The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-04-12
Their Marrow
Escapes

AILC IN otAOlo "a WV Aa"A
was looking pale. Il was to. meet my
wife's cousin downtown to buy a pres.
ent for my wife, and, of course, she
was late. l got tired standing in the
store entrance, where we were to ind
each other. so ! started down the
street to meet her. In the crowd / saw
her coming and she was at her old
Understanding her handbag tucked
,carelessly under n arm, ready to
tumble out or be grabbed.
keeping my eye on the bag. l re-
solved to give Emma the jolt of her
life and scare her into a fit of com.
mon sense. Just as ! got in front of
her | reached out and took the hand
bag. Then | Looked at her triumphant
ly, copdescendinsyly, accusingly. At
least. I started oLt with the intention
Of crushing her with that sort OF a
gaze, but l never completed it, because
we'll, you see, it wasn't emma.
ut was, however, a perfectly good
imitation of her and she was both
scared to death, hopping mad and
ready for Mysteries. There was one
awful second when she opened her
lips to scream and at that Instant the
crossing policeman looked ten feet
high to me and fierce in proportion.
In the last panic OF desperation l
grabbed her arm so hard that it hurt
her so she couldn't yell and pleaded
for my life. | gasped IL that it was
y mistake and she Indignantly as
sured me it certainly was, the biggest
mistake of my life, but that that was
what they all said when they got
caught.
81 assured her that I thought she
was my Cousin Emma and she looked
at me scornfuliy. She was beginning
TO get back her breath and her cour-
age. She said no doubt Cousin Elnma
was a most estimable person, but she
didn't thank me for taking her for The
cousin of a ~pickpocket and opened her
mouth again to scream. think l
shook her then-at any rate, hcr
scream was LOST. I never before talk.
cd so fast in my life Or so much. 1t
was like having three seconds before
the drop was sprung to say all l
NeAlCO LV SaJ- 1 Olu iiSt IL! '''' i!J
great-grandfather who was in NC Rev.
'olutionary war and the new il0nsc T.
was building and how respecta3'" TIC
club We're to which l beloy 80! and
how | had credit at all the stofes.
Either l led her to think I was iI-
gaze reused a spark OF humanity in
her, because by the time the crowd
had drawn the policeman to us she
quite snapped at him and told him
nothing was the trouble and to so
back to waving his hand at automo.
'biles and let her manage her w a.
,airs. Anyhow, she let me sink
away without raising any row. I'm
still shaking!"
II expect She didn't mind SO much,
because she'd spent all her money for
Christmas, and there wasn't anything
in the pocket book" said one of the
other men. I'm not precisely breath
less over your very narrow escape,
because I had one that was so
couldn't a blind man with his head
IN a sack tell from one brief glance
at me that l am a respectable, strait.
laced family man? Could any M eve
mistake me for a gay and r%oistering
blade, or does any one exist who would
dream of accusing me of flirting?
well, the other night I was taking
my wife and Jones' wife downtown to
dinner. Jones was to join us at the
cafe. l stopped to buy a paper and the
women walked IN ahead. 1t was ter,
ribly crowded on the streets that time
Of the evening, and my wife is so used
to being looked after that 1 was
afraid she would walk under an auto.
mobile or sit down and rest on the
car tracks or something, so l tore after
them. I caught up just as my wife
stepped off the sidewalk to the cross.
ing. Slipping my hand under her ell.
bow, l leaned owe close and said dis.
t1nctly-oh, most distinctly-'Be care.
full, dearie. about crossing the
street,"
Wasn't it your wife?"
"Of course mott" shouted the man
who vas telling the story. ITS never
your wife in situation like that!
q "Say. the things that woman said
20 me then and there! The memory OF
them wakes me up in the night and
they make frescoes all over any wall
look At! What did l do? What can
= man do when a woman possessing
q fine and fluent command of English
and plenty Of time starts in to relate
her opinion Of him to his face? I
Gasped like a goldfish on land and
turned pea green and maybe l got
down on my knees to her and prayed
Pm not sure.
my wife and Mrs. Jones were a
block ahead and I was glad they were,
because my wife is-er-excitable.
didn't want to have to explain to her,
toe.
Nothing on this earth would have