The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-09-20
Ie Cot a.
Chance

Dillmere has q tender heart and an
impresstonable mind. Not only does
b sorrow over troubles visible. but
being blessed with an imagination, he
suffers over those concealed from or
binary mortals. When It comes ia
reading. Dillmere. because Of his tenn
permanent. should select something
soothing and mild. It was q malig
nant fate that led him into the snare
Of the book agent who was selling
: The Worlds Greatest Crimes" at re
duced rates and In an attractive cloth
binding.
I When Dillmere reached homo that
night he found his wife waiting fol
him. She was pointing to the opened
bundle Of books much as one Of q re
aned disposition might point at a viper
pr q dynamite bomb.
What on EARTH" she began q,
once. do you mean by buying that
stun. James Dillmere? Why, II
caught Jimmy with volume Of crime,
IN his hand"
you aren't going to-" said Dillmere
They are not for Jimmy's youthful
Intelligence. A mature mind can read
without harm shout deeds Of VIC
hence-"
That book agent must have been q
good talker." said Mrs. Dillmere
grfmly. you'll have to keep those
books on your closet shelf or Johnny
!tand don't see. anyhow. why on
earth you should want to read such
things when there are 30 many nice
books"
I'm tired of nice books" said Dill
pere recklesly. 1--WE had a surfeit Of
recipes for tatting ana prescriptions
for making china cabinet out of q
packing box. My mind needs stimu,
Eating. Anyhow. 1t is a matter of edu,
cation. I am ashamed to be ignorant
Of what has happened in the world =
After dinner Dillmere retired into
the fastness of an easy chair with his
books and promptly was lost to his
family.
"H'm!" coughed Mrs. Dillmere al
last in desperation, II looked at new
coats for Johnny today"
!, Silence.
"H'm!" began she again. "Grace
telephoned that her uncle was dead.
I wonder If he left anything? She's
always expected that he would"
! Silence.
Mrs. Dillmere looked at her husband.
His eyes were popping out of his head
and he breathed deeply. James," she
proceeded in conversational voice,
the bank failed today. Your father
murdered your mother. I fell down.
stairs and broke my neck!"
, "Um!" answered James vacantly.
: Mrs. Dillmere rose and swept the
book from his hands.
!: ''Why don't you listen to met" she
demanded.
"Whew!" breathed her husband,
;"They were going some in the middle
agesl If you didn't like a fellow you
just put cold poison in his tea and Il
he wouldn't drink it you choked him
till he did! Nobody seemed to mind
wholesale slaughter If you had money
enough to awe the populace! It must
have been f1erce!"
: That night Mrs. Dillmere woke up
to find her husband pacing the floor.
!: Somehow" he said, II can't sleep.
Are you sure the back basement win
dows are locked? I thought heard
some one on the basement stairs a
little while ago, I don't see what is to
prevent burglar from walking in at
the open bedroom windows from the
room. There! Did you hear that?"
It's that book you were reading!"
declared Mrs. Dillmere. Go to bed!r
/, Dillmere persisted in reading the
books. Occasionally when the hor
rors grew too great for him to bear
alone he related them to his wife
after Johnny had gone to bed.
II don't see how they earned a liv.
ing in those days." Dillmere said one
evening. "After every fellow got
through his daily stunt Of poisoning a
few relatives, beheading whole vii.
lage, robbing cathedrals and burning
up castles he naturally would not have
much energy left for the milder purl
suits Of life." !.
Mrs. Dillmere woke that night to find
the lights turned on and Dillmera
perched on q chair endeavoring ia
climb the wall.
"Jamesi" she shrieked.
"Hush!" said James impatiently
I'm escaping. II get to the top 81
this wall and drop into the moat be,
low Caesar Borgia and his minions
cannot find me to make me drink the
poison! They are burning up the bod,
les Of the people whose heads they
have chopped OF. but I'll have ia
hurry" 4
A little later. while be mopped the
cold water from his person-for his
wife's aim at his head with the tum.
bier Of water had not been good owing
% her Observation-Disclosures demand,
ID: What's the use Of raising such Z
'ow? Wh-what did you try to drown
no for!''
Because I didn't want you to 20
through the roof IN your pajamas." re-
1lied his wife aternly. ssyamos mn