The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-05-17
The Perfect
Husband

Il should certainly like 10 mee'
your husband. Mrs. Talleck." said
Mrs. SPENCER.
$50 should l." echoed Mrs. Dryden
All the other women said the same.
Mrs. Talleck smiled beamingly. 81
hope" she told them emphatically
that you may, really do"
Mrs. Talleck spoke as though It was
a treat too great for mortal to receive
except specially favored. 1t was quite
as though she hoped they would each
have a great fortune left them. though
she doubted it. She did not seem to no
tice that some of the glances were
freighted with dislike. II she had she
doubtless would have taken the dis
like as q sort Of tribute. She did not
wonder that the poor things were en-.
vious and jealous.
At least that Is how Mrs. SPENCER
explained It. Mrs. SPENCER and Mrs.
Dryden and all the rest had husbands.
Of course; husbands of q sort: but
compared with the sort Of husband
Mrs. Talleck said hers was the other
husbands dwindled into such human
insists that their abashed owners
pushed them farther and farther into
the background each time they met
Mrs. Talleck. who had recently Joined
their sewing club.
It was not In human nature to be
otherwise than displeased that one
could not come back at Mrs. Talleck
gloriously and show her that her hus-
band wasn't so much after all.
In the first place. Mrs. Talleck's hus-
band was a remarkable looking man.
Mrs. Talleck told them all about how
when she first married him she was
frequently embarrassed by the atten.
tlon he attracted.
"And It happens yeti" she confided
to them. III you could see the way
the women look at him! But I don't
blame them. I don't see how they
could help It. He has the most won.
derful eyes-they seemed to draw one.
There is something overpowering
about him. suppose you would call It
personality. The minute that man steps
into a room-I don't care how crowd.
ed It is-everybody feels his presence.
Il 10 comical to see how everybody
stops talking and turns toward him. It
IA enough to make a woman proud,
can tell you!"
Eyes. indeed" said Mrs. Dryden po-
litely, because Mrs. Talleck looked at
her expectantly when she stopped
speaking. ut must be lovely" Mrs.
Dryden had heretofore been quite sat.
isfied with her own husband, but now
with a little twinge she recollected
that never In her whole married ca
recr had she had the Joy Of witnessing
a whole roomful Of people paralyzed
by the entry of John. Everybody had
always talked right on as though moth.
Ing much had happened
II suppose" Mrs. Talleck proceeded,
"1've grown rather used to his bril-.
liance-still. even yet realize how ex.
traordinary his wit Is. ! never re-
member his making a perfectly com.
monplace remark. Whenever he speaks
he makes what he says count. ! like
that in man."
"Yes. indeed" agreed Mrs. SPENCER.
at whom Mrs Talleck's gaze was d.
rected. She sighed. Hitherto she had
always enjoyed her own husbands
talkativeness. 1t had seemed cheerful
and boyish 1t was a new sensation to
be dubious on this point.
"And kind" Mrs. Talleck added. "If
there is anywhere more cOnsiderate,
polite, thought man than Henry Tai
leck I'd like to have him shown me-"
All the women looked confused
Their memories mercilessly tainted
them with sundry occasions when
their husbands had been none OF
those agreeable things. II was true,
then, what they had reluctantly given
up a. impossible there were men-or
at least. there was q man-who pos
sessed all the qualities Of the ideal
that every woman cherishes until Il ID
reduced to . FRAGILE before her eyes,
And Mrs. Talleck had him!
Three meetings Of the sewing club
had broken up In gloom. The mem
bers had departed sadly. apologetical
". hopelessly. The day when they
met at Mrs. Talleckis every woman'l
mouth was ct In arm line. Go homl
ct ave o'clock % usual! Not they!
They fingered after tea They "a
mired Mrs. Talleck's embroidered nap
kins and the photographs and they n
sisted on hearing the history Of each
Never before did women and % much
70 talk about Nobody appeared to Oh
serve that II was moro than dark out
side. Not . soul. apparently saw tAs
clock that stared them In the face.
The silence was. broken IN instant
later By Z falsetto voice that cried:
SAY. Why don't you oil this internal
lockf And DO smell cabbage cook
ing for dinnsef You know I hate cab
base!"
An underlined man, wearing spec
tacles and . pesvish expression, en-
tered and stared at them In an IN
noyed way. Everybody tumultuously
fed.
Two blocks away Mrs. Spengel
spoke DO you know" she said, n
am happier this minute than have