Section 13. Then again, Corydon would be going into town to do some shopping; and he would ask her to bring out the afternoon paper. It would be the day of the October massacre, for instance; and he be on fire for the next batch of news. He would explain this to her; he would tell her again and again—whatever else she forgot, she must remember the afternoon paper. He would walk out to meet her, burning with impatience; and he would ask for the paper, and see a blank look come over her face.
Then, of course, he would scold. He had certain phrases—“How perfectly unspeakable! Perfectly paralyzing!” How she hated these phrases!
“I had so many things to get!” she would exclaim.
“But only one thing for me, Corydon!”
“Everything is for you—just as much as for myself! All these groceries—look at the bundles! I haven’t had a single moment—”
“But how many moments does it take to buy a newspaper?”
“But Thyrsis—”
“And how many times would I have to tell you? Have I got to go into town myself, just for the sake of a newspaper?”
“I tell you I tried my very best to remember it—”
“But what’s the matter with you? Is your mind getting weak?”