Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1920-01-29
"CROSSED WIRES"
BY HAZEL 3. CUMMINGS.

breads. But as the weeks passed the
disappointment in Jimmie's eyes grad
ually resolved itself into open resent
ment.
One crisp Wednesday morning he
arose with a rare crouch. A broad
strip Of sunlight fell across the break
fast table as he stirred his coffee, cast
ing q glance of antagonism at the
heaping plate of corn mullins and the
brown %fapjacks." .-.s
mo eggs7" he queried briefly.
"Why, my dear, l thought-well You
r rather late this morning and / was
afraid you might miss your train If"
She hesitated and fingered the table
cloth %nervously.
he selected a muffin sullenly. bit late
1t. and then the long-dreaded declara-
ten of wal came. Mabel What did
you put in these things?" And ris-
ing from the table he continued
angrily: do you expect me to go in
and do a mornings work on those salt
buns? I'll be a hopeless case from
indigestion in another week."
He strobe into the hall, calling back
with cold significance: II won't be
home for supper Then the front door
slammed and the tragedy in Mabels
eyes deepened as she recalled that for
the first time since their marriage he
had not kissed her good-by.
She sat there for a long time; the
fiapjacks had grown cold.
The passing hours and a good lunch
had the effect of greatly subduing
Jimmie's wrath, and late afternoon
found him thinking regretfuhy Of his
harsh words at the breakfast table. He
began to wonder what Mabel was
thinking and was forming a resolution
to atone for his unkindness by calling
her up and telling her they would take
supper in town, when the phone rang
sharply. He answered it. There were
voices on the wire. "Hello.hello I" re-
peated Jimmie impatiently, and then
the disorder of voices died away and
a man spoke quickly:
"Hello Thought I'd better call you
and tell you that your wife left here
awhile ago and forgot her umbrella ;
we were delivering a small quantity Of
arsenic to her, but she was in a hurry
and left" the line was cut off abrupt
ly. Terror was flashing in 5.mmie's
eyes. Arsenic! He signaled the OPP
orator wildly:
you've cut me off," he fairly shout
ed.
what number were you talking
within" came the leisurely inquiry.
"I-I-Oh, I don't know" his voice
sounded like q low cry, as he replaced
the receiver.
He felt strangely weak as a few mo-
ments later he found himself being
borne in a mud-splashed taxi-at the
highest rate Of speed allowed by the
law, to the suburbs.
Every moment of the Journey in
creased his agony Of suspense-ar-
senic!! Bitter regrets for his heart
lessness and ill-humor Of the past
couple of weeks crowded his mind, and
all Of the deep love for the little WON.
al VIII 1dO lA4SN ~ A0Au oAO was
perhaps even then lost to hing forever
brought a mist to his eyes. Twilight
had long set in when he finally arrived.
Then an odd sound reached his ears,
there was q peculiar odor, and turning
he saw a thin ray Of light under the
door leading to the kitchen. He flung
it open, and there in a blaze of light,
with q background of pans and meas
uring tins, stood Mabel, in a big apron,
her cheeks rosy with the heat from
the stove. She was just lifting a cake
from the oven-not one of the flat, pale
variety, but a beautiful. d%elicately
Drowned one! Jimmie stood diskev-
elled and wide-eyed in the doorway.
"Why, Jim! You're early" she be-
gan, but in a second he STROBE toward
her and caught her in his arms, to
the evident peril of the freshly bd&&h
cake. "
"Thank heavens you're here-you're
all right?" He looked at her keenly
and kissed her again and again. She
drew away from him in puzzled aston
ishment at his odd words.
"Of course I'm all right, Jimmie
what's the %trouble?"
He tried to laugh lightly. IL
nothing! Were you out this afternoon
shopping? Did you-er-forget your
umbrella. Leave it in a store-?"
Eyes, dear, I was out, but I brought
my umbrella back all right.
Next morning Jimmie stood waiting
for the elevator to carry him to his Of
fee on the sixth floor. AS he stepped
in somebody followed him.
"Nice wet morning" remarked the
big, cheerful voice of the chemist up
stairs.
Right" agreed Jimmie, viewing, his
dripping companion sympathetically,
"you look nice and wet yourself"
"Yes, thanks to the dear, thoughtful
Wife," veplied the chemist. Had her
60 over to the laboratories yesterday
and get some arsenic and other stuff
that I was in a special hurry for-too
busy to stop my&elf-and she comes
l--l--u.l aa.Ln -La.- a..nlA.allu- 4lAAnn-