The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-03
TIE EVENING STOR r
THE PASSING or ROMANCE
CBy W. Crawford sherlock-)

JOhn, 1 think II IS just u -
What is that. Mary MI StflllIs +
laid down his paper with an. lll-sup- I
pressed sigh and turned TO ms WIZ |
who was busily sewing on the opposAte /
side of the table.
ed Mrs. Atkins, inpatiently- FFoWIl-
ing like 3 thunder cloud Just peelLss /
I dared to interrupt your reaollls 10
evening paper. It's always the same
thing. You have become as seItle9 ~
your ways as if you were sixty NOW,
/ think it is dreadful to let ourselves
get that way when We We oniy oesli
married fifteen years. ~,
What would you suggest, dear
asked her husband, feeling that the
only possible hope he had Of resunali asgz
his paper lay in mild methods
have been under the impression that
we were rather model couple.
| why, we've lost all the romance U
! life" retorted his Wife when we mrs.
met. and even after we were maIIlSds
we used to take nice long walks ana
drives or go to the theater oItet-
Now we don't do anything puI SIT
around in the evenings, you reaolhg
your paper and sewing until oedtlme-
1t is not right
Mr. Atkins did not reply; neither did
/ he resume his paper His VIE re-
marks had awakened memories OF
pleasant days of long ago, yet, pleasant
as those days had been, the present
life suited him better. He loved ms
home. To him it was the oasis Where
the desert of business life. The quiet
smoke and the evening paper after
| supper, when the children were snug
in bed, were sources of keen enjoy
ment. Being a just man, however ne
| began to consider the other side OF the
question. His wife had strenuous
days. too, in the home, yet evening
brought no change to her, as it did to
him No wonder she vearned for the
romance of former days. She must
have some relief from the dull monot-
ony of home life, and he resolved 10
see to it.
Accordingly the next morning Mr.
Atkins purchased tickets for the night
performance at the theater. Mrs. At
kins just dubbed over with JOY at the
prospect and became quite girlish as
she prepared for the unusual occasion.
She chung to her husbands arm as
they walked down the street, and mes
tied close to him in the car The hf-
. teen years of married life were forgot
ten The four little Atkinses, slumber-
ing peacefully at home, faded away
for the first time in their short lives
from their mothers thoughts. once
again she was a blushing girl seated
| by her lovers side.
The first act of the play was finished
and Mrs. Atkins still dreamed. Then a
horrible thought forced itself upon
= her. In her hurry to dress she had
forgotten to give Tommy his medicine.
The boy had been sick, and the doctor
/ had told her on no account to fail &c
! give the usual dose at night. This
1 was enough. A crowd of thoughts OF
+ household cares surged upon her mind
I Was little Mary covered up, or had
= she thrown her covers off and the
careless nurse failed to replace them
Had she placed the dough IN a warm
spot so that it would be light enough
! in the morning to bake? Had the
butcher brought the meat for break
fast and the grocer sent the coffee
! She could not rem ember anything per-
/ tanning to her home; she had been sc
: Hurried in preparing for the theater.
e Romance fed for the time being al
2 least. Mrs. Atkins became once more
, the mother and the housewife. UpOr
! the plea of a headache she whispered
her wish to return home and her hus-
I band, weary of the play and hungry
) for his cigar and a glance at the even
= ing paper. willingly accompanied her
The following afternoon, in pursu-
f ance of his plan, Mr.. Atkins hired 9
[ horse and buggy to take his wife oui
for a drive. Mrs Atkins, having beer
I previously advised of the arrangement
had so provided for her household
duties and the care of the children
that no perturbation of mind coulC
possibly arise on those scores. Witt
f a buOyant heart, she sprang into tbs
buggy and they drove to the park
! Mrs. Atkins felt that nothing coule
, possibly mar the enjoyment of this oc
: casion, but she again reckoned with
out her host. Time. those fifteen years
had changed her from a slender CIR
: to rather stout woman, and John haC
likewise developed into very ccrpu
lent person.
-, The seat of the buggy was too small
for the full enjoyment of the trip. IN
Z deed, it soon became simple torture t,
! Mrs Atkins as they jolted over some
a rough places.
$ John, I can't stand this any long
g err she groaned, as the buggy wen
) over boulder lying in the road on he
3 husbands side, and his Weivht pressed
her against the sidebar of the vehicl,
d so forcibly that she felt sure her hi
e was dislocated.
n ITS pretty rough. assented Mr.
o ATKINS, who was equally as uncOmfort
n able. Let me slip back and you 81
e on the edge of the seat. Thatll Civ,
us more room.
This arrangement did fairly well 70,
a time until Mrs. Atkins, sitting Dol
a upright, without any support for he
- back, began to feel the effects of he
n strained position. Her husband
- thinking only of the days of long ago
/, placed his disengaged arm around he
! waist to support her, but his wife de
. cidedly objected.
! 1T is broad daylight, john she de
u INJURED. what would people think /
they saw us driving in the park in sucl
way? You forget we are old mar
ried people,
t That's what thought you wante,
d to forget, Mary observed her hus
band. rather relishing the turn affair,
d had taken.
V, 80 do" returned Mrs. Atkins Sc
3 verely, but you know I never allowet
you to put your arm around me whei
IS any one was present. I think we hai
better go home
AS they turned into the road tina
led homeward, they noticed a mass o
dark clouds that had gathered in tn
k west. Mr.. Atkins applied the viii
" freely, but the liverynan had selecte
a horse suitable for the use Of a mid
dle-aged couple and all the efforts a
a n
" drops began to fall and then the storm
e, broke in all its fury. They were
mile away from shelter and Mrs. At
kins would not let her husband driv