Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-15
Euening Story
TOM AND DICK DRINK TEA.
Copyright, 1916, by the Mcclure
ewspaper SyndicatNe.)
BY Isabel Lee.

eWspaper SyndicatNe.)
There. have actually pulled ter
more white hairs out this morning.
shall be quite gray haired soon, In
sure
Toms wife sat before her dressing
table putting the finishing touches tt
her afternoon toilet. She looked, with
an expression of wifely martrydom a.
Dicks fiancee, who had called to in
duce her to go shopping.
Little do you know how worried
am" Toms wife sighed pathetically
adjusted her toque at saucy angle
and then arranging the cobweb veil
Put 1 won't bother you with my trou
bles. You have so much to be happy
about and so many plans to make FOL
the wedding"
Dicks fiancee bit her pretty lips and
looked out of the closely curtained
window Of the bedroom. I'm not al
all sure there is going to be any wed
ding" she said.
For the moment Toms wife forgot
the white hairs that still lay on hel
dressing table, monument to he1
troubles. OF course, she wanted Dicks
] f1ancee to tell her all about 1t, but the
confidence did not seem to be forth
coming.
81 don't even know whether to &c
down to shop or not" added the young
er woman. whats the use of getting
the things when don't know whether
| shall want them-the wedding vel
and white satin and the rest? But
don't talk about poor little me. 10
so much rather know why you are
worrying. l thought your Tom was
an angel just as did think Dick was
until few weeks ago. How can yor
be worried when he is so domestic be
doesn't even 60 to club
Toms wife laughed softly and ther
she began at the beginning of he1
story. First, it was the teacup," she
said. ut is almost too absurd to re
member, but it made me begin to won
der. That was a few weeks ago. No
it was even before that. 1t was the
morning he asked me for lemon. Il
was at breakfast and I gave 1t to him
and I did not think it was funny ther
that he should want to carry lemon
down to the Office in his overcoa
pocket Still, was so sure Of him!
And the next evening he had the mys
FERROUS little package when he came
home He said nothing about it, sc
when he wasn't looking I found out
Wives have to do those things, my
dear. It was horrid, sticky teacup
with one of those dreadful spoons yor
get at the ten cent store. Some time
when I wasn't looking he washed il
and the next morning he started Out
with the same little package again.
well. the next night it happened
again-such horrid old cup! Thai
time he gave it to Bridget to wash
for she told me so, faithful creature
that she is. That kept on for severa
days. And then one day really
wasn't exactly suspicious even then
I asked him outright what it was al
about.
"You know how it has been with
Tom and me- He never tells me his
business troubles and I never bother
him with household matters, but still
we have never, never before kept
things from each other.
"Wel. you have caught me snook
ems. haven't your Those were the
very words he used and then he
laughed little. rather sheepishly, anc
tried to kiss me. I didn't want to tel
you at first he said. 7 thought yout
make a fuss about 1t. But that new
English secretary"
At this point Dicks fiancee reached
for the smelling bottle that stood or
the dressing table and pressed the
stopper to her dainty little nose, bu
| Toms wife went on.
THAT new English secretary-art
that was the first time that l hat
even heard of the creature-he sale
had to have tea. They all do in Lon
! don, he said.
"'You've never had tea with me-
said I've often wanted you to drol
in at at homes and you wouldn't
and now for this brazen English sec
rotary of yours, of whom l have never
heard, you start in with this ridiculous
practice But why make fool o.
yourself by bringing the cups home
Why aren't they washed at the Officer
That's where the joke comes in.
he said laughing-men can laugh
even at the most tragic moments. 90
thought of getting Miss Stebins t.
wash them Miss Stebbins is his
stenographer and a palmer, old crea