Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1922-03-09
GOD OF FUN
BY DORA MUTE.
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q. lsa2, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

After a wakeful night of careful
consideration, Mabel Sugden had ar
rived at the decision that as the Wom-
ems Reform league candidate for may
or, she could no longer tolerate the
frivolous conduct of william Sugden,
her husband She would move her
personal belongings to Dreamvale,
their summer cottage. and proceed to
set william free, to pursue his chosen
career as satellite to Miss Maize
Lightfoot OF the "Follies."
AS she did not care to have this
news disseminated before she was
ready to act she informed the serv-
ants that she wished to rehearse her
speeches for the coming political cam
paign and they could take the day of.
Having thus cleared the track, she set
about sorting and packing her belong
ings.
Mr. William Sugden, waking from
an early morning nap, his first at home
for several weeks, groaned and rolled
over. Last nights party had certainly
been the best of series. Maize was
a "peppy" little bunch of frills. she
could make fellow forget for the
time being that he was an old codger.
He tried to select another more
comfortable position, but no amount
of moving seemed to relieve the steady
boring ache In his back. Then he be-
thought himself Of the liniment In the
bathroom, and with hope again return
Ing, started for the medicine closet.
With her early start and no inter-
ruptions, Mrs Sugden had systemat-
ically cleaned out all of the closets,
sorting and packing methodically.
Everything had been examined and
packed, or rejected, except one small
box. She drew this to the middle OF
ever have worn these
On the top lay a pair OF round-toed.
black silk dancing slippers and black
and orange harlequin cap. She smiled
family as she regarded these articles;
how absurd to think that Mrs. Mabel
Susden, candidate for mayor on the
Women's Reform league ticket, could
even have worn these
She put on the slippers and placed
the harlequin cap over her carefully
waved couture Removing layer OF
tissue paper, she uncovered a black
harlequin suit, trimmed with big dots
of orange velvet, which she held in
front of her.
Really while she had become more
dignifed her figure was no bigger
than when she wore this absurd dress
at their parting coed banquet. She
had made an adorable "Yama Yana"
girl. Billy had called her puff of
thistle down and how they had
laughed and laughed when she danced
and capered before the big figure Of
the "Billiken."
She delyed into the box further and
there was the Billiken costume with
| its grinning features. Making II mock
| ing bow, she hummed lightly and msde
a few tentative steps of the old dance.
| Then with sure, certain steps, she
started to dance to the tune of My
Baby, Baby Billiken"
William Sugden, making his way
with suppressed groans down the hall
way. caught the refrain Of the song
and listened shaking his head
AS he drew near his wife'S chamber
he was startled to hear clear burst
| of the chorus. For you're my Baby
| Baby Billiken.'
Entirely forgetting his agony, VIII
( liam drew himself quickly into the
shelter of the portiereS and peeked
into the room. His wife, entirely UNI
aware of the presence of another per
son in the house, was beginning the
second verse of her song As she
gided and bowed before her Billiken
on the sofa, William Sudgen had one
of the inspirations which h'.u lifted
him from a side street hardware re
taller to owner OF chain OF stores
Controlling his desire to groan aloud
he dropped softly to the floor and sit
ting bolt upright, with his arms close
! to his sides in the posture of the
original Billiken, he slid himself by
degrees into the center of the CHAM
Der while his wife gestured and sang
to the Billiken When she reached
the chorus, she whrled around sey-
era times
His wife gave startled shrek at
this apparition. then the desire to
laugh oyerpowered her completely and
she burst into peals Of laughter The
human Billiken never stirred ana
through her clasped fingers, his wife
beheld the sad sorry. eminently plump
Billiken staring al her.
She tried To regain her dignity, be
the purposeful, progressive Mrs Mabel
Sudgen, but how could one look digni-
Ted in Z full-trousered harlequins
suit? With a little rush she ran 10
the Billiken. and throwing her arms
around him whispered softly in his
ear, for you ARE my Baby. Baby iii
/ llken."
While he kissed her and promised
to help on the mayoral campaign, IL
only she would just love and sing 10
her old Billikeu, William never men
toned that the first flow of tears had
been caused by the acute agony in
his back,