The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-04
Copyright 1908 by Ben, B, Hampton.

Copyright 1908 by Benz B. Hampton
~ ONE spell Romance with capital R, but
L the second Mrs Hoople made choice.
Some go even as far as italics; but Mrs
Hoople did fancy work nine hours out
OF the twenty-four, and worsh1pped 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 more fully to engage her mind.
Once she had read somewhere Of woman VINO
had her breakfasts in bed and that really seemed
to be romance. But no Mrs. Hoople had ever eaten
her breakfasts in bed At 7 am, to the minute
expected to sit down to theirs. as at pm they
sat down to their dinner For Mr.; Hoople was
methodcal man, and AL had imbibed his habits
There was no exception to the rule. MT Hoopie
bookkeeper in a downtown shoe store; AL
studied at business college, and called on girl
Tuesdays Thursdays and Saturdays, and such is
the force of association that Mrs Hoopie found
all her moments regulated to habit-ther habit,
Of course--as if by iron code. Four hours
day were set apart for housework-to 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
was ON Wednesdays, when she walked down to the
Exchange with her handiwork, and brought home
the money owed to her. Big or little r, Roman
type or italics it was all the same Mrs. Hoope.
An would have expressed 1t just as Well
Yet after all, there was the romance of her
marriage Even Mr.. Hoople when he talked of it.
pressed itself on his hearers. He'd married her.
hadn't he. and given good home to her? There
Hoople expressed them clearly, and by habit.
both in we'll by speech. BY habit,
too she listened bust t s as ey nae Ms
when the second Mrs. Hoople wished the world
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 Hoople was as yet un.
thirty-fve, and had been married fourteen years.
None the less, it had been a romance in SO far as
1t began in this The day after her
mother died. Mena moved from the second story,
front, of the lodging house to the fourth floor,
Left
moved out altogether Indeed she preparing
to leave when Mrs Dunwiddie the lodging keeper
begged her to change her mind-nay in
sisted it. So hedged 'twixt the devil and the
deep sea Mena remained, the alternative being ex-
refusing to give up her trunks till the lodging bill
was paid; on the other. by moving to the fourth
ments. So Mena moved regarding the position OF
trunkless freedom as untenable. In the mean
while her father seemed to have disappeared.
In the fourth floor. front, of Mrs. Dunwiddie's
lived Elias Hoople self-contained. 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 nearby restaurant At eight-thirty Mr..
Hoople returned, each act regular as the func-
lions of clock. In time Mena struck up nod
ding acquaintance the stairs; and then, one
Sunday night came tap at Mena's door
She opened It. andy habit-paled d., at the
two-thrds of the debt. plus lawful interest at
eight per cent.
"You will tidy yourself immedjut," directed Mrs.
Dunwddie, land step in to tea time at six. Ordi-
nary, eat at five or whereabouts. but tonight
thurs reasons. Mind you don't keep me waiting.
They had veal loaf, prunes, hot biscuit, and tea,
and Mr.. Hoople was also at the board. After
wards Mena went back to her fancy work paste
cade. and destined for the Woman's Exchange
She sewed swiftly until half past eleven. and then
the prunes. the hot biscuit and the tea, each in
exquisite succession Later. by the same associa-
ton of ideas, she recalled Mr.. Hoople. 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 If by pro-
gramme, Mr.. Hoople told her he was a bookkeeper
in a downtown shoe store. At SIS, as by special
arrangements. he slipped in the fact he was
widower. Then, as if further resolved to prove
himself frank, free, and aboveboard, Mr.. Hoope.
at $50 by the clock said he had a small boy liv-
ing with his deceased wfe's sister. Outside, the
chimes struck on the minute Mr.. Hoople climbed
the stairs to his room
II was six weeks after this one Thursday night,
that Mena closed her door behind her. and walked
lures stared back at her from the mirror, face
starved and transparency pale desperately lack
hair was distressing. fiat, ginger-colored wisp
dragged back into scanty knot In the gas jets
Mena's study slowly turned itself to her eyes They
peered back at her wistfully orbs of pale lustre
much straining in too little light: so Mena gave
UP the scrutiny, and bracing back her shoulders,
tried to pinch in her waist. There was vanity
In the act, either in that in the slow unappeaI-
Ing study of her face and eyes and hair. Her ex-
preston was that of woman left enough for
more loaf of bread, but too little to go drug
\ gists Turning from the glass. she began YEARLY
to disrobe
NO she muttered conciseIy, 81 guess he'll be
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 one of the
things Mr. Hoople had spoken about that neat
sewing Of hers Idly. YEARLY. she'd told him what
1t brought her in; then Mr.. Hoopie. after mo-
ment's thought, had changed the conversation.
Drawing his chair little closer. he spoke of
riage naming its concrete comforts in tone he
knew to be alluring-as he showed One knee
was crossed comfortably on the other: he smiled
and leaned back and tugged at his side whiskers
and In armhole OF his waistcoat he inserted an
easy thumb Yes. that's right" he repeated
confidently. I'D oughter know. ben there, you
Little at the door-glad evening IS
weIcome-sippers warming by the nre-'nd then