Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-06-06

Ltl Win al tApNNbSA DoNlNNN'
ooh, lucky woman! Don't let any
heartless man delude you into taking
the fatal step"
Anne Cattle was nothing if not hon.
est. She confessed frankly: Il must
say that nobody has made any violent
efforts TO compel me to. That's why
I'm going to China"
"To China" Mrs. Wellington
gasped, hardly believing her ears.
MY dear! You don't intend to marry
laundryman?
"The idea! I'm going as a mission.
ary."
"A missionary? Why leave Chica.
go?" Mrs Wellington's eye softened
more or less convincingly: ooh, love.
ly! How | should dote upon being a
missionary. l really think that after
get my divorce | might have a try
at it. I had thought of a convent, but
being a missionary must be much
more exciting" She dismissed the
dream with an abrupt shake of the
head. Excuse me, but do you happen
to have any matches?'
Matches! | never carry them!"
"They never have matches in the
womens room, and I've used my last
one"
Miss Cattle took another reef in her
tight lips. do you smoke cigarettes ?"
Mrs. Wellington's echoed disgust
with disgust: "Oh, no, indeed. l loathe
them. l have the most dainty little
cigars. Did you ever try one?"
Miss Cattle stiffened into one excla
nation point: Cigars! Me-"
Mrs Jimmie was so well used TO
being disapproved Of that it never
disturbed her She went on as if tie
face opposite were not alive with hor.
ror: Il should think that cigars might
be a great consolation to lady mis-.
sionary in the long lone hours Of
what do missionaries do when they're
not missionarying?"
THAT depends"
There was something almost spirit.
ual in Mrs. Jimmie's beatific look: Il
can't tell you what consolation my
cigars have given me in my troubles.
Mr.. Wellington objected-but then Mr..
Wellington objected TO nearly every
thing | did. That's why l am forced
to this dreadful step"
"Cigars?"
Divorces"
"Divorces!"
well, this will be only my second
my other was Such nuisance.
got that from Jimmie, too. But it
didn't take. Then we made up and re-
married Rather odd, having a second
honeymoon with ones first husband
But remarriage didn't succeed any
better. Jimmie fell off the water
wagon with an awful splash, and he
quite misunderstood my purely pla-
tonic interest in Sammy Whitcomb, q
nice young fellow with a fool of
wife. Did you ever meet Mrs. Sammy
Whitcomb-no? Oh, but you are
lucky woman! Indeed you are! Well,
when Jimmie got jealous, just gave
him up entirely. I'm running away TO
Reno. | sent note to my husbands
club, saying that | had gone to Europe,
and he needn't try to find me. Poor
fellow, he will. He'll hunt the CONT
nent high and low for me, but all the
while I'll be in Nevada. Rather good
joke on little Jimmie, eh?"
"Excruciating"
''But now l must go. Now ! must
go. I've really become quite addicted
to them"
Divorces ?"
Cigars. Do stay here till I come
back. / have so much to say to YOU"
Miss Cattle shook her head in de-
spair: She could understand a dozen
heather dialects better than the
speech of so utter a foreigner as her
fellow-countrywoman Mrs. Jimmie
fastened away, rather pleased at the
shocks she had administered. She en-
ioyed her own electricity.
In the corridor she administered an
other thrill-this time to a tall young
mana stranger, as alert for Irritation
as weasel for mischief. He huddled
himself and his suitcases into as fiat
a space as possible, murmuring:
These corridors are so narrow,
aren't they?"
Aren't they?" said Mrs. Jimmie.
$50 sorry to trouble YOU"
Don't mention it,"
She passed on, their glances fencing
like playful foils. Then she paused
Excuse me. Could you lend me
match? They never have matches In
the Women's Room"
He succeeded in producing a box
after much shifting of burdens, and he
was rewarded with look and a
phrase:
"You have saved my life."
He started to repeat his Don't
mention it," but it seemed inappropri-
ate, so he said nothing, and she van
ished behind door. He turned away,
saying to himself that it promised to
be pleasant journey. He was halted
by another voice-another woman's
voice:
Pardon me, but is this the car for
Reno?"
He turned to smile, 81 believe sol"
Then his eyes widened as he recog-
nized the speaker.
Mrs. Sammy Whitcomb!"
1t promised to be a curious journey.