The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-07-07
CcOryrsht. 1915. By the Mcclure Newspaper syndl
catel
BOUT the sine that JOEL Ne

d n yellow waIling-stick down to
work each morning his mother no.
ticed a growing tendency on his part
to patronize her. Now Mrs. Emma !
McChesney, successful, capable BUSH
ness woman that she was, could af-
ford to regard her young sons atti-
tude with a quiet and deep amuse-
ment. In twelve years Emma McChes-
ney had risen from the humble posi-
ton of stenographer in the Office of
the T. A. Buck Featherloom Petit
coat Company to the secretaryship
of the firm. So when her young son,
backed by the profound business
knowledge gained in his one year with
the Berg, Shriner Advertising Com
pany, limited gently that her methods
and training were archaic, Intellectual,
and lacking in those twin condiments
known to the twentieth century as pep
and ginger, she would listen, eye
brows raised, lower lip caught be-
tween her teeth-a trick which gives
q distorted expression to the fea-
lures, calculated to hide any lurking
tendency to grin. Besides, though
Emma McChesney was forty she
looked thirty-two Gas business women
do), ana knew it. Her Woodworking
life had brought her in contact with
people, and things, and events, and
had kept her young.
Thank fortuneP' Mrs. McChesney
often said, that I wasn't cursed with
. life of >ase. These massage-at-ten-
6tting-at- leven-bridge-at-one women
always pix such hags at thirty
Eve"
But repetition viii ruin the rarest
Of jokes. AS the weeks went on and
Jocks attitude persisted, the twinkle
ir Emma MeChesney's eye died. The
glow of growing resentment began to
burn in its place. Now and then there
crept into her eyes little look of
doubt and bewilderment. You some
times see that same little shocked,
dazed expression in the eyes of a
woman whose husband has just said,
"Isn't that hat too young for your"
Then, one evening, Emma McChes-
ney's resentment fared into open re-
volt. She had announced that she in
tended to rise half an hour earlier
each morning in order that she might
walk brisk mile or so on her way
downtown, before taking the sub
way.
"But won't it tire you too much,
Mother?" Jock had asked with mad
deningly tender solicitude.
His mothers color heightened. Her
blue eyes glowed dark.
Look here, Joctl Will you kindly
stop this 1ean-on-me- grandma stuff
To hear you talk one would think 1
was ready for wheel chair and gray
wooden bedroom slippers"
"Why, I didn't mean-I only
thought that perhaps overexertion in
a woman of your-That is, you need
your energy for
Don't wallow around in it, snap
ped Emma McChesney. You'll only
sink in deeper in your efforts to crawl
out. I merely want to warn you that
if you persist in this pose of tender
solicitude for your doddering old
mother, I'1l-In present you with a
stepfather year younger than you.
Don't laugh. Perhaps you think
couldn't do it"
"Good Lord, Motheri Of course you
don't mean it, but"
MEAN It'll Cleverer women than ]
have been driven by their children to
marrying bell-boys in self-defense. ]
warn you'll"
That stopped it-for a while. JOCK
ceased to bestow upon his mother
judicious advice from the vast store
house of his own experience. He re.
Trained from breaking out with elab.
crate advertising schemes whereby
the T. A. Buck Featherloom Petticoat
Company might grind every othei
skirt concern to dust. He gave only
a startled look when his mother mis-.
chievously suggested raspberry a:
the color for her new autumn suit
Then, quite suddenly, Circumstanc,
caught Emma McChesney in tn,
meshes and, before she had fought
her way free, wrought trouble anc
change upon her.
Jock McChesney was seated in tn,
window of his mothers Office at moor
of brilliant autumn day. A littl,
impatient frown was forming between
his eyes. He wanted his luncheon. H,
had called around expressly to taxi
his mother out to luncheon-alway,
a festive occasion when taken togeth
er. But Mrs. McChesney, seated a
her desk, was bent absorbedly over
sheet of paper whereon she was add
ing up two columns of figures at
time-a trick on which she rattle
prsJad ha~ea1c CT. ,,-as so,.-k