The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-07
HILTON JONES
BY JANE OSBORN.

assn lis otCAAO6A dHhCif Jul IuDt luCAA
Mrs. Hilton Jones appeared. She had
been at her club for the afternoon,
/ where she had been reading a paper
on the economic Independence of wo-
men. and she had just dropped around
to take Hilton Jones home in her Cleo
trio.
Il can't possibly go home now,
dear" he said suavely. I'VE are right
in the midst of moving"
But Mrs. Jones had her way in one
thing. If she were not able to take
him home with her at least she would
take him out to tea, and that would
give him strength for the hours of
work that stretched out before him.
At tea. amid the soft music, splash
ing fountain and subdued lights of
their favorite hotel tea room, she told
him of her success that afternoon, OF
her speech on the economic indepen-
dence of woman, on the Handwriting
that followed. the congratulations and
the thrill of achievement that went
with 1t.
"And now" she said, 81 am going to
ask you something. You know have
very little to do. There is no longer
any excuse for my remaining at home
and besides I want to be indepen-
dent"
alice" gasped Hilton Jones in ac-
tual establishment, don't you love
me?"
"of course. you old dear" she said.
But haven't you always had all you
wanted?"
Eyes, yet it has always been mine to
receive from you and never mine to
give. l have never felt as II could
do anything of my own accord that
money could accomplish. have no
money that is all my own. Now there
is Mrs. Dawson"
MRS. Dawson writes novels" put in
Hilton. Tom Changers wife has ia
ken to singing in cabarets, and old
Tim Maloneys wife takes in washing.
Which one of them do you envy
most?"
"Then you don't like the idea Of hav-
ing me do anything for a living?'
There is nothing exactly that you
could do, is there?" Hilton said this
very indulgently.
"But IL actually proved to you that
was of some business value?"
THAT might make different thing
of It," And there the tea table con.
versation on economic independence
ended. In the middle of the mass of
moving Hilton Jones had to 60 out
Of town for two days on pressing bust
ness.
When Hilton Jones reached town
again, two days later, he first called
up his wife on the phone from the
station.
Il can't wait to see you" she told
him. 80 you won't mind II come
right to your ONCE, will your"
He was pleased at this sign Of irn-
patience.
Mrs. Hilton Jones met her husband
in the entrance hall of the new ONCE
building and together they went to
the new rooms.
II was Mrs. Jones who seemed to
lead the way to his private office and
there. as elsewhere, everything was in
perfect order.
II did It," she said, "and I'm not q
bit the worse for the two long days
| I've put In. / told the efficiency en-
gineers to get out of my sight and
| discharged the decorators. Just
brought down Milly the cook and her
husband and went to work. When /
wanted to have the telephone put in
and the manager told me that a week
was the first date, Just went around
to see him. looked firm and told him
1t must be done. and they were ready
In twelve hours. AS for the lights, I
sent over the workmen and watched
them and told them how to do it, and
when they made mistake in measur-
ing the distances corrected them.
had my yardstick with me and Milly
helped.
II was the same way with these
carpets and all the rest. Sometimes
things looked as II they weren't going
to get Strengthened out, but l knew
that II there was will there was a
way and l wouldn't take mo- from
anybody. / had the scrubwomen In
here last night at nine o'clock, paid
each OF them 80 cents extra and by
midnight there wasn't scrap to be
SEEN"
OF course 1t took Hilton Jones some
time really to appreciate what had
happened. But as the day progressed,
after his wife had left him, he found
in a hundred different ways signs of
the care and forethought OF the one
who had performed that lightning feat
of moving.
That night he handed her a sealed
envelope which she opened and read
while he went to dress for dinner.
There was check inclosed for two
hundred dollars and the letter read:
Enclosed find check in payment for
services rendered as expert mover and
efficiency engineer. Will you accept a
salaried position on my stan as effici-
ency expert at salary of three thou
sand dollars a year? By your services.
which will be largely advisory, you
will more than save the concern that
amount, If the work you have done
within the last two days is any indica-
ton of your usual method. It will be
greatly to our financial advantage IL
you will accept this proposition. win
you give me few minutes, at coffee
in the drawing room, to let me ex-
plain more fully?"
Copyright, 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicatel