The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-10-04
THEIR INVITED GUESTS
At SUBURBAN HOME

/
wife at their suburban home. he mad,
the error Of failing to pry int,
Hinchett's family affairs as a prelim
mary move. He realized later tina
he should have put Hinchett through
the third degree of the census bu
reau before extending the invitation
Thus he would have escaped the con
fusion that overwhelmed him on the
Saturday when Hinchett descended
upon the Perkins establishment with
one wife. two children and one brin
die bulldog.
Il had to bring the dog." explained
Hinchett brightly, when Perkins met
him at the foot CT the steps. because
there is no one In our apartment
house that I could trust with him.
Good old Bruno! He has to be fed
just so or he Is unhappy. Mrs. Hin.
chett." he went on, with a wave of his
hand toward his wife. land the little
Hinchetts.
Perkins knew that his wife was
watching the reception from behind
the living room curtains and that his
standing at his domestic hearth de-
pended upon his carrying the matter
OF with the air of its being quite what
he had expected.
Come right in." exclaimed Perkins.
heartily. as the children began pulling
the geraniums out Of his wife's flower
boxes beside the steps. Glad you
brought the dog. He'll be company
for our dog. Let me take your suit.
cases."
"Oh. there's a hammock" Mrs. Hin.
chett exclaimed. making a dive for it,
I'm just worn out with the long trip
from our place and the railroad drive
and then the walk up here In the sun.
You won't mind IL lie down a min.
ute. will you?"
Lillian isn't very strong" Hin
chett explained.
Certainly mott" Perkins told her.
Go right ahead. Mrs. Hinchett, and
get rested. That's what we're here
for"
She tumbled into the hammock and
Hinchett went down into the front
yard to encourage Bruno in digging
up the pansy bed that Mrs. Perkins
had been working over all season. AS
Perkins walked into the hall with the
satcheis his wife seized him.
why didn't you tell me these peo-
pie had children?" she Kissed into his
ear. Il could have gone away or got
scarlet fever or something. You know
that I've nobody to help me with the
homework. And 1 was planning to
make jelly today"
"Hinchett held out on me-" MUIR
INJURED Perkins. "He never mentined
the kids. For the love of Pete, go and
talk to EN-
And that woman in the hammock
is the one you said would help me
make jelly If let them come today"
his wife said witheringly.
Maybe she WILL" countered Per-
kins. you haven't asked her yet"
Then Mrs. Perkins coaxed up a vel.
coming smile for the guests and went
out to meet them, murmuring words
OF sympathy for Mrs. Hinchett, whose
fatigue threatened to become Der
manent. About that time the Perkins
fox terrier arrived from an excursion
Into foreign fields. When the two
men had pried the bulldog loose from
the fox terriers neck Perkins took his
dog into the basement and chained
him to the furnace.
While Mrs. Hinchett, from the
depths of the hammock, was explain
ing to Mrs. Perkins how badly she felt
most of the time and how quickly she
succumbed before exercise of any
kind, Perkins took Hinchett down to
show him the village hail. and the
other sights OF which the residents of
the suburb are justly proud. He want
ed to get away from the atmosphere
Of the berries. which his wife had
stocked Up with to make jelly that |
lay. When they returned an hour or !
20 later they found the Hinchett's lit !
boy had set fire to the barn, which |
had been saved by remarkable DEM
Of energy on the part OF
lis mother. ably assisted by Mrs. Par
iins. In pumping water and passing
buckets.
Dinner was not exactly a Joyous
neal, inasmuch as Mrs. Perkins kept
linking of new things to say to her
husband after the Hnchetts were
zone, and Hinchett whiled a way the
lour with detailed description of his
ourting days up to the moment when
lillian shyly consented to be his.
then before the men had finished
heir cigars after dinner the Hin
hetts' girl fell out of cherry tree
nd broke her collarbone trying to get
he only two cherries on the tree.
I'm afraid well have to go home
nth her." sighed Mrs. Hinchett.
"Oh. must you go?" Mrs. Perkins
sked, while Perkins dashed upstairs
Or the suitcases.
When the guests had been safely
laced upon the train Perkins turned
, his wife with both hands held aloft.
"Never assin!" he sati fervently.
That week end thing isn't what it's
ivertised to be-"
l.. w.,sH a. asNUT IA