The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1912-10-17
What
Happened
Then

ana eOuS iulO the uiHlUB room sal
down at the table where dinner was
already waiting. Mrs. Jones eyed him
hopefully as she ladled out the soup
but he said nothing.
1t had been rather a stressful day
down at the Office and he felt like
nothing so much as simply being
quiet, saying nothing to any one and
having no one to say anything to him.
Consequently he silently propped the
evening paper against the sugar bowl
and continued reading the column of
Wall street gossip about Hartman
gobbling another railroad
Mrs. Jones stood the strain Of ST.
lence as long as she could and then
burst forth desperately: 'Well, what's
new down town."
Nothing much" said Jones auto
matically
Have good day down at the Of
fice?"
ooh. about as usual" answered
Jones.
"Has Brown been giving you any
more trouble?"
Nope" he grunted shortly.
How does your new stenographer
get on?"
There was no hidden trap in this
question, no secret jealousy concealed.
Jones's new stenographer was an
elderly maiden who wore spectacles
and goloshes and Mrs Joness mind
was perfectly serene regarding her.
Jaw RI" responded Jones between
mouthfuls.
II believe you'll like her much bet
had" said Mrs. Jones. "She seems
sensible and respectful-quite differ
ent from that fuffy-haired thing who
always looked at me so critically
whenever l came down to the Office
| fairly detested her, the little ninnyl"
Mr.. Jones stirred uneasily but made
no reply, and after pause Mrs Jones
said: How much does that clerk she
married get?"
Nov. see here, Maria" said her
husband. looking up impatiently
Cant you see I'm reading? How can
| tell whether it's Hartman or Bat
Ting Nelson I'm reading about when
you keep firing a question into me ev-
cry two seconds?"
Seeing that it was useless to try
to make him talk, Mrs Jones decided
to do the next best thing-talk her.
self.
THAT Mrs. Bowman who's moved
into the fiat overhead was down again
today" she began. do you know,
Henry, hate to say it. and of course
It's no business of mine, and for all
l know she may have taken it as
medicine, but I was almost certain
caught the smell of whisky on her
breath | wonder if she drinks. OF
course she acts like a lady and wears
good clothes and is polite but you |
can't tell what you're going to en-
counter in New York I don't believe |
in spreading scandal, but when Mrs !
Green dropped in here this afternoon
l happened to mention my suspicious
to her, and | asked if she didn't think |
it was awful for q woman to take to
whisky and drink herself to death.
and then she said she met a woman
that would deceive you just the same
way down at Bath Beach last summer.
She said this woman"
ooh, l don't care what she said or
what this woman did" exclaimed
Jones angrily, showing back his chair
from the table and flinging his napkin
down on the table.
Mrs Jones's lips quivered She
buried her face in her handkerchief
Now, don't start that" said Jones'
you know I didn't mean to hurt your
feelings"
These were just the words needed to
start Mrs. Jones off in full cry, liter
ally. Her husband listened to her
sobs for a moment and then as his
wife begun to pour forth torrent of
reproach. he twisted uncomfortably
for few minutes, and then angry
both at himself and at her, jumped up.
and put on his hat and stalked out of
the fiat, banging the door behind him.
he went to the corner
hoping to find some old
cronies there with whom he could
laugh away his disgust with things in
general. oul lie lOQllu uOuS PIE
and after a solitary drink, went out
and slowly walked down the street.
Accusing thoughts assailed him.
He reproached himself as he thought ]
If her cooped up in the Nat all day.
But at the thought of the ceaseless
low OF language, he gritted his teeth
Ind went on down to bowling alley,
where he found some friends and i'm
nediately Joined in the sport
1t was midnight when the play
ceased. Then his conscience began to
rouble him. Suppose burglars had
,roken into the house during his alb
ence? Suppose there had been a
Ire. with him the natural protector.
way? Suppose his wife, In her ex-
itement and resentment should throw
erself-oh, no, that was foolish. And
ct he had heard of women doing that.
lie worked himself into such fever
hat he entered the darkened fiat with
11-~ft1o failing IF fnrabodipo He III