Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-10-31

Just Like a Woman


t131&6S3SSSSS9
Il have been sixteen years married.
SAID the head bookkeeper. as he hung
up the telephone receiver and read,
busted his green eye shade
Yes" observed the stenosrapher.
looking az HIM curiouSly. Well you
don't look IT."
And yet. he continued. ignoring
the 2ptsts tlpancy. And yet
haven't learned when woman really
means what she says"
"Oh. that's all NONSENSE mans
point Of view. \ woman always means
what SHE says
Sometimes she does. and there is
no doubt about il, And sometimes she
doesn't and there is good deal OF
doubt about H. She keeps man
@GesSing all the time. There's my wife
she just called me up. and if 1t
wasn't for a proyldential bunch.
would have put my foot right in IT,"
Asked you to bring your friend out
70 dinner
"No When | want TO bring a friend
out to dinner. just-but that's not IT,
She called me up to tell me that here
was friend of hers-an old school.
nate-in town. who had just phoned
her. asking her to come downtown and
take In the matinee"
We'll. there's nothing wrong about
that is there" interposed the god
dess OF the machine. little severely
IF YOU sat al home all day looking
at the four walls"
Wait. A moments halt | am not
discussing domestic ethics My wife
can do as she pleases-within limits,
OF course. That's not the point. AZ
ter she told me about her friend 'phon.
ing her. she went on to say that she
just couldn't see how it would be pos
sible to meet her. that il was her
tlcaning day. that she wasn't feeling
"ell. anyway. that it took so long to
60 downtown and come back. that
there was nothing coed at the theater
anyway. that she really wished the
Sirl hadn't telephoned. and finally she
said she had called me up to see what
she should do about It,"
Il am curious to know what you
did dot was a judicial look the
stenographer turned on him this time
Well. 1t didn't appeal to me as a
very important matter one way or the
other. at first, and my first impulse
was to fall right in with her line Of
talk and TO follow her lead with a lit.
tie soothing persiflage, you know,
about not letting it bother her and il
she wanted to stay home. why. to stay
home and just call her friend up and
make some excuse or another"
But you didn't"
NO. AS say. just at the psyche
logical moment got a hunch--it must
have come from the subcellar Of my
subliminal consciousness"
Eth"
"Or maybe I'm really beginning to
understand women, after sixteen years
Of special duty-but anyway. didn't
indorse her excuses. spoke up, with
some warmth. and told her that GER
tanly she must meet her friend and
go to the matinee. to let the cleaning
go. that 1t was a good chance for her
TO get out and relax. that she ought
to show her friend a good time any
way, and when had got thru coaxing
her what do you think she sad?"
Il couldn't imagine. really
"She just said. in matter-offact
sort OF way, We'll. Just 'phoned her
that would meet her at o'clock. and
would | mind taking dinner with them
somewhere downtown after the show
OF course, didn't mind, but that's not
the point. Why the deuce didn't she
tell me that at first Suppose
hadn't got that hunch?"
But the typist made no further com.
mpnt