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Show I The Genevieves I Know" II I , When our little brown, brother of I Tnpan, with his ideas oC the picturesque, II lis wonderful skill in 'embroidery and I jiK theories as to the proper slmpc of I ho human form divine, prcsonlod to us ,ho himonn (accent on tho first syllable;, 1 ileaso), ho nover drcamod that ha was lropping into tho American household ' ho torch of maritnl infelicity nnd con-' con-' ptgal disillusionment. I, The American husband was also un- iwnre of tho grisly crisis, or he might lavo had sense enough to grab tho ar-I ar-I -iving garment by its flowing uloovcs 1 i iid licnvo it bodilv westward across the 'I ''ae.inc ocean, saying, "Keep your old imon:i." (Accent; on the first syllable, ' ' llcase). "An ordinary brown calico ,vrappcr with bono buttons can look bad 1 enough to mc." , . But. nobody knew. Tho kimona (nc-1 (nc-1 -out as before) arrived, was first scorn- ,d, then endured, then pitipd, then em-"James," em-"James," says Genovic-ve, "I missed ' -such a plcasan't call today. The new ' ' minister and his wifo wero hero and they wero so disappointed not to find tno'al home." , , , "Why, you wero at homo all da', wero vou not?" inquirod James in some 1 imazement. Ho knows his Gcncvicvo and she hadn't said a word about his I idvancing her next week's allownnco Alio could get some-few of tho neces sities of lifo before she perished, " i ou were at home all day, weren't you?" , "Why, of course I wns home, .but I . had my kimoua on." p "What time did these inconsidcrnto 4 1 people como to call, for pity's sake?" inquired James, his brow set in disapproval disap-proval of a clerical couple dropping in right after breakfast., T'Oh or it was alter 3 o'clock, or course, but. I just; hadn't, tho energy to dross earlier. Jn 'fact or And Gcncvicvo drops her glance downward at her present attire. "Isn't this a pretty' kimona, James?" slip coaxes, "Alicia Iluimiwcll brought it to mc from ISTow York, and " "Yes, of course, but really, Gcno-viovo, Gcno-viovo, is a kimona a correct dinner gown for tho children to sec you in cv-erv cv-erv evening?" nags .lanios. afflicted by tho momorv of a ncnt mother who was always clarl in her "othor dress' by 2 o'clock every afternoon of her lire, and who wore a collar and smoothed her hnir as religiously as shn went to church. "Get your stylo of hair-dross; ing from the kimona, too, Genevieve? ho burbled, with what Genevieve can only consider ill-advised jocularity. Gonoviovo, has the graco to blush and change the subject. "I saw Mrs. Hurlburt, next door, this morning," she says. "She was talking to Marv Mornsngdalc .and they both strolled down to chat a minute." "Did Mrs. Uurlburt have on a kimona, ki-mona, Gcnoviovc?" inquires .Tnmcs, with that fatal masculine clinging to :i subject that -is bettor relegated to oblivion, anyway. "Yes," rushes on Gcnovicvo, "and it wos the ugliest thing you ever saw. Dark blue, and mado her look as yellow yel-low as a kilo's claw. She said Mrs. Aromingdalo was the most daring woman wom-an she over know actually came out in tho auto with a kimbna under her James Looked Genevievo' Oarofully Oyer. motor coat! It was n lively tiling, too.i Marv said sho always did that when sho went out for a morning spin. -No uso in exhausting yourself dressing so early, sho said." ' nd Genevievo reached oVor to pass tho butter to .lames, and her lumona sloovc dipped in the cream potatoos. That evoning when dinner was well out of the w.-iv, .lames and Gonovicvo awoko to a degree of energy that .banished .ban-ished the subject. They decided that it wis really time lo call on tho Jar-stons, Jar-stons, down' tho street a block, who were verv nice and had cordially in vile'd them. After an elaborate toilet Gonoviovo presented hersoh to nor wait ing spouse, trim and tailor-made, her brown hair waved a bit and scaring triumphantlv that braided coiffure that always made James glad ho had money enough lo buy .her that tlurty-six-inch switch of naturally curly hair. James looked Gonoviovo carofully over, and then ho kissed her right on tho mouth. Ho slipped his arm about her slendor waist, too, and gave her a squeeze that made her bat her eves. "Nothing liko a feather bed about this,' eh, Genevievo?" ho cooed. "Gee, 1 outgrew tho feather-bod stago way back when I wns a kid., bomothing ai-lor-mado for mino nil right, all right. Well, for a minuto Genovievo was startled. Then, in tho calm complacency compla-cency of the safely wedded woman whoso husband can't escape not without with-out losing his righteousness and paying alimony, anyway she passod it up. as tho more exuborauco of that curious creature, man. ,,,,,, r They walked the block to tho Mar- Then Kissed Her Right on the Mouth. porf.d Genevieve M.fit wl0 Sfcft lytfS "lie inner ji&rlM. something1; ama strangled squeal ended in tho slam of a door. r Yes the family wuo at home. Mr. ,r;,J' , Vl.oc tho parlor and Mra. M-r o Id be right in. And when if to? ton fifteen, twenty. minutes t Wo"" tt Jn the 'h.'m. an(l Cl.nt was why, she sunealcd. "Marston's a mighty nice tcttow, lut jtoo' hi", wife's n slob," mused .nines fo his Genevievo as they trailed home. "Urn ycb," niscd back Genevieve. "My, but I'm glad to get homo and into my r.imona. . Whon James went to business eer.v morning he took tho elevated Thence lip. beheld bnck windows of Hats, o n lat inhabited by n kiinonaclnd Mile and mother, fn tho ovcning ho retinncd past tho same streets nnd then .ilho he beheld long vistas ot kunoua-cliid females, hovering about gas a oves m out on tho front stops, calling the children chil-dren hoimJ lo dinner; or presiding, Willi flowing sleoves, over generously proym-od proym-od tables while a trim maid waited in tho background not in a kimona. James sometimes had occasion to get out of the office and plungo slUn different parts of tho city 'P; and afiornoons. Tho fences tfcH: passed wore ornamented with tkv' chid women gossiping with. oikr monn-clad women in tlo noxfcAL whilo still others, woaring IhrtWL Japan to the great republic, loaiU'S' .porches superintending John aflw tho rugs in the Jiack yard. 3Tc saw blue kiiuonas ladou xim embroidery and green ones stiB plain, American, dirt Ho hhlM croamy-whito bridal finerv -witlM j ing sleeves nnd a pointed ntiovflfl train, nnd grandmamma with a 'ML1 lavendor shawl wrapped up to hSf' becauso tho gniy wool kimaiM- too' low for cbmfort, an,d she -'vr cold so readily, too. x m' And his jn'aycr goes up iovfl-bitcr8 iovfl-bitcr8 of fashion, "Can't kimona nnd put it back on .tbflfl sido of the great Pacific- occaoSBIl it belongs? Our household awMi' is too comple;: for, the blameaB (Copyright, 1010, by the AssociaJT crary Press,) B |
