"O' course," said he slowly, "yo' own business is yo' own business,
Misteh Coyne. Only, suh, it seem like a awful shame to me. Seem like
bustin' up housekeepin' afteh you been married a long time.... Why not
wait a few days an' see how you feel then?"
"No! I'm through."
Jasper jerked his head in the direction of the lounging room.
"You tol' the otheh gen'lemen whut you goin' to do?" he asked.
"What's the use? They'd only laugh. They wouldn't believe me. Let 'em
find it out for themselves. And, by the way--there's my empty bag in the
corner. Dispose of it somehow. Give it away--sell it. You can have
whatever you get for it."
"Thank you, suh. You comin' back to see us once in a while?"
"Oh, I suppose so. With the wife and the kids. Well, take care of
yourself."
Jasper followed him to the door and watched until the little runabout
disappeared down the driveway.
"All foolishness--tha's whut it is!" soliloquised the negro.
"This golf game--she's sutny a goat getteh when she ain' goin' right.
Me, I ratheh play this Af'ican golf with two dice. That's some goat
getteh, too, an' lots of people quits it; but I notice they always
comes back. Yes, suh; they always comes back."
II
As the runabout coughed and sputtered along the county road the man at
the wheel had time to think over the whole matter. Everything
considered, he decided that he had acted wisely.
"Been playing too much golf, anyway," he told himself. "Wednesday and
Saturday afternoons, Sundays and holidays--too much!... And then
worrying about my game in between. It'll be off my mind now.... One
thing sure--Mary'll be glad to hear the news. That old joke of hers
about being a golf widow won't go any more. Yes, she'll have to dig up a
new one.... Maybe I have been a little selfish and neglectful. I'll make
up for it now, though. Sundays we can take the big car and go on
picnics. The kids'll like that."
He pursued this train of thought until he felt almost virtuous. He could
see himself entering the house; he could picture his wife's amazement
and pleasure; he could hear himself saying something like this:
"Well, my dear, you've got your wish at last. After thinking it all over
I've decided to cut out the golf and devote myself to the family. Yes;
I'm through!"
In this highly commendable spirit he arrived at home, only to find the
shades drawn and the front door locked. As Coyne felt for his key ring
he remembered that his wife had said something about taking the children
to spend the day with her mother. It was also the servant's afternoon
off and the house was empty. Coyne was conscious of a slight
disappointment; he was the bearer of glad tidings, but he had no
audience.
"Oh, well," he thought; "it's been a long time since I had a quiet
Sunday afternoon at home. Do me good. Guess I'll read a while and then
run over to mother's for supper. I don't read as much as I used to. Man
ought to keep up to date."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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