The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-03


~ ONE spell Romance with capital r. but
the second Mrs. Hoople made no choice.
Some go far italics; but Mrs.
Hoople did fancy work nine hours out
of the twenty-four, and worshipped no
false idols Her day began at half past six;
and between the fancy work and the fact that Mr..
Hoople came home at half past five at night, there
was enough, If not fully to engage her mind.
Once she had read somewhere CT woman who
had her breakfasts in bed, and that really seemed
to be romance. But no Mrs. Hoople had ever eaten
her breakfasts in bed At Z am, to the minute
expected to sit down to theirs as at 6 pm they
sat down to their dinner. For Mr.. Hoople was
methodical man, and AL had imbibed his habits
There exception to the rule. Mr.. Hoople
bookkeeper in downtown shoe store; Al
studied at a business college, and called girl
Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and such is
the force of association that Mrs Hoople found
all her moments regulated to habit-their habit,
of course--as If by an iron code. Four hours a
day were set apart for WORDSWORTH making
beds and cooking, to sweeping, busting, washing,
ironing, mending, and then the remainder was hers
for fancy work. The only break in this routine
Wednesdays, when she walked down to the
the money owed to her. Big or little +, roman
type italics, it all the same to Mrs. Hoople
An would have expressed 1t just as we'll
Yet. after all, there the romance of her
marriage Even Mr. Hoople, when he talked of it..
assumed air of almost large nobility, that i'm
pressed itself his hearers. He'd married her.
hadn't he and given good home to her? There
seemed to deny the facts, since Mr.
Hoople expressed them so clearly, and by habit.
too she listened passively, just as, by habit Mr..
Hoople often spoke of it. But there were times
were free from habit. Her father had been a man
of habit, too-or habits rather if collectively ex-
pressed. They had resulted in her mother leaving
him to them. when Mrs Hoopie was as yet un-
married, and not quite twenty-one Now she was
thirtylfve, and had been married fourteen years.
None the less, it had been romance in SO far as
it was unusual.
It began in this manner: The day after her
mother died Mena moved from the second story,
front, of the lodging house to the fourth floor.
back. Left to her own decision. she would have
moved out altogether Indeed she was preparing
to leave, when Mrs Dunwiddie. the lodging keeper.
begged her to change her mind-nay, even in
sisted on it. So hedged ,twixt the devil and the
pressed suitably by Mrs. Dunwiddie, on one hand.
refusing to give up her trunks till the lodging bill
floor, back, and paying off the debt in INSTALL
ments. So Mena moved, regarding the position or
trunkless freedom as untenable In the mean
WHILE her father seemed to have disappeared.
In the fourth floor 'front.' of Mrs. Dunwddie's
lived Elias Hoope. self-contaned, quiet gentle
man. wearing pale, respectable side whiskers and
white string tie. At five thirty, to the minute.
Mena always heard Mr. Hoople's key rattle in his
door At six. to the dot. Mr. Hoople emerged and
sought a nearby restaurant. At eight-thirty Mr..
Hoople returned. each act regular the func-
tions of clock. In time Mena struck up nod
Sunday night. came tap at Mena door,
She opened it, andy habit-paled at the
presence of the landlady, to whom she still owed
two-thirds of the debt plus lawful interest at
eight per cent
You will tidy yourself immedjut," directed Mrs.
Dunwiddie, ''and step in to tea time at six Ordi-
nary, 7 eat at five or Whereabouts. but tonight
thurs reasons. Mind you don't keep me waiting.
and Mr.. Hoople was also at the board After
wards Mena went back to her fancy work. paste
board handkerchief box covered with pink bro
cade and destined for the Womans Exchange
She sewed swiftly until half past eleven, and then
she crept into bed, Mena recalled the veal loaf
the prunes, the hot biscuit, and the tea, each in
exquisite succession. Later by the same associa-
ton Of ideas, she recalled Mr.. Hoope. He had
asked permission to call on her Tuesday evening
In the parlor naming quarter of eight as the
hour. At twelve minutes to eight Tuesday
Mena went down to the parlor and found him
looking at his watch. At eight as il by pro-
gramme, Mr.. Hoople told her he a bookkeeper
in downtown shoe store At SIS, as by special
arrangements. he slipped in the fact he
widower. Then if further resolved to prove
himself frank, Free and aboveboard, Mr.. Hoople
at $50 by the clock, said he had small boy liv-
chimes struck on the minute as Mr.. Hoople climbed
the stairs to his
1t was six weeks after this one Thursday night
that Mena closed her door behind her, and walked
to the looking-gla Her small pinched fea-
lures stared back at her from the mirror, face
starved and transparently pale, desperately lack
ing the slightest claim to good looks Even hel
hair was distressing, a fiat, ginger-colored wisr
dragged back into scanty knot In the gas jets
garish light, 1t looked like drled-out oakum and
Menas study slowly turned itself to her eyes. They
peered back at her wstfully, orbs of pale lustre
less blue their lids Redeemed to the rims from
much straining in too little light: so Mena gave
up the scrutiny. and, bracing back her shoulders
tried to pinch in her waist There vanity
In the act. either in that or in the slow. unappea
ing study of her face and eyes and hair. Her ex
preston was that of a woman left enough for one
more loaf OF bread. but too little to go to drug
gsts Turning from the glass, she began wearil,
to disrobe.
No. she muttered concisely, .I guess he'll BIZ
the only one
She crept down between the sheets. On the
table her fancy work lay unheeded the Exchange
would have to wait Strange, too for of the
things Mr. Hoople had spoken about that nea
sewing of hers. Idly YEARLY she'd told him wha
1t brought her in; then Mr.. Hoope, after mo
Inents thought had changed the conversation
Drawing his chair little closer, he spoke of mar
rage naming its concrete comforts in a tone h,
knew to be aliuring-as he showed One kne,
was crossed comfortably the other: he smilet
and leaned back and tugged at his side whiskers
and in armhole of his waistcoat he inserted al
easy thumb Yes, that's right" he repeated
confidently. I'D oughter know. l ben there yo,
Little woman at the door-glad evening
welcome--slippers warming by the friend thel