The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-07-26
What
Happened
Then

Jones picked up his paper at about
the third call from Mrs. Jones, rose
rather reluctantly from his easy chair.
and going into the dining room sat
down at the table where dinner was
already waiting. Mrs. Jones eyed him
hopefully as she ladled out the soup,
but he said nothing.
II had been rather a stressful day
down at the office and he felt like
nothing so much as simply being
quiet, saying nothing 10 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 O. 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 a good day down at the Of
fce?"
"oh, 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. Jones's mind
was perfectly serene regarding her.
"Aw ri'." responded Jones between
mouthfuls
Il believe you'll like her much bet
ter than you did that pert girl you
had said Mrs. Jones. She seems
sensible and espectful-quite dirYer-
ent from that fufYy-haired thing who
always looked at me so critically
whenever | came down to the Office.
/ fairly detested her the little ninny!"
Mr.. Jones stirred uneasily, but mads
no reply, and after pause Mrs. Jones
said: How much does that clerk she
married get?"
Now, see here, Maria" said her
husband, looking up impatiently.
Cant you see I'm reading? How can
] tell whether it's Hartman or Bat
tling Nelson I'm reading about when
you keep firing a question into me ev-
cry two seconds?"
Seeing that II was useless to try
to make him talk. Mrs. Jones decided
10 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 it as
medicine. but was almost certain
caught the smell OF whisky on her
breath. | wonder If she drinks. OF
coarse she acts like a lady and wears
good clothes and Is polite, but you
cant tell what you're going to en-
counter In New York. | don't believe
In spreading scandal, but when Mrs.
Green dropped In here this afternoon
| happened to mention my suspicious
10 her, and | asked II she didn't think
II was awful for a 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
nut lnu
She said this woman"
"Oh, | don't care what she said or
what this woman did" exclaim ed
Jones anGrily. showing back his chair
from the table and fnging his napkin
down on the table.
Mrs. Jones's lips qulvered. She
buried her face In her handkerchief.
Now. don't start that" said Jones.
you know 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 moment and then as his
wife begun to pour forth a torrent OF
reproach, ne 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
cronies there with whom he could
laugh away his disgust with things in
general. But he found none present
and after a 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 fiat all day. ,
But at the thought of the ceaseless
flow OF language. he gritted HIS teeth q
and went cn down to a bowling alley.
where he found some friends and i'm. /
~.