The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1912-09-14

suffers over those concealed from Or
dinary mortals. When 1t comes to
reading. Dillmere, because of his tenn
soothing and mild. 1t was a malg-
nant fate that led him into the snare
Of the book agent who was selling
THE Worlds Greatest Grimes" at re-
duced rates and in an attractive cloth
binding.
When Dillmere reached home that
night he found his wife, waiting for
him. She was pointing to the opened
bundle OF books much as one Of a re-
hned disposition might point at viper
Or dynamite bomb.
What on EARTH" she began at
once. do you mean by buying that
stuff, James Dillmere? Why. If
caught Jimmy with a volume of crimes
In his hand"
You aren't going to-" said Dillmere.
They are not for Jimmy's youthful
Intelligence. A mature mind can read
without harm about deeds OF vio-
lence-"
That book agent must have been
good talker.'' said Mrs. Dillmere,
grimly You'll have to keep those
books on your closet shelf or Johnny
and l don't see, anyhow, why on
earth you should want to read such
things when there are SO many nice
books"
I'm tired of nice books" said Dill.
mere recklesly. i've had a surfeit OF
recipes for tatting and prescriptions
Tor making china cabinet ont Of
packing box. My mind needs stimu-
lating. Anyhow, it is a matter of edu-
cation. l am ashamed to be ignorant
Of what has happened in the world"
After dinner Dillmere retired into
the fastness of an easy chair with his
books and promptly was lost to his
family
HIM" coughed Mrs. Dillmere at
last in desperation, II looked at new
coats for Johnny today"
Silence.
HIM" began she again. "Grace
telephoned that her uncle was dead.
wonder if he left anything? She's
/ always expected that he would"
Silence
| Mrs. Dillmere looked at her husband.
His eyes were popping out Of his head
and he breathed deeply. James," she
proceeded in a conversational voice.
''the bank failed today. Your father
murdered your mother. 1 fell down
stairs and broke my neck!'
"Um!" answered James vacantly.
Mrs. Dillmere rose and swept the
book from his hands.
why don't you listen to me?" she
| demanded
"Whew!" breathed her husband
"They were going some in the middle
ages. If you didn't like a fellow you
/ Just put cold poison in his tea and II
he wouldn't drink it you choked him
till he did! Nobody seemed to mint
! wholesale slaughter if you had money
enough to awe the populace! 1t mus
have been fierce!"
That night Mrs. Dillmere woke VI
! to find her husband pacing the floor.
Somehow" he said, 81 can't sleep
Are you sure the back basement win
dows are locked? l thought I heard
some one on the basement stairs
little while ago, don't see what is tc
prevent burglar from walking In al
the open bedroom windows from the
room. There. Did you hear that?"
/ "It's that book you were reading'
declared Mrs. Dillmere. GO to bed!'
/ Dillmere persisted in reading the
books Occasionally when the hor
rors grew too great for him to beal
alone he related them to his wife
after Johnny had gone to bed.
/ II don't see how they earned a Nv
Ing in those days" Dillmere said one
! evening after every fellow go1
through his daily stunt Of poisoning a
few relatives, beheading a whole vii
/ lage, robbing cathedrals and burning
up castles he naturally would not have
much energy left for the milder pur
/ suits of life"
/ Mrs. Dillmere woke that night to find
/ the lights turned on and Dillmere
/ rerched on a chair endeavoring tc
climb the wall.
/ James," she shrieked.
/ "Hush!" said James impatfently
I'm escaping. II I get to the top oi
! this wall and drop into the moat be
low Caesar Borgia and his minions
/ cannot find me to make me drink the
poison! They are burning up the bod
les Of the people whose heads they
have chopped off, but I'll have to
hurry"
A little later, while he mopped the
cold water from his person-for his
wife's aim at his head with the tum'
bier OF water had not been good owing
| to her Observation-Disclosures demand
ed: whats the use of raising such
/ row? Wh-what did you try to drown
me for?"
because I didn't want you to &c
through the roof in your pajamas," re-
piled his wife sternly. James Dill
mere, you've got to give those awful
, disgraceful books away"
! s411 r;rb+ e,i1 Df1'tnara GhfyarinR