The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-03-18
In the Interest
Of [ ruth

His wife having been called to the
telephone, Ryder heard her say: Hell
10! Yes. Oh, hello. Marion What
did you say? am awfully sorry, Mar
ion. because I'd like to ever so much,
but Walter and I are going out this
evening. You know you would be per-
fectly welcome to it If I wasn't going
to wear it myself. Good-by''
I'd like to know where you and /
are going this evening"" said Ryder
when his wife had hung up the tele-
phone receiver.
i don't know that we are going
anywhere" said his wife, but I'm just
not going to lend Marion Marsh my
beautiful white hat. She is so care
less with everything she wears, and,
besides, | think she has lot Of as
surance to try to borrow that hat
when the weather is SO threatening"
Well, then growled Ryder. why
didn't you tell her the truth? The
way you women hand sugared false
hoods to each other is a fright, Hon
esty is always the best policy, and,
anyway, it's ever so much simpler.
You'd never find man lying or beat
ing about the bush in a case of that
Kind. He'd just give the other fellow
20 understand that he did as he
pleased with his own things"
Ear be it from me to undermine
masculine honesty, said his wife,
"but that sort of treatment just
wouldn't do with women. So be good
enough to let me tell my taradiddles
in order to keep myself popular
Ryder grinned. All right said
he. But don't overdo it. Now, this
is the first Saturday afternoon i've
had to myself in six weeks and I'm
going down to the basement and I'm
ish those book shelves. Remember,
my dear, that If anybody calls to see
me I'm not at home"
Mrs. Ryder smiled in her turn IAN
to tell your falsehoods as we'll as my
own?" she asked.
But Ryder did not hear.
Ten minutes later she went to the
head Of the basement stairs and called
down, You're wanted at the phone,
Walter"
Soon she was listening to this con
versation: I'm awfully sorry, old
man, but the fact is that I am suffer
Ing from a sort Of g1ippy cold and
don't think I'd better make that trip
with you today Some other time I'll
be glad to go out there with YOU
Why, Walter, I had no idea that
you were threatened with the grip, !"
said Mrs. Ryder sWeet1y as Ryder
started back to the basement.
oh, I'm not, seriously" said Ryder
rather sheepishly, but, you see, / had
promised Hughes to go out with him
to look at lot which he thinks OF
buying. It's somewhere out In May
wood and it would take the whole aft
ernoon to make the journey and I'm
going to finish those shelves today or
break a leg.
The merry sounds that rose present
" from Ryder's workshop Indicated a.
clear conscience and good progress.
However, it was not very long before
he was called to the telephone again.
This time Mrs. Ryder was RECALLED
with the following:
I'm sorry, George, but had an ac-
cident-broke the handle OF my plane
the other day and haven't had time
to go around to the store and get a
new one. It's shame that I can't
help you out. / hope you'll be able to
manage somehow"
why, Walter, have you broken your
beautiful new planet" asked Mrs.
Ryder, with exaggerated solicitude.
mo I haven't" said Ryder shortly,
"but surely you wouldn't expect me to
lend that fellow Burkins an expensive
tool, would you? He's as clumsy as
an OK. Why, he'd be as likely to
plane nails with it as not. Still, he'd
be sore if / refused him. I was a
chump to show my plane to him the
other evening when he was down
there looking over my work bench
ooh, that's all right said Mrs. Ry-
der, demurely, abut thought you men
studious1y refrained from prevarica-
ton In all your dealings with one an
other
'eWell, guess you've got me- said
Ryder. ''And as one prevaricator is
about all any well regulated family
can stand I'll do the proper thing and
save, you from telling what isn't so.
Now, if you'll manage to arrange an
early dinner I'll give you a chance to
wear that white hat, for We'll go down
town and spend the evening at the
theater,'
The Gold Crop.