me. out Ne didn q.
member them.
AND mad | married you ne re
oried. forgetting himself III new
,urst OF anger. "on- IN whose VEINS
lows the blood OF that little viper, 4
| walked straight into the house and
Ihut the door after me.
Where ne stayed that nighr ! didn't
Know. but the next morning he came
o me ana on Bonded knee lpegged me TO
Orgiye him. ! asked bim II he wished
o test my disposition any further. and
lie said he was quite satisfied with Il.
Then I forgave him.