Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-24
DAILY NOVELETTE,
DOMESTIC TROUBLES
~ RnnIah w Richardson

BY BeuIah w. Richardson
A UNIT JUDY MASON put on her
n lookin' off specs and peered across
the lawn at the Parker cottage. "Hea-
vens and earth" calculated the good
soul; Mrs. Parker sure 'nough must
be madder'n an old wet hen to holler
at Jim Parker like that; but I guess
he's up on his ear too,' reflected Aunt
Judy as the sound of an angry male
voice answered the high pitched treble
of the woman's. Hereafter, 1ilda
Wright, you will go your separate way,
and / will go mine" To the listening
little old lady there was no mistaking
the decided tones of the man. Then the
cottage window closed with a slam.
Aunt Judy droped weakly into a
chair, well that do beat all " solilo-
quized the good old lady; "and we
neighbors allus thinking them to be
such a milk and honey couple. Good
gracious, though, poor Jim must be
stark staring crazy to call her Hilda
Wright!
"well, I believe I must go right over
and tell Mis- Cummin's about it, for l
think the neighbors ought to know what
scandal Linden is harborin', and il
l tell her they will soon enough" re-
flected Aunt Judy wisely. Thereupon
the good woman, bent on what ap-
peared in the guise of duty to her,
hastened to Mrs. Cummings house.
"And to think" exclaimed Mrs.
Cummings, pouncing upon the bit of
gossip with delight, that we all thought
them such bill and coo couple. Well,
appearances are sometimes deceivin', "
remarked Aunt Judy, sagely, as she took
her departure.
In her conjecture of Mrs. Cummings s
gossipying attributes, Aunt Judy was
right, for hardly was that lady out of
sight when Mrs. Cummings rushed
across the lawn and throwing herself
into an armchair on her friend
Hetty Welchs porch, she announced
maliciously, 'Jim Parker and Mollie
have had fight Jim has gone in
sane, and they are about to be di-
vorced :"
OF course Hetty was properly i'm
pressed, but somewhat skeptical at the
choice bit of scandal; as the hitherto
happy relationship known to exist be-
tween man and wife in the Parker
household was ideal.
"You mustn't believe everything you
hear" replied Hetty Welch cautiously.
"Who told you, Sadie?'
"Aunt Judy Mason" stoutly af-
firmed Mrs. Cummings. That was posi-
tive evidence of the truth of the matter,
for Aunt Judy's integrity was as
stanch as the very hills themselves.
Mrs. Cummings and Mrs. Welch then
proceeded with their choice gossip to
the Woman's Club, where the news
was spread broadcast. Needless to say
many a stately dame gave voice to the
expressions 'I told you so" or II al
ways knew that fighty little lady would
drive him crazy
That evening amusement reigned in
the Parker cottage. For as Mollie
Parker, seated very undivorce like on
her husbands knee, peered at the pages
of the local Linden Gazette, which had
come out that very day, suddenly she
gasped, ooh jim. the horrid old gos
sips; who ever started that story?"
And Jim, looking at the place indi
Gated by his indignant little wife, read
Town of Linden shocked at scan
dal. Divorce drives young husband
insane" Then followed the charac
teristic description, names of partie,
concerned, etc.
But what could have started it?'
persisted Molie seriously.
"Ha! Ha l have it." explained Jim
who had been examining the details
more carefully. Some one has hear,
us while we have been rehearsing oul
divorce procedure in the grange play
and Immediately concluded we were tn
unhappy parties. Ha! Ha! Somebod,
will get an awful jolt tomorrow nigh
when the farce is given" prophesiet
Jim.
And somebody did; for Linden folks
finding themselves fooled, had pounce,
unon Mrs. Cummings after the manne
of a volcano; while after that eruptio,
| Mrs. Cummings very much chagrined
had burst in upon the unsuspectin,
Aunt Judy like a hurricane. When tn
TRADE had spent itself poor Aunt Jud
! was heard to remark: well, hereafte
/ know one old fool that'll keep he
mouth shut no matter what she hears y
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