The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-12-18

not tlrning to look at her. Her infOrma-
ton arrested him, but appeared to fall
short of interesting him; and after a
moment Of silence he took another up
Wei, I don't care he said in a low
voice, I wont go"
The s-trenuOusness Of her appeal made
him stop again, but, as before, with his
stopping and logged back to her. Il don't
care he repeated. II won't 60"
She came to the foot Of the stairway.
Henry Beelsby, you fly straight up
there and into your clothes. They're all
laid out on your bed for you. Jump"
Il won't, " he said thickly, and still
maintained his frozen attitude. Il won't
go"
II won't" he said again. Il won't go
I won't go. I won't for anything"
Mrs. Beelsby burst into tears. For a long
hour she had been anXiously waiting,
more and more fearful that his delay might
make them late for their dinner engage
ment.' and waiting an hour under these
circumstances is for women a greater nerv-
GUS strain than husbands realize, or are
able to comprehend. Moreover, Mrs. Beels-
by's husband made a verbal mistake of
a kind lately growing habitual with him
if he had said what indeed appeared TO
him as the mere truth, Il can't his wife
might not have wept; or, at least, she
might not have wept so soon but the
i|rritated and irritating Il WON'T came of
its own v~OlitiOn into his mouth: and he
had no impulse to he more accurate. Even
when she thus suddenly Wept aloud he said
once more, Il WON'T; and continued to
stand mOtiOnless, like an Alpinist over
come by a day dream half way to the
summit.
Il might have known you'd act this
way - his wife sOhbed. you knew I'd
looked forward to this evening for days
and days. so I ought tO've understood this
is what you'd do! OF course you could not
let me have this one little pleasure with
out spelling it,
I'm not going" he said doggedly. I'm
not"
"Of course, you're mott" she cried. "Why
should you? I've been working all day like
a Swede farm hand. I shOveled the ashes
out of the furnace; I bathed the dog; /
scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and
knees and you've got a nice, clean, warm
house to cOme back to and go to bed in
Why should you go out, just to please
your wife and keep her from being socially
disgraced?"
socially disgraced'? Now what do you
think you're talking abOut?'
I'm talking about accepting a dinner
invitation and not being there! You can't
do anything worse than that"
At this he turned his head and looked
down to behold her Uplifted face cOntOrted
in pain and anger. with the white glObed
ceiling light above her cleaning upon the
sliding bright lines of her tears. "Oh, cut
it Out!' he said. you can call 'em up
and give EN- a plenty good excuse
NAA I'LL 4 III y
what OFF, she cried. You've been well
enough all day to go into town and sit
tilted back and smoking in your com
e Portable office and dictate to a bob haired
4 stenOgrapherl'
Look herer' he said with a sudde1
q fierceness. is that all you think I dO?"
Y IT'S what you were doing the last time
. I was in and saw you. You sit and till
q back and smoke and make jokes for al
1 hour or two, and then you go out to (
V comfortable lunch at a restaurant, while
q your wife has to stay at home and breal
- her back shOveling ashes, and get her owl
@ lunch-Or go withOut-and then begin K
= cook your dinner for you"
you didn't need to shovel any ashes:
told you to let 'em alone till the furnace
t man is well again or 1 could find a chanc
s to get around to it. Anyhow, I'd rathe
shovel a few handsful Of ashes than &c
!, two hundred crates Of vegetables out of
d half frozen wet cellar, and that's what
been dOing!"
80, yes!" she cried. Telling other me.
{ to do it,"
mo, madam! Doing it myself, becaus
d we're short handed; I had TO get dow
d there with only two men TO help me, be
10 cause water got into the celar-aud ! ha
d TO slosh around in il. toe. half the after
< noon. Then / had to slOsh half over tow.
Ia in slush and rain after yOur electric irO
l. and your glass fruit dish and your grand
mothers plated teapot and your bras
headed tacks and your doggOne dos
% bis"