Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-03
Am THE TOMENEW SUMMER DEASPR SUGGESTIONS
The Daily Story
His Wife's Strategy

Martha. are you there7" called
Farmer Milton from the back-door step
what is It, par" asked his wife as
she appeared with dish in her hand.
There's Jim Thomas coming down
the road"
well, what Of it7"
He looks all dressed up"
Hes probably going to dance some
where"
Hes probably coming right here to
see our Minnie"
"Then he'll have CREASED his boots for
nothing. Minnie ain't wasting her time
on no such fellows as Jim Thomas
The farmer had more to say, but before
he could say It Jim Thomas had arrived
lie was n young man. Of 25, who had no
particular occupation, but traded horses
helped to put up windmills and now ana
then acted as a plano agent
lie sat down beside the farmer, reached
for his iackknife and a stick, and pro-
ceeded to whittle and talk. Mrs. Milton
came to the door to shake the table
cloth and gave him a nod, but during the
two hours he remained he saw nothing
OF Minnie. He seemed much disappointed.
When he had departed the farmer en-
tered the sitting room and said to the
wife:
Look here, Martha, what's the
use In hurting a fellows feelings?"
What fellow2"
Jim Thomas Of course. You didn't say
three words to him, and Minnie didn't APP
pear at all. II wns a reg'lar snub and l
felt sorry for him"
'Then your sympathies are wasted. l
want to tell you that Jim Thomas Is n
sneak, and II Minnie ever speaks to him
again I'll box her ears, though she is go
ing on 70 years old"
L.. kpnuyn for
two weeks that there was something up,
and that you and Minnie were keeping II
from me. Now, then, want to know all
about It. Jim Thomas was down In the
lot where / was at work today and he
had just begun to tell me that Minnie and
Burt Anderson were mad at each other
when Elder Davis came along and hung
around so long that Jim had to 90 before
finishing his story. You might as well
tell me the whole story"
81 told you Jim wns a sneak" answered
tho wife. "If he hadn't been there
wouldn't have been any fuss between
Minnie and Burt, and II he hadn't been
no wouldn't have shown his face here
tonight"
This seems to be q tarrel nice howdy-
do-two folks engaged to be married and
fighting like cats and dogs What's the
row about?"
Nothing but Burts jealousy. Minnie
wrote her name In an autograph album
and Burt found 1t out through Jim Thomas
and gave her n blowing up about 1t. she
sasseG back and he got mad, and that's
the reason he hasn't been here for the
last two weeks"
"I don't see how" but she inter-
rupted by saying 1t was time to wind
the clock and go to bed and during the
next ten days she resolutely refused to
answer word whenever he approached
the subject. Then one evening she queried
of him:
PA, what's Burt Anderson working at
now7"
"Hoeing corn in the field alongside tho
road" was the answer.
"Do you think he'll be there tomor-
row?"
Likely to be. why?"
Never mind why. Did our old horse
Charlie ever run away?"
Lord, nor
could he run away II he wanted tor"
HE might get up sort of hen canter."
Suppose" continued the wife, that
the lines were to get under his heels,
and some one was to hit him five or
six cuts with the whip, would he break
into q canter?"
II guess he would. Yes, he'd be so
astonished that he would probably dust
along for a few rods"
"And would he keep to the road?"
~ guess he would. What are you ask
ing all these questions for?'
Perhaps I'll tell you this evening.
Don't bother me now, as I've got three
pans of milk TO skim"
Farmer Milton had no sooner left tho
house for the field next morning than his
wife began fixing up a crock of butter
for the village grocer, while Minnie har-
messed the old horse to the democrat
wagon and got ready to drive to town
Now, then, remember what I've told