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

Social Career
Mrs. Trumbull's social aspirations
were, as a rule, the source Of much.
fiippant Joy to her husband. It was
only when Trumbulls himself was
called upon to shine at dinner parties
or disport, in drawing rooms that he
ceased to consider in the light OF a.
joke his wife's desire to set her small.
feet firmly upon the next higher rupg'
Of the ladder.
The cream of.sthe joke looked to him
particularly pale and blue the evening
she announced triumphantly that Mrs.
Fulton. the one wealthy wonan Of
their acquaintance. had invited the
Trumbulls to sit in her box at the
opera the following Thursday evening.
"I'm perfectly willing for you to
spend your nightsgsand Sundays pursl-
ing the a%ristocracy to its lair" pro-
tested Trumbull, .'but you know I'm
not a parlor pet. I'm all right as a
means of support, but I'm sure to
! make a donkey of myself if ] try to do
the society act. Can't you go alone?"
Mrs. Trumbull set her lips. "That
would be impossible" she said. "But,
Of course, if you don't want to go 1
n k111 Rfrc EN,,1+or +hot y0,,E haJyn -
business engagement that will prevent
our going." !
It was not until her lips began. to
CULVER. that Trumbull. realized how
much it meant to her. He promised
i, to go.
/ The night of the theater party the
weather turned cold. Trumbull, in
blissful forgetfulncss of the festivity,
entered the house in a whirl of snow
and icy wind.
els that you, dear?" cried Mrs.
Trumbull from upstairs, where she
was %futtering about getting Trum-
bulls evening regalia ready for him
to- put on.
"Yep," responded Trumbull, follow.
ing the sound Of her voice up the
stairs.
His face fell when he saw the
clothes lying on the bed. "Oh!" he
calculated in a voice from which all
Joy had fed. I'D forgotten this al
the evening of the blowout" He shiv-
cred audibly. Its an awful night.
Mrs. Trumbull tripped owe to the
dresser. and began a search for his
tie. e" ordered a taxi,Y' she said,
cheerily. Its to be here promptly
at a quarter to eight"
In the taxicab Mrs. Trumbull
looked at her husband in u%ndisguised
satisfaction.
You'll be the best looking man
there" she purred. Il don't care il
Mr.. Fulton,s ancestors did come over
with the pilgrim fathers and If they
do have a butler and five maids and
a governess, he's nothing but a little,
dned-up shrimp. Anybody seeing you
two together won't hesitate a minute
about selecting you as the one with
the money"
The spontaneity Of this wifely trib.
| ute pleased Trumbull. He even grew
less sleepy under the e%nlivening influ-
ence of her honeyed words. How
| ever, this didn't prevent his having q
heeting wish as he seated himself in.
the chair just behind his hostess that
he had had another strong cup of cof-
fee. OF course he wasn't really
sleepy, but a cold wind always gave
him o queer feeling. !
Mrs. Trumbull, glancing at his big,
well-groemed figure and his clever,
| good-natured face, and now and then
catching the low, well-bred tones Of
his voice. felt that it would take very
little more to make her sinfully proud
of him. Every interested glance cast
up from the seats below them sent a
separate thrill of delight through her.
She was fairly radiant.
When the first act was aboutahaf
over her satisfaction vas dispelled$ by
All all too familiar sound. She cast q,
terrified glance toward the rear Of the
box. What she saw caused her to start
wildly to her feet. Too late!
Trumbull's head had fallen to one
side, his eyes we're closed. his mouth
was open. a sound closely resembling
the distant .rumbling Of . railroad
train came from his parted lips. From
a rumble it.quickly grew into q very
good kmitatiOn Of an automobile horn.