OCR Text |
Show f i n m m 1 1 1 1 m n 1 1 1 1 1 im-h n n 1 1 m 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 mhim CDe Best trained Husband J 1 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 n n n 1 1 iH i n 1 1 1 ii1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 Anna, Minna and Helen had been friends from the time they first met as girls of 12 at boarding-school, and this friendship they had kept up even after they had all married. Now they were sitting together chatting, chat-ting, each one Insisting that she had a better husband and was more happily married than either of the others, and that her husband was better trained than the others. "Wen," said Anna, "it is really foolish fool-ish to sit here and waste time and words. It would be much better if we put our husbands to a test. Now, I suggest that each of us do the same thing to displease her husband and see which one behaves the best." -Good," exclaimed the others, "but what shall the tst be?" "Well, my husband is very particular about his eating, and as I have rather spoiled him by always doing my best to tickle his palate, nothing is more disagreeable dis-agreeable to him than if I occasionally spoil a dish. Especially on Sunday he looks for a dinner perfect in every particular. par-ticular. How about your husbands?" "Oh, my husband is Just the same way," exclaimed both the others. "Then, suppose each of us invites the other two with their husbands to take dinner with her on a Sunday and then arrange it so that she happens to spoil the roast, and we will see whose husband hus-band behaves the nicest about It" "That is good!" The conspirators and their victims first met at Anna's house the following Sunday. Everything went splendidly and everybody was In the best of humor until a roast was served which looked like a piece of charcoal. The brow of the hitherto so pleasant host clouded visibly and his eyes seemed to pierce his poor wife through and through, while he mumbled something some-thing between his teeth which his wife's friends interpreted to mean something like this. "It is a good thing for you I that we are not alone or I might give you a piece of my mind." "Why, darling," exclaimed Anna, "you seem to be worried about something. some-thing. What is the matter?" "Oh, it is really nothing, . but that I do wish that you had chosen another time to spoil a dinner than, when we happen to have company. I have always al-ways praised your cooking to Frits and Wilhelm and when they look at that roast they must think. I lam either a liar or a fool." "Why, Hans! I do jiot know what you mean. The roast is as perfect as any I ever made." Hans gave a rather sharp reply and a little domestic quarrel followed which was smoothed over by the guests. Something quite different happened at Minna's the following Sunday, when an equally scorched roast was put on the table. The host never as much as made an allusion to the mishap and ate the rather large slice which his wife had put on his plate without flinching. ' But Helen's husband behaved even better under equally trying circumstances circum-stances a week later. Not only did he help himself twice to more roast, but even praised the skill of his wife, who knew exactly Just bow a dinner should be cooked. The next day the three wives met to render their verdict. "I will not praise myself as having trained my husband better than any of you," said Helen, "but I think that both of you will admit that my Fritz put both of your husbands to shame. Tour husband, Anna, openly found fault with the roast, while Minna's kept his tongue, but mine even praised me!" "If you will allow me one word," interrupted in-terrupted Anna; "I do not think all the testimony is in yet. Helen has truly told how our husbands acted while others were present, but, my dear Helen, what did Fritz say to you when we had gone?" "Oh, I suppose no more-than both of yours did," rephed Helen, a little embarrassed. em-barrassed. "When you had gone he gave me a good scolding, and I, of course, insisted on having the last word, and at last he locked himself in his room, and we have not spoken a word since." "Just what my Wilhelm did. . too." said Minna. "We had a quarrel, but after a 'while we made it all up, and have forgotten all about It long ago." "But my husband," said Anna, with a proud smile, "came to me as soon as you had gone and asked me if I could forgive him for having behaved so outrageously out-rageously at the table, and, though I felt like kissing him on the spot. I made him think that I was very angry until he came home the next evening with a perfectly lovely diamond ring for me." The verdict was rendered in favor of Minna, as possessor of the best trained husband. |