The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-08-15
The Perfect
Husband

Mrs. SPENCER
$50 should l." echoed Mrs. Dryden.
All the other women said the same.
Mrs. Talleck smiled beamingly. i
hope" she told them emphatically'
that you may. really dol"
Mrs. Talleck spoke as though 1t was
a treat too great for mortal to receive
except specially favored. II was quite
as though she hoped they would each
have u great fortune left them, though
she doubted It. She did not seem to no
tice that some OF the glances we're
freighted with dislike. II she had she
doubtless would have taken the dis
like as a 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 a sort; but
compared with the sort Of husband
Mrs. Talleck said hers was the other
husbands dwindled into such human
misfits that their abashed owners
pushe them farther and farther into
the background each time they met
Mrs. Talleck, who had recently Joined
their sewing club.
II 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. Tallecks hus'
/ hor NJ III IpAlrtno
Mrs. Talleck told them all about how
when she first married him she was
frequently embarrassed by the atten'
ton he attracted.
"And It happens yeti" she confided
to them. 'If you could see the way
the women look at him! But I don't
blame them. 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 1t
personality. The minute that man steps
into room-I don't care how crowd
cd II is-everybody feels his presence.
II Is comical to see how everybody
stops talking and turns toward him. 1t
is enough to make woman proud. ]
can tell you!"
yes. indeed" said Mrs. Dryden po-
| litely, because Mrs. Talleck looked ut
her expectantly when she stopped
speaking. 1T must be lovely!" Mrs.
Dryden had heretofore been quite sat
isfled with her own husband, but now
with little twinge she recollected
that never in her whole married ca
| reer 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.
81 suppose" Mrs. Talleck proceeded,
I've grown rather used to his bril-.
liance-still. even yet realize how ex-
traordinary his wit Is. never re-
member his making perfectly COM
monplace remark. Whenever he speaks
he makes what he says count. like
that in a mani"
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. II was new sensation to
be dubious on this point.
"And kind" Mrs. Talleck added. III
there is anywhere a more considerable,
polite, thought man than Henry Tai
leck I'd like to have him shown mel"
All the women looked confused.
Their memories mercilessly tainted
them with sundry occasions when
their husbands had been none Of
those agreeable things. It was true,
then, what they had reluctantly given
up as mpossible-there were men-or.
at least, there was man--who pos
sessed all the qualities OF the ideal
that every woman cherishes until It Is
reduced to a 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-
ly, hopelessly. The day when they
met at Mrs. Talleck's every woman's
mouth was set In firm line. Go home
at five o'clock as usual? Not they!
They fingered after tea. They ad
mired Mrs. Talleck's embroidered nap
kins and the photographs and they IN
sisted on hearing the history OF each.
Never before did women find so much
to talk about. Nobody appeared to OBJ.
serve that 1t was more than dark out.
side. Not soul, apparently, saw the
clock that stared them In the face.
The silence was broken an instant
later by falsetto voice that cried
Say, why don't you oil this Internal
lock? And do smell cabbage cook
ing for dinner2 You know hate cab.
bage!"
An understood man, wearing spec.
tacles and a peevish expression, en-.
tered and stared at them In an an.
noyed way. Everybody unanimously
fed.
Two blocks away Mrs. SPENCER
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