New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-16

M ominously as he closed the front
w door behind him that afternoon
"rrn ready to begin
"pegin2" echoed Mrs. J.. so at loss AZ 10
81. ,ooar,ne that she overlooked the Gus
tonary salutation. Begin what Hoi''e'
Mr.. ]. simply stared at her
"Regin-what?' he exclaimed S'"i''
Well If that isn't just like woman you
can shoot me Here ! hurry homs ZOO
tho bank this afternoon to fix thosS ou'''
ard ends around the house you've oeen
hother,ng me about ali week and you ASK
mo what I've come home TO do Ihey
can't be very urgent after ALL despite 'he
way you've been after me about theh si"oe
Monday morning
Of course Mrs. J. could have developed
NICE fat argument right then ana there'
Rut she chose to decline 1t. Instead she
began to laugh
"you poor boy! 1t certainly must ne
ho, outside TO nut you IN such an amiable
mood OF course they are important Ana
hard't forgotten them for minute Now
old Crouch. if ] wanted TO be real nasty
might make some remark to the erect
that I've waited so long for you 10 TX theih
that almost tainted from shock when you
actually appeared on the scene armed Ior
the fray. | might say that, mightnt 1!
PM I'm not going to do 1t, for I'm simply
ovcrfcyed that you're ready to begin rake
off your coat first my dear, and rest
vhil,-and let me make you some lced
tea"
No-Mr ]. did not care for iced tea, but
he was decidedly Modified at this.
",Iow. let's begin right away. Blossom,
no insisted, and get 1t all finished at one
crack. Tell me everything you want done
one thing at a time-and I'll soon wipe
them off the slate. Where's the hammer
and the screwdriver and some nails
Where was the hammer? oh. yes, In the
nantrv. TO be sure. No? That was strange,
she remembered seeing 1t there several days
ago. Where could it be? Here-here IN
the dining room on the sideboard. How IN
the world could il ever have got there?
How Oh. yes; Mr.. J. remembered leav-
ing II there last evening after he had
cracked some ice for the lemonade.
Well. the screwdriVer and the nails?
Tho former was in the sewing room. and.
NJ course Mrs. Justwed ran all the way up
stairs after IT,
The nails? There weren't any-except
IN some old boxes in the cellar! Well. for
goodness sake! How could a man be fx-
necte1 10 do anything II he had TO stop
every other minute and pun nail out OF
an old box before using II
Finally, however. Mrs. j. had fetched and
toted every one Of a dozen and one things
Mr. j. desired And he set to work on the
bolt on the back gate. A couple OF screws,
a turn or two, and-presto-it was fixed !!
Really. Homer dear began to feel proud OF
himself
A new washer was put on the hose; a
gas Jet that turned hard" was properly
adjusted and an old box-ane OF the afore-
said old boxes in the cellar. mind YOU
nailed under the front porch as repository
for the empty milk bottles each evening.
Then, being among the boxes be II noted.
Mr. Justwed had an idea
Look here. Blossom" he exclaimed with
enthusiasm as he picked up one OF the
boxes. ITS shame TO let these go TO
waste. Why-I have it--why not make
flower boxes out OF them for the windows
and the porch And we can paint them
green and have fresh flowers all summer ="
Fine !" agreed Mrs ]. promptly. "Why,
that will be too lovely for anything Ho-
ner They'll be simply delightful In the
evening. won't they? And we might as
well fix everything as attractively as we
san-,silcs We aren't going out to MSyI