Here's a Story of a Brute.

Otago Witness, Issue 2604, 10 February 1904, Page 73

Here's a Story of a Brute.

Felicia- was as cross as could be, and when he called she cried o"i-er the stairs that he'd have to wait, becauso she wae busy. Then she dressed and did her hair. All the timo he waited. Ho shuffled his feet for a time, and then decided he'd like to smoke Felicia lets him smoke in the parlour. He was smoking when she came down. This she ignored. "You have changed your tobacco, have you not?" she a«ked, in an ioy tone of disapproval He gazed 1 thoughtfully at the ond of his cigarette, codded slowly, and said meekly that he had. Felicia know the tort of stuff "sold at "the store," but she was much too polite to mention it. She rustled o-s er to tho corner where ehe keeps her private stock. "As long as you are smoking, you don't raie what it is, do you?" She paused long enough to ie-t the insult Goak in, then toesed him a box of her appro\ed brand.

"Do you mind changing for these?" A man cannot cry, so the brute merely gre.w red in the face. He threw his cigarette in the fire-place, and took one from, the box she had tossed him. ''You don't mind, do you?" she went en, opening the windows to let out the collcctpd f.nioke He eaid humbly that ho didn't. Then ho <?at and smoked and smiled This made Felicia mad. "Ac you know, I do not mind tobacco as a rule," sh© explained, "but the odour of that other cigarette- you iiad "' She refrained from eaying that vile tobrcco was disagr-ee-able to anyone. She hesitated over adding chat if he ran out of cigarettes he had better borrow of his friends thaa inflict them with the stuff from, the store-. But elie looked all this. At last the brute got in hi/5 work.

" You ccc," he started, as if to apologiee, "I didn't have any cigarettes with me."

"Ran out? One does if they smoka a great deal," ehe said, sweetly. "I knew you had changed tobaec-o the minute I started downstaira. I really rather like your iobaeco."

"Yes, I change-d," he oontinucd l , patiently. "You see, I'm> not out of tobacco. Just left my case ; such a hurry to get here ; and while I was waiting I took tho liberty of helping myself to yours. They are nice, are-nt the-y?" " Was that c-igaretto you were smoking when 7 came down one of mliie? And you let me air tbe> room? Au-d you thr&v- your cigarette- away and took another and nover said a word?" Folicia doubled up her firsts and stamped her foot. "I chall never speak to you again, you are a perfect moneter!" sho said, as she whirled out of tho room. And he was, wasn't he?