The Pageland journal. [volume] (Pageland, S.C.) 1911-1978, 1914-11-11
men ARE so QUEER
BY r. S. JONES.

NAS JouhS "ohdu Will the uuuy nalT
and the hint OF baby stare. 1T is
perfectly funny the way a man acts
just because he is your husband-did
you ever notice it?"
1T is, indeed!" said the others III
chorus.
How was l to know that sensible
business men would take me SO seri-
ously?" pursued the fluffy young
woman. Il thought they were sup
posed to have discernment and sense
AT least, Tom is always preaching
about their superiority in that respect
Tom explained to me very carefully
before We went to the automobile
show last month that we couldn't buy
a car. He said we couldn't afford il,
considering my hat bills and his cigars
and the notes coming due on the
house we bought last year am
sure l had it all perfectly clear in
my mind, SO l am positive 1 was not
to blame.
But did you ever notice what per-
fectly fascinating young men they put
in charge Of the exhibition cars at an
automobile show?"
Il should say I have noticed them!"
said the brunette girl.
And, anyhow, Tom had no busi-
ness to run across two college friends
the minute we got inside the show
and pay so much attention to them
that he couldn't pay any attention to
me! Those three would cluster to-
gether over a chassis with a lot of
crazy machinery stuck on it and talk
like mad. So l simply had to do
something to kill time"
"Of course you did," agreed the
others.
SO when at the first booth a good
looking man wto saw me studying a
ested SAID l was. Then he was Just
as nice as could be. He told me
everything about the car and made
Inc get in it and explained just how
could run it myself and wanted my
address to send me a catalogue. He
said he'd be pleased to come out some
day with the car and show me how it
ran and give me lesson. He was so
set on coming that I hated to hurt
his feelings, so l did not refuse
Tt was just the same way at the
next place and ever after. Tom and
his friends were SO busy over horrid
old machinery that l was considerably
left out. However, I made lots of
friends among the agents.
All Of them wanted to bring out
their cars to demonstrate to me how
superior they were and, as had told
one man he could come, it didn't seem
bit fair to the others to refuse any
OF them, so | said I'd be delighted. 1t
~kaseurfeI to mo that owed a ter.
rible lot Of calls and that it would De
such a nice way to get around and
pay them.
Il didn't think 1t necessary to men.
ton the matter to Tom. He did re-
mark that a huge lot Of catalogues
was coming to our house and it was
a wonder where those fellows got
peoples names and, anyhow, thank
goodness, he didn't have a machine
eating its head off and making him
poor! Men are so selfish.
The Zero automobile man came out
the very day after the show closed
and we had beautiful ride I made
six calls. However, / quite changed
my opinion Of him, because when l
came out OF the last place he seemed
actually cross and said things about
waiting In cold weather. | don't s .e
how he expects to sell cars without
showing : little consideration for Gus.
toners. I told him | didn't think I
liked his car at all.
lhen there was the Largo car man
and the Allegro man and the Forts.
simo man and the Solendiferous man
and about six different electric COM
panies and lot more whose names
forget. When they came one at a
time 1t was lovely.
Il did two teas one afternoon in the
Largo car. but the man lost his tenn
per. and when ! came from the Sec
ond tea the wretched creature had
driven off and I had to go home on
the street car!
The queer thing was that every
one seemed so indignant when 7 re-
FUSED to give an order for a car and
SAID things about my leading them on
Ihe worst OF it was that Tom came
nome III with the grip one afternoon
just as seven different cars arrived all
at once to take me out! He said he
thought I was giving a funeral or a
tea
When ne understood-my dears.
nave you ever seen q man suffering
from bad temper and grip simuIta-
neously?
explained to him most carefully
that 1t wasn't my fault at all, but he
roared that he was ashamed to look q
man in the face from that time on for
fear he was one OF the automobila a