New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-07-05
The Dangerous Perplexity JUNIOR
Suddenly Presented


Suddenly Presented
As the car turned into the road,
Katherine's composure deserted her.
Her breath came stormily, and her
voice was tremulous with anger az
the hurried words came stumbling
out.
''Madge--do you suppose Mrs. TIGER
would let me have room for day
or two until can make some ar
rangements? / cannot possibly en-
dure that abominable old woman an
other second. How you've borne 1t
all these years !"
! knew that we were beyond the
vision Of the farmhouse inmates, and
as she began talking, ] drew up the
car to the side of the road, turned off
-he switch-key, and, taking Katherine
-irmly by the arm, gave her little
shake.
It's just because have had years
of experience of her little ways that
I'm going to settle you about 1t once
for all. Would you leave our home
grieved and angry If Junior went into
a tantrum and slapped you?"
Me never slap Aunt Tattie Me
never slap Aunt Tattie I" Junior
screamed in an agony of insulted
Righteousness, relapsing into the baby
talk from which he is precociously
and laboriously emerging.
BY the time our united efforts had
Gained him into an assurance that
no one remotely suspected him of so
heinous crime, the tight lines
around Katherine's mouth had re-
Taxed, and I knew that her blind but
entirely justihable anger against my
cantankerous mother-in-law was sue
cumbing to her usual humorous phil
osophy, with which I would find it
much easier to deal.
Madge Tries to Interpret
That's exactly what his grand
mother would say In adult language,
half an hour from now" / comment
ed, laughing. "She hasn't the slight
est idea of the maddening things she
says If she had. l would have been
electrocuted long ago for matri-in-
law-cide." "
Katherine gave short, involuntary
laugh, and, encouraged, l ratified on:
Il used to think she disliked me,
but / found out long ago that she has
a genuine affection for me-
'Exquisitely delicate way she has
of manifesting her love !" Katherine
interrupted.
II know" l agreed promptly. I'm
not minimizing her atrocious discour-
tesy when she gets angry. I'm only
asking you not to punish me for her |
temper, and to treat her outbursts |
exactly as If they came from a little
child
You could spank the child" kath-
crime said with a vicious little click of
the teeth, and I was irresistibly re-
minded of Katie's comment of a few
minutes before.
"Bomable Old Woman"
Il must tell you what Katie said"
/ returned and when l had repeated
my little maids words, l was reward
ed by a merry laugh. When Kath-.
crime laughs she can no longer har-
Dor wrath, and I pressed home my
%Promise me that you won't pay
any attention to her." pleaded.
Katherine gave my arm a loving
little squeeze as she said:
IF you can stand it all the time,
! ought to be able to stand it part of
the time she said.
With a lightened heart, l turned to
my switch key. But my hand fell
away from 1t in dismay when Junior
piped up in clear ringing tones, as If
he were saying a lesson:
"Bomable old woman. Ought to be
spanked"
Katherine and l looked despairing-
ly at each other. We had forgotten
that Junior had reached the little
pitcher stage beside whom a dicta-
phone is an ingenious continuance. I
knew only too well his tenacious
memory, and his persistence in ex-
ercising his small vocabulary.
If Junior were not diverted prompt
ly and effectually. he would repeat the
words in season and
out of season. l quailed at the pic1
ture my panic visualized-that of my
doughty motherin-law when she
should first listen to Juniors artless I
!
Think of something :" Katherine I
This is no time for mod ]