The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-23

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But if I can't
II don't revert to these things to hui
initiate you, Mrs Perkins, but simply
to clear the ground for a start. 1t Is
a husbands business to praise mis- wife'i
playing, even II It gives him tOOthache
The cold fact is that neither of US car
play nor sing. Therefore, Of what u.s.
4 a thousand dollar fpiano2 You Will an
swer that one would look nice in thu
parlor. L gree with you; but when you
nave thousand dollar piano you rnusl
have a five hundred dollar rug tc 60
with it. Also. a new parlor suite.'
But there are several neighbors who
can play and sing protested Mrs. Per
kins.
II haven't the slightest doubt of it,
Mrs. Perkins. There are several neign-
bors who can wear your hats ANA
shoes, but are you going to keep has
and shoes for the neighbors2 Suppose,
however that we Went ahead and got
q new piano. DO you know that piano
playing makes women round shouldered
and weak chested and cCnsumptive 2''
Il never heard that it did and don't
believe it,"
I could give you medical statistics
by the cart load. Win the last ten
so common that the doctors attribute
it to piano playing. There are hundred
of instances where young ladies have
lost the use Of both arms for a year
If we had a plano I couldn't run the
risk of your losing the use of your
arms. How, then, could you longer hug
me? How prepare the meals and make
the bed?"
You are simply trying to twist out
of it, just as you always DO" said Mrs.
Perkins with her eyes full of tears
My dear 1 am no tWister. 1 am
simply a logician and a philosopher. I
reason things to a conclusion. We can
not afford a thousand dollar piano, and
on top of it five hundred dollar rug, a
$3.50 parlor suite, and five or six paint
ings costing a hundred dollars apiece.
All that capital would be shut up in a
cold parlOr for the winter. If put into
ice for next season it might be doubled.
And there's another thing"
"Oh. you can be finding EXCUSES for
a week to come"
This is no excuse. but fact. That
old straight-legged, broken-keyed
piano belonged to my first wife Don't
jump up and grow red In the face. for
L m not hitting at you. The first time
I called to see her. when we were both
young people, she was playing on that
piano. She was pounding She was
bowling Her eyes were rolling heav-
EDWARDS. I fell in love with her at
once"
I won't stay!'' declared Mrs. Per-
kins as she stamped her foot on the
floor.
Just a moment. my dear. She con-
tinued TO pound ana howl all through
our engagement. She brought the old
Iiann along when we were married.
Every day and every evening 1t was
pound ana howl I talked to her of the
risks she ran. but she was self-willed.
She finally began to fade. The doctor
said she lasted a year longer than he
expected but she went with a rush
when she did &C. She had been pound
ing and bowling one evening, and the
neigh bors had teleDhOned for the po-
lice and all the dogs fer mile around
were barking, when I observed a sud
den change come over her and she fell
off the piano stool and was dead in one
moment. She never opened her eyes
nor spoke. There's my case, Mrs. Per
kins, and
It say you are dodger and
twisteri" exclaimed Mrs. Perkins as
she gave a sniff of contempt and
walked stihlv out of the room.
Mr. Perkins stopped to scratch his
ankle, and then Strengthened up TO
scratch his nose. and then smiled and
ssAd to himself.
but then. don't a married man