The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-11-16
TIE EVENING STORY
The Honey Bee.
CBy virginia Blair.)

donned it, she pondered on the lack
of color in her existence. Everything
was at a dead level.
People without money can't have
good times in these days" she had
told her husband the night before.
| He had, somewhat YEARLY, acqGi-
esced. 81 am sure I wish 1 was rich
for your sake, Abbie."
| Don't you wish it for your own? y
| she had retorted.
IF you were happy, I'd be-" he re-
Piled.
With her anger flaming. she had
| insisted, "You wouldn't. You want
things as much as 1 do. I'm not dis
contented. Goodness only knows I've
put up with more than most women
She had been startled when he 1ad
said, sternly, What do you mean?
What have you to put up with,
Abbie?"
"Oh, lots of things" she had fall
tered, vaguely.
Lack of money is the one thing
that you have had to bear" he had
| insisted steadily. 1T have loved you,
| do love you, but if any one had told
me that the woman L married in all
| the flush of young romance, the
woman who had said she would he
happy with me on a mountain top or
| a desert island, would throw up TO me
after two years of married life the
fact that I wasn't a success SIS a
| lieved her.
"Oh, but I do love you, Charlie"
she had told him, hastily.
"I am not sure that you do" he
had said, slowly, eff you are bored,
and I am to blame. Yet there's this
''What?' She had felt that some
how her husband was getting the
best of her. He usually took her
complaints meekly. But now it
seemed as if the worm had turned.
II must tell you this. That if 1 am
not a success as a husband, Abbie,
you are not a success as a wife,
She had stared at him, uncompre-
bending. ''What?' she had stam-
mered.
You have not realized my ideal. I
love you. You are my wife, and no
one can ever creep closer into my
heart than you. But the things I
dreamed of haven't come to pass. I
am a practical man, Abbie, but before
I married you I had a dream of a
home and a woman in it who was
like the fire on the hearth, a vivid,
sparkling presence. I thought of the
nights when 1 would come back to a
comforting sympathy. 1 thought of
shining cleanliness, of books reads to-
gether beneath the lamplfght. OF the
little excursions to the home of our
neighbors, with you contentedly and
serenely making the way for us So
cially, bringing into our circle the
guests which were to be tied to us
by our hospitality and thus become
our lifelong friends. Instead Of that"
he drew a long breath and looked
away from her, instead of that, you
have taekn no interest in oyur home.
I have worked hard, no woman who
has not bent all day over a desk
knows how hard, and you are bIam-
ing me because I am not willing to
have you play the butterfly. Well, L
am not willing. I wanted a honey
bee in my homeland I tell you
frankly that I am Disappointed; I
have no home; 1 have no hearth !
stone-I have only wife who blames |
me because I can't give her an cuto- |
mobile and a trip abroad"
After that Abbie had wept, and her !
husband had soothed her, but he had |
not apologized, and this morning |
Abbie was facing the truth of what |
he had said.
Outside the snow was blowing, in !
side Abbie's incompetent maid was |
doing the ineffective mornings work i
which made the house a sort of /
dreary stopping place.
ooh, dear" said Abbie, and buried |
her face in the pillow.
She was aroused by the arrival of |
her maid with the mail
The first letter that she read was
from her mother Dearest child" it
said, Il am so worried about your
husband. Everybody up here is talk
ing of how badly he looks. They say
he is working too hard. Can't you
make him take a holiday, and both
of you come up here and rest? 1t
would do you good. and give Charlie
the change he needs. Let me know
right away, and don't fail to come
Abbie Chester sat up straight, the
color all gone from her face. Char
lie is looking badly and she had
been driving him. She shuddered
and covered under the covers, and
presently she cried, shaking her bed
with sobs.
But when she emerged at last from her
woe there was a look of determination
on her face. She slipped out of bed
and dressed quickly.
The maid of all work was surprised to
see her indolent mistress in the kitchen
before lunch.
whats for dinner, Janie?'' said Mrs
Chester, brightly. Lets have something
good. Something Mr.. Chester likes
There's the rest of the lamb stew"
suggested jamie, vaguely. Il might warm
1t up"
Abbie knew her husband hated lamb
stew. But she had taken little interest
In his likes, and what she saved on her
table she had been able to spend for
her own pleasures She realized suddenly
that she did not even know her husbands
preferences What do you think he'd
like, Janie?" she demanded.
Steaks high" said the girl dub
lously.
IT remember we had supper once, after
a sleigh ride, and he said when the ham
was good and the eggs fresh there was