Gilpin observer., 1912-09-12
What
Happened
Then

i llCll
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.
1t had been rather 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 a good day down at the of.
fice!"
"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.
i believe you'll like her much bet.
ter than you did that pert girl you
had" said Mrs. Jones. "She seems
sensible and respectful-quite differ.
ent from that fluffy-haired thing who
always looked at me SO critically
whenever I came down to the office.
fairly detested her. the little ninny!"
Mr. 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 hef
husband, looking up impatiently.
Cant you zee I'm reading3 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 1t 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
l know she may have taken 1t as
medicine. but was almost certain ]
caught the smell" Of whisky on her
breath. wonder II she drinks. OF
course she acts like 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
happened to mention my suspicious
to her. and I asked II she didn't think
1t was awful for 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" .
"Oh, l don't care what she said or
what this woman did!" exclaimed
Jones angrily. showing back his chair
from the table and fiinging 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 OF 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 q 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 hnd some old
cronies there with whom he could
laugh away his disgust with things In
general. But he found none present
and after q solitary drink. went out
and slowly walked down the street
Accusing thoughts assailed him.
He reproached himself a. he thought
Of her cooped up In the fiat all day.
But at the thought Of the ceaseless
- l. ~
and went on down to q bowling alley,
where he found some friends and i'm.
mediately Joined in the sport