The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-05-03

the seat almost before Mrs. yelling
ton was out of 1t.
Mrs. Wellington paused at another
wave of laughter from the mems
room. She commented petulantly:
What good times men have
They've formed q club in there al
ready. We women can only sit around
and hate each other"
why, / don't hate anybody, dc
you" Mrs. Temple exclaimed, look
ing up from the novel she had found
on the book shelves. Mrs. yelling
ton dropped into the next chair:
"On long railroad journey l hate
everybody. Don't you hate long jour,
ncys?"
tits the first I ever took" Mrs,
Temple apologized. radiantly. "and I'm
having the-what my Oldest boy would
call the time OF my life. And dear
Walter-such goings on for Him! "A
rev minutes ago strolled by the door
and ] Saw him playing cards with q
stranger, and smoking and drinking,
too. all at once"
boys will be boys" said Mrs. VIII
linSton.
eBut for DR.. Temple OF all people"
why shouldn't doctor? It's q
shame the way men have everything.
Think of 1t, q special smoking room.
And women have no place to take q
puf except on the sly
Mrs. Temple stared at her In awe:
"The woman in this book smokes!-
perfuned things!" .,tA
AN women smoke nowadays" said
Mrs. Wellington, carelessly. Don't
your"
The politest thing Mrs. Temple
could think Of in answer was: Not
yet" ...
Really" said Mrs. Wellington,
Don't you like tobaccoT
II never tried it."
tits time you did. l smoke cigars
myself"
Mrs. Temple almost collapsed at
this double shock: "Ci-cigars?"
yes; cigarettes are too strong for
me; will you try one of my pets"
Mrs. Temple was about to express
her repugnance at the thought, but
Mrs. Wellington thrust before her a
portfolio in which nestled such dainty
shapes of such a warm and winsome
brown, that Mrs. Temple paused to
stare, and, like Mother Eve, found the
fruit of knowledge too interesting
once seen to reject with scorn. She
hung over the cigar case in hesitant
excitement one moment too long. Then
she said in trembling voice: IL
should like to try once-just to see
what it's like. But there's no place."
Mrs. Wellington felt that she had
already made proselyte to her own
beloved vice, and she rushed her VIC
tim to the precipice: There's the OBJ
servation platform, my dear. Come
on out"
Mrs Temple was shivering with dis
may at the dreadful deed: What
would they say in ypsilanti?"
What do you care? Be a sport.
Your husband smokes. If it's right
for him. why not for your "a
Mrs. Temple set her teeth and
crossed the Rubicon with a resolute
II will"
Mrs. Wellington led the timid
neophyte along the wavering floor of
the car and flung back the door of the
observation car. She found Ira Lath-
rop holding Anne Gattle's hand and
evidently explaining something of
great importance, for their heads
were very close together. They rose
and with abashed faces and confused
mumblings Of half swallowed explana-
tons, left the platform to Mrs. Wei
lington and her new pupil.
Shortly afterward Little Jimmie
Wellington grew FESTIVE and set out
for brief constitutional and a breath
Of air. He carried a siphon to which
he had become greatly attached, and
made heavy going for the observation
room, but reached the door in fairly
good order. He swung 1t open and
brought in with it the pale and waver-
ing ghost Of Mrs. Temple, who had
been leaning against 1t for much-need-
ed support. Wellington was stupefied
W ScSSi'S omohS pOuTluS TOuuu MIS-.
Temples form, and he resolved to
perform great life-saving feat. He
decided that the poor little woman
was on fire and he poised the siphon
like a fire extinguisher, with the noble
Intention Of putting her out.
He pressed the handle, and a stream
or vichy shot from the nozzle.
Fortunately, his aim was so very |
wobbly that none Of the extinguisher
touched Mrs. Temple.
Wellington was about to play the
siphon at her again when he saw her
take from her lips toy cigar and
emit stream of cough-shaken smoke.
The poor little experimentalist was
too wretched to notice even so large
a menace as Wellington. She threw
the cigar away and gasped:
Il think I've had enough"
From the platform came a voice
very well known to Little Jimmie. 1t
said: You'll like the second one bet
err"
Mrs. Temple shuddered at the
bought, but Wellington drew himself
ip majestically and called out:
Like second one better, eh7
,pnpn1ha tee h. covro xvau NTH |