The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-03-07
BRouCHER'S SARCASM
BY HAROLD BRONSON.


ant way of expressing himself when
Things didn't go to suit him and some
foolish person once told him that he
was delightfully."-, wickedly sarcastic.
That explained him. 1t is rather an
awful thing when a man gets an idea
That he has gift for sarcasm. He
is particularly apt to cultivate it.
Broucher became unpopular. He
was not really such bad sort of fell
low. not even ill-tempered, but he de-
veloped sort of carping habit of
speech for the more frequent display
Of his gift and his associates natu-
rally got down(on MIN.
| 1t was in his loneliness that he be-
gan his wooing of Miss Bardexter, the
| meek and amiable little woman whose
| nimble, white fingers ratified over the
! keys Of the typewriter in the Office.
/ Miss BardeXter rather admired
( Broucher'S style of talk. Perhaps it
was she who originally complimented
him on it. Anyway, Broucher got
/ into the habit of lingering about her
desk and saying wickedly sarcastic
things about the other men in the
office. The upshot of the thing was
that he married her.
But with the waning of the honey
! moon it was different. If anything
went a little crossways he usually
| called attention to it, and of course
| a young hOusekeeper Is not an old
one, and things will go little cross
ways at first
Then it was: Dearest, / have OBJ
served with some pain that you are
not sufficiently considerable of the feel
ings of the young lady who has so
kindly consented TO assist you in the
care of the household. You must re-
member that girls in domestic service
have their feelings"
why, Courtney, dear! am sure
have always tried
| Yes. yes, know. don't think you
meant to hurt her. but there is that
young man of hers and her girl friend
and her young man In the kitchen
now. / know they are there because
! | hear them very plainly, indeed. They
5 have been there three nights hand
running now, and you have never
4 once invited them to use the parlor
and the piano. so that they have been
obliged to put up with the kitchen and
. mouth organ. Don't you think it
) would be nice for you to go out and
invite them in. I'm afraid if do it I
shall be tactless."
Mrs Broucher would look at him
timidly and hesitatingly. and he would
sustain her look with an unpleasantly
bland smile. Then she would go out
to the kitchen, and shortly after the
: ~ sounds of trrSeSYfelry Yf0qtd cfafse, ace
But Broucher was not dissatisfied
when q letter came announcing a visit
from his mother-in-law whom he had
never seen; he said he would be more
than lighted. You see. we bore
each other so that any distraction is
: welcome" he said with a smile. and
patted his wife on her plump cheek.
But Mrs. Bardexter arrived, bag and
:. baggage. for a months visit and then
well. there was no trouble; she was
a mighty sweet and easytempered
woman. But she seemed to take
Broucher so seriously. When he came
down a little late and observed that
he apprehended the consideration bis
wife had shown in not waking him
as he liked to be late at the office. oc
casionally-it looked independent
then did Mrs Bardexter exclaim
n well! l should think you would be
10 afraid they might not like it"
"You don't mean to say we have
IL eggs, dearI" Broucher said a little
Il later. This is indeed a surprise. Nice
little change, isn't it?'
lie "Emmie said you had been having
them so often lately that you were
Is kind of sick of them" said Mrs. Bar
dexter in surprised tone.
ie what did you put that roast in thu
= oven for. my own?" asked Broucher
you have warmed it almost through
III / believe, and it would have been 81
much nicer quite raw, to say nothin:
~ of the gas you must have used
- Haven't you a little really raw meat?
Mrs Bardexter got up from the ia
: BILE, went out and came back with
nice little piece of raw beefsteak.
d "Oh, mamma" said Mrs. Brouchel
Courtney doesn't really like ray
" meat He was just making fun. Ell
likes it quite well done and I'm afrai
it is Just little bit undone."
NC Courtney, do you always meal
y what you don't say?" inquired hi
mother-in-law.
u How could Broucher keep it up? IL
as couldn't All this happened in the frs
~ week and Mrs. Bardexter's stay wa
ny prolonged to five more. People with
Oh out any sense of humor are awful
trying. but there is really no use i
fighting against them.
Courtney" said Mrs. Bardextel
1T when she was leaving for her HON
UT in Grand Rapids. when | first came
On noticed that you talked very strangs
Ell lv. but you don't do it any more an