The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-30

batter bread being the ordinary appellation Of the
delicious mixture of corn-meal. eggs, soda, and
buttermilk. which formed the main feature of ever~
valley breakfast and supper.
"Yaas, I'll have some of that, too, fer q change
replied Mr.. Mimns. sarcastically, "seein' as thar
amt nothin' else to have, an q man as is BEN
wrastlin' with young steers all the evenin' feels the
need of a leetle somethin' to stay his
"I'm sorry to hear as you've ben havin' trouble
with the young CATTLE" remarked Mrs. Mimms,
politely conversational.
Her husband made no reply, and the conversation
languished. He continued to watch her f~urtively a.
the meal proceeded, marvelling greatly at the change
in her appearance, though, manlike, he could not tell
where the difference was.
II made a diskivery to-day, Syram." said his wife
at length, that you'll be intrusted in" -,
what was it?" demanded her husband, briefly. !
Guess what" said Mrs. Mimms. coquetishly. She
was in further pursuit of the little mysteries de-
tail. as she interpreted it. !
"How kin I tell what it vast" inquired Mr..
Mimms, ~irritably. 1T mout have ben most any thing.
I can't tell what it was"
II found a big wasps' nest up in the front porch
roof" said Mrs. Mimms, with determined sprisht-
illness.
The subject was unfortunate. Mr.. Mimms pushed
back his chair with a harsh, rasping sound. arose In
wrath. and stood towering over her.
what is the matter with you, woman?" he
shouted. whats come over you? Who are you
a-lookin' for, and what in the nation have you got
on your mind?"
His wife looked up into his face with a sweet and
engaging smile. II was only a'lookin' for you,
Syram," she said. demurely.
Now, by all the canons of the Fiyes;de Friend, Mr..
Mimms at this juncture should have begun to act in
a loverlike and afectionate manner. But he didn't.
He stared long, with bullying eyeballs. Then he
turned on his heel and went out.
On the front porch he sat down in the chair lately
occupied by his wife. and leaning over. with his
elbows on his knees. gazed at his feet in deep
thought.
II never would have dremp it" he said at length.
II never would have dremp it! I've always knowed
as how her aunt jimmy went this way, but Sarah's
always ben SO quiet and pcaceable like I've hearn
as how a disappointment or bein' crossed in anything
brings it out, but Sarah is too sensible to take ON
SO bout a leetle thing like that. l hope she amt
- but I've often hearn her tell bout how her uncle
Mace woke up one night an found her aunt jimmy
a-leanin' over him with the cyarvin knife a-screech-
in out somethin' bout KILN hawgs."
Cold sweat suddenly broke out upon the brow OF
Mr.. Mimms. He looked anxiously down the road
to see if he could see anything of old DR.. Lindsay
coming along home on his way to supper, but there
was no one in sight. In the house he could hear
his wife singing as she washed the dishes. and he
noted with increased anxiety that instead OF Here
I'll raise my Ebenezer," as usual. she was humming
something about "Meet me when daylight is fading"
"a ditty he remembered to have heard long years
across the mountain every other Sunday, to keep
comp'ny" with her, much against the wishes of his
parents par u.s.. who 2. wanted him i'm to sh marry 9 sh valley ley girl ill., He :
good and "%biddable" wife to him., and had never
crossed him save in the matter of extravagant no.
tons in the way of dress. which he had been prompt
to curb.
AS he listened anxiously to the sounds in the
house and watched for the doctor. Mr.; Mimms me-
chemically picked up the Fiyeside Friend from where
his wife had dropped it. and idly looked at it. He
disapproved absolutely of the paper as a foolish and
needless expense, but was in the habit of reading it
for two reasons: to be able to quote such portions of
its advice I'd women as seemed to him most ~glaringly
silly, with ~scathing criticisms to his wife, and also to
get e the moneys worth ortiz out + Of ,ra the paper a nc r. reasoned o e.
this than one.
The picture on the front page caught his eye. and
after gazing with disfavor at the %sinapering young
woman he turned half unconsciously to the article.
As he read on, his expression became more fixed.
and presently a look of comprehension began to
preston of extreme relief. After he had read it
through once he turned back to the beginning and
read it again, At the close he laid the paper down
oval. Of all the tarnation fool pieces that ever I
read this beats 'ern." remarked Mr.. Mimms. can
to, think she should have ben actin up to it that
Suddenly a look of noble resolution took posses
sion of his hard countenance. $50 the French hus-
bons, does he? ! wonder what in the nation bon
bons are?' The flowers seemed too frivolous even
for the frivolity OF the occasion. AS he idly paved
the magazine in his consideration of the matter, en-
lightenrnent came to him. On the back cover the
picture of another young lady engaged in eating.
with great apparent relish. a number Of small round
objects from a box labelled "Best Assorted Bon
bons" caught his eye.
"candy!'' he calculated, succinctly. and he seized
his hat and started down towards the village.
When his wife came out on the porch some ten
minutes later. he was just coming up the steps with
a small bullying bag in his hand. 1t was Mrs.
Mimm's turn to stare. Some half a dozen times in
her married life such a bag had been presented to
her, and this limited experience told her-or tried
to tell her, for she was too incredulous to believe it
that the bag contained lemon and peppermint stick
candy.
Here's your bonbons!" said her husband, with
something more of indulgence in his face than it had
worn for twenty. years. can think l can manage
to git that thar dress for you-ef YOU won't make IT
lie cost too much" he added, ~prudently.
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