The Jasper news., 1922-10-26
BY IONA GALE

10 her supperT
"TantrIm,p said Mrs. Deacon softly.
"Oh, no." said he. and said no more.
The temper OF Mrs. Bett. who also
lived with them. had days of high VI
bfatlon when she absented herself
from the table as kind of self
Indulgence, and no one could persuade
her to food "Tantrims." they called
these occasions.
Baked potatoes said Mr.. Deacon.
"That's good-that's good. The baked
potato contains more nourIshment
than potatoes prepared In any other
way. The nourIsIIment is next to the
skin. Roasting retains It."
THAT'S what ! always think" said
his wife pleasantly.
For fifteen years they had agreed
about this.
They ate, in the indecent silence Of
first savOring food. A delicate crunch
Ing OF crusts, an odor of baked-potnto
shells. the slip and touch Of the
silver.
"Num. mum, nummy-num I" sang the
child Mononn loudly. and was hushed
/
nation which rivaled this lyric out
burst. They were alone at table. Di,
daughter of a wife early lost to Nj.
Deacon, was not there. Di was hardly
ever there. She was at that age.
That age. in Warbleton.
A clock struck the half hour.
ITS curious" Mr.. Deacon observed,
show that clock loses 1t must be fully
quarter to-" He consulted his watch.
1T is quarter tot" he exclaimed with
satisfaction. SIN pretty good at
guessing time"
"Tve noticed thati'' cried his Ina.
Last night, It was only twenty.
three to. when the half hour struck, "
he reminded her.
"Twenty-one. l thought" She was
tentative. regarded him with arched
eyebrows, mastlcation suspended.
This point was never to be settled.
The colloquy was interrupted by the
child Monona, whining for her toast
And the doOrbell rang
Dear mel" said Mr.. Deacon
What can anybody be thinking of to
call Just at mealtlmer
: He trod the hail, flung open the
street door. Mrs. Deacon listened
Lulu. coming In with the toast, wal
warned 10 silence by an uplifted fin
ger. She deposited the toast, tiptoeC
to her chair. A withered baked pc
tato and cold creamed salmon were
, on her plate. The child Monona at;
r with shocking appreciation. Nothing
! could he made OF the voices In thu
; hall. But Mrs. Belts door was heard
/ softly to unlatch. She. too. was lis
tenlng.
A ripple of excitement was caused
In the dining room when Mr.. Deacon
. was OWNED to usher some one to thu
| parlor. Mr.. Deacon would speak witt
this visitor In a few moments and nov
/, returned to his table. 1t was notable
- how slight a thing would give him
D sense Of self-importance. Now he fei
himself a man Of affairs, could no
:. even have quiet supper with hi
family without the outside world de
II handing him. He waved his hand t
Il indicate It was nothing which the
g should know anything about. resume
+ his seat, served himself to n secOn
Il spoon of salmon and remarked, "Mor
I? roast duck. anybody" In loud vote
and with a slow wink at his wifi
: That lady at first looked blank. as sh
/" always did in the presence of any hi
I NOR couched with the least indire'
+, tion, and then drew back her chin an
;. caugh. her lower lip in her gold-fille
y teeth. This was her conjugal rebul
A ing.
a Swedenborg always uses "conj
gial." And really this sounds mor
n married. II should be Used with re
;, erence to the Deacons. No one wa
!, ever more married than they-s
{" least Mr.. Deacon. He made little col
!, jugaI jokes In the presence OF Lul
4 who now, completely unnerved by II
,x habit, suspected them where they dI
not exist, feared lurking entendre
n, the most innocent comments. and b
came more tense every hour OF M
m life.
: And now the eye Of the master I
- the house fell for the first time upC
!. the yellow tulip in the center of h
n. table.
"welI. well r. he said. whats this
Ina Deacon produced, fieetly. an u
IN looked-for dImple.
n. "Have yon been buying flowers
OF the master inquired.
or "Ask Lulu" said Mis-. Deacon.
81. lie turned his attention full up
ct Lulu.
e "SultorsT he Inquired, and his III
Ir- left their places to form sort