The herald., 1915-11-25


should like to know what was the use
of my college training if not to-
Exactly" Bob broke in. That's
what Id like to know too. II an
academic education doesn't help you
about the house, why study law on top
of it,"
Mrs. Ellington tossed her head.
You know as well as | do what l
mean" she insisted. In the first
place, | want to be able to talk intelli-
gently with you about your business
matters. You won't interest yourself
In my music, So | suppose | must in
tereSt myself in your law"
Thus Mrs. Ellington. as usual, had
her way. In three years time, against
the repeated protests Of her husband,
she added an Ii. b. to her arts degree
and successfully passed the bar exam
inatiOn.
1t was in the tenth year of their mar
ried life that this event took place, and
Bob was forced to admit that Mrs. Bill
lingtOn failed not at all III the per
Torrance of her household duties. Nor
did she lose any of her fem.Iinity, and
she continued To demand and receive
all the little attentions that her huS-
band had so unfailingly accorded her
ever since their marriage.
Only i'll one respect was the even
tenor of their married life disturbed
namely and TO wit, as the lawyers say,
i'll the matter of intelligent converSa-
ton" Bob still talked the usual do
nestle cOmmOnplaceS; but, while in the
past Mrs. Ellington merely echoed her
husbands opinions, she now managed
to twist BOb'S every sentence into a
moOted question of law. For instance,
if he said that the PorteOuSes had a
new coachman she protested to recog-
niZe in this an alluSion To the law of
master and servant, and she FASTENED
to introduce the doctrine of respond
ent superior"
She pursued these tactics until Bob
grew weary, and if he found the con-
versation tending toward legal dis
cussion he buried himself in the even
ing paper or pleaded headache and
retired to pipe in the library. New
ertheleSs at least four nights a week he
found himself unwillingly going over
his entire days work in the courts or
at the office, while Mrs. Ellington lis
tened with parted lips, fairly drinking
In the legal phraseOlOgy.
Now, this" she said at last, sis just
what I've been wanting TO do for you.
feel that I'm actually sharing the re-
spOnsibility Of your work, so that the
burden of 1t won't rest so heavily on
| you"
won't 1t, thought" Bob rejoined
1T means that do days work twice
over-once In the actual performance
of 1t and then again worrying it over
| with you i'm the evening. A sort of
legal cud chewing, l call it. And
BOwles, our managing clerk. is sick.
and I've got to hustle down to a dis
trict court tomorrow and try a miser-
able little case myself"
Mrs. Billington's eye cleaned
"Why don't you let me try it for
| you! she suggested.
you try it, Bob shouted. "Why,
by the sacred mackerel, if l ever let
| you put foot in one Of those dirty little
east side courts may be forever con-
demnedr'
The CLEAN died out Of Mrs. Billing
tons eye, but you may be sure that the
ambition which kindled it remained.
Ever since she had mastered-or
thought she had mastered-the law of
evidence she had been secretly anxious
to try case, and the opportunity was
not long in coming.
| "Just glance over this complaint, will
your she asked one morning at break
fast, passing over the table a formid-
able looking legal document.
THAT what?" said Bob.
Complaint" Mrs. Ellington went
on steadily. 81 presume you know that
| complaint is the name Of the first writ.
ten and verified pleading in an action
| at law. Well, this document is the
complaint in the case of Konvalinka
against Schultz-action for wages as q
| female servant"
"In the municipal court Of the city
of New York, borough of Manhattan,
Eighteenth district" it was headed.
Susan Konvalinka, plaintiff, against
Mary Schultz, defendant. The plaintiff,
complaining Of the defendant, by Mar.
ion Ellington, her attorney, respect.
fully alleges and shows
But Bob read no farther and handed
back the paper without a word.
"Wellr' said Marion. what do you
think of it?'
Think Of it," said Bob. "Why,
think this. I've been married to Mar.
ion Ellington for ten years and never
knew her to do an unwomanly thing
up to now"
He underscored the last three words
as plainly as a sudden vocal crescendo
permits.
"Unwomanly?" Marion cried indig.
nantly.
"Thats what l said,' Bob declared.
"When you spent your afternoons for
Only One Drawback.
ga puSSnn'S doc sah IL ono thing