Holbrook argus., 1912-10-01
What Happened Then

down at the table where dinner was already waiting. Mrs. Jones eyed him hopefully as she ladled out the soup, but he said nothing
 It had been rather a stressful day down at the office and he felt like nothing so much as simply being quiet, saving 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 si- lence as long as she could and then burst forth desperately: Well what's new down town?"
 Nothing much," said Jones auto. matically.
 Have a good day down at the of. fce?"
 ''Ch, about as usual" answered Jones.
 Has Brown been giving you any more trouble?"
 Nope" he grunted shortly.
 How does your new stenoeraphef get on?"
 There was no hidden trap in this question; no secret jealousy concealed. Jones's new stenographer wss an elderly maiden who wore spectacles and goloshes and Mrs Jones's mind was perfectly serene regarding her.
 "Aw r'," responded Jones between mouthfuls.
 T believe you'll like her much bet ter than you did that pert girl you had" said Mrs. Jones' "She seema sensible and respectful-Quite differ ent from that f1uffy-haired thing who always looked at me so critically whenever came down to the ofics fairly detested her, the little ninny!1
 MT. Jones stirred uneasily, but made no reply, and after pause Mrs. Jones said: How much does that clerk she married get?"
 Now, see here, Maria" said hsf husband, looking up impatiently Cant you see I'm reading? How can I 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 1t, and of course it's no business of mine, and for all ] know she may have taken 1t as medicine, but was almost certain ] caught the smell of whisky on her breath. I wonder if she drinks. Of course she acts like 8 lady and wears good clothes and is polite, but you can't tell what you're going to en counter in New York. l 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 ttinh it was awful for a woman to take tc 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"
 "Ch, l don't care what she said ot what this woman didI" exclaimed Jones angrily, showing back his chair from the table and f1inging his napkin down on the table
 Mrs. Jones's lips uuivered. She buried her face in her handkerchief.
 Now, don't start that!" said Jones You know I didn't mean to hurt yom feelings"
 These were just the words needed tc start Mrs. Jones off in full cry. liter ally. Her husband listened to her sobs for moment and then as hi, wife begun to pour forth a torrent of reproach. he twisted uncomfortably for a 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 Straightaway he went to the corner emporium, hoping to find some old oronies there with whom he could laugh away his disgust with things ir general But he found none present and after solitary drink, went out and slowly walked down the street Accusing thoughts assailed him.
 He reproached himself as he thought of her cooped up in the flat all day. But at the thought of the ceaseless flow of language. he gritted his teeth and went on down to a bowling alley, where he found some friends and i'm. mediately joined in the sport.
 It was midnight when the play ceased. Then his conscience began to frOuhlo him Cupp0ca brroIo-- h-s broken into the house during his ab sence? Suppose there had been 6 fire, with him the natural protector, away? Suppose his wife in Ser ex. citement and resentment, should throw herself-oh. no. that was foolish And yet he had heard of women doing that.