The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-05-30
CHAPTER XXxV.
Mr.. and Mrs. Little Jimmie.

Mrs. Sammy Whitcomb had longed
for the sweet privilege OF squaring
matters with Mrs. Jimmie Wellington.
Sneers and back-biting, shrugs and
shudders Of contempt We're poor COM
pensation for the ever-vivid fact that
Mrs. Wellington had proved attractive
to her Sammy while Mrs. Yelling
toms Jimmie never looked at Mrs
Whitcomb. Or if he did, his eyes had
been SO blurred that he had seen two
Of her-and avoided both.
Yesterday she had overheard jim
mie VOW sobriety. Today his shining
morning face showed that he had
kept his word She could hardly wait
20 begin the Irritation which, she
trusted, would render Mrs. Wellington
helplessly furious for six long Reno
months.
The Divorce Drummer interposed
and held Jimmie prisoner for a time,
but as soon as Mr.. Baumann released
him, Mrs. Whitcomb apprehended
him. With a smile that beckoned and
with eyes that went out like far-cast
fishhooks, she drew Leviathan into
her net.
She reeled him in and he plounced
In the seat opposite. What she took
; for bashfulness was reluctance. To
add the last charm to her success,
Mrs. Wellington arrived to see it.
Mrs. Whitcomb saw the lonely Ashton
rise and offer her the seat facing him.
Nr,lf u of
with the back of her head so close to
the back of Mr.. Wellington's head
that the feather in her hat tickle. =
neck
Jimmie Wellington had seen his
wife pass by. To his SOBER eyes she
was fine sight as she moved up the
aisle In his hol-erhanciPated
mind the keen sense Of wrong en-
dured that had driven him forth to
Reno began to lose its edge. His own
soul appealed from Jimmie drunk TO
Jimmie sober. The appellate judge
began to reverse the lower courts de-
cision, point by point.
He felt a sudden recrudescence OF
jealousy as he heard Ashton's voice
anctuously, firtatious.y Offering his
wife hospitality. He wanted to trounce
/ Ashton. But what right had he to
defend from CALAMITY the woman he
was about to forswecr before the
world? Jimmies soul was in turmoil,
and Mrs. Whitcomb's pretty face and
alluring smile only annoyed him.
| She had made several gracious
speeches before he quite comprehend
| ed any of them. Then he realized
that she was saying, I'm SO glad
you're going tc stop at Reno, Mr.. Well
ington."
Thank you. So am l." he num-,
bled. trying to look interested and
wishing that his wife's plume would
not tickle his neck.
! Mrs. Whitcomb went on, leaning
closer: I'VE two poor mistreated
wretches must try to console one an
other, mustn't WEI"
"Yes,-yes,-we must" Wellington
nodded, with sickly cheer.
Mrs. Whitcomb leaned little
closer. do you know that 1 feel al
most related to you, Mr.. Wellington?'
"Related"" he echoed, "you!-tO
me? How"
my husband knew your wife SO
WE'LL
Somehow a. wave of jealous rage
surged over him, and he growled:
"Your husband is a scoundrel."
Mrs. Whitcomb's smile turned to
! vinegar: "Oh, I can't permit you to
SANDER the poor boy behind his back.
1t was all your wife's fault
Wellington amazed himself by his
own bravery when he heard himself
volleying back: And / can't permit
you to SANDER my wife behind her
back. It was all your husbands
fault
ITO be continuedl