The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-09-13

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ana going Into tho dining room al
down ct tho table whore dinner was
already waiting. Mrs.. Jones eyed him
hopefully @ she ladled out the SCUM;
but he said nothing.
Il had bsen rather ! stressful day
down at the ONCE and he felt like
nothing % much 90 simply be,na
quiet saying nothing to any one and
having no ono TO say anything TO him;
consequently b silently proppsd tho
evening paper against the sugar bowl
and continued reading the column Of
Wall street gossip about Hartman
tobbung another railroad. !
Mrs. Jones stood the strain az Il
renee as long % she could and then
burst forth desperately: well, what's
new down town."
Nothing much" said Jones auto
matically.
dcsf'' 80 -
"oh. about as usual" answered
Jones.
Has Brown been giving you an,
more tr0uble3"
q, Nope" he grunted shortly.
How does your new stenosraphe,
get ont"
There was no hidden trap in thi,
question. no secret jealousy concealed
Yoness new stenographer was an
elderly maiden who wore spectacle,
and goloshes and Mrs. Jones's mind
was perfectly serene regarding her.
Aw H." responded Jones between
mouthfQls.
Il believe you'll like her much bet
ter than you did that pert girl 70,
had." said Mrs. Jones. "She SEEM
sensible and respectful quite differ
ent from that flufy.haired thing whl
always looked at me SO critically
whenever came down to the Office
fairly detested her. the little ninny!,
Mr.. Jones stirred uneasily, but madl
no reply. and after a pause Mrs. Jonei
said: Elbow much does that clerk shl
married get?"
Nov, see here, Maria" said hei
husband. looking up impatientlN
'Cant you see I'm reading? How cal
tell whether It's Hartman or Bat
ting Nelson I'm reading about wheI
you keep firing a question into me eN
cry two seconds?"
Seeing that it was useless to tr,
to make him talk, Mrs. Jones decided
to do the next best thing-talk hen
self.
That Mrs. Bowman who's moved
Into the fiat overhead was down agar
today" she began. 'Do you know
Henry, hate to say it, and Of course
it's no business Of mine, and for al
know she may have taken it a,
medicine, but was almost certain
caught the smell of whisky on hej
breath. I wonder If she drinks. d
course she acts like lady and wear
good clothes and is polite, but yol
cant tell what you're going to en-
counter In New York. I don't believ,
In spreading scandal. but when Mrs
Green dropped In here this Afternoon
happened to mention my suspicioni
to her. and asked II she didn't thinl
1t was awful for a woman to take t.
whisky and drink herself to death
and then she said she met woman
that would deceive you Just the SAINT
way down at Bath Beach last summer
She said this woman
"Oh. don't care what she said Of
what this woman did," exclaimed
Jones angrily. showing back his chat
from the table and flinging his napkin
down on the table.
Mrs. Jones's lips quivered. sh,
buried her face In her handkerchief.
Now, don't start that" said Jones
'sYou know didn't mean to hurt you,
feelings"
Il These were Just the words needed L
start Mrs. Jones of in full cry, liter
ally. Her husband listened to he,
sobs for q moment and then as hi
wife begun to pour forth torrent d
reproach. he twisted uncomfortable
Tor few minutes. and then angr1
both at himself and at her, jumped I'M
and put on his hat and stalked out d
the fiat. banging the door behind him
straightawayJ he went to the corne1
emporium. hoping to find some Oh
eronies there with whom he could
laugh away his disgust with things Il
general. But he found none present
and after q solitary drink, went oul
and slowly walked down tho street
]: Accusing thoughts assailsd him.
He reproached himself as he thought
Of her cooped up "a the nat all daN