The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-03

For a prank Janet stealthily opened the door to Waits study. She sur prised him drowning over sheaf of bills and a black covered check book. As her hands closed over his eyes he tried to shove the bills and check book out of sight.
 Police! Help! I'm being Kidnapped" he bawled to divert her attention from his action.
 But her woman swiftness of per ception foiled that.
 "Mr Stedman. as your lawful we'd ded wife I demand to see them papers you is secretin' from the partner of your bosomw she cried in tragedy queen style. pointing rigid finger at the drawer into which Walt had stuffed the things.
 Walter shook his head firmly.
 "Only a few little private debts of--of mine!'
 Janet knew exactly what he was hiding. She wanted to bring about the settlement of difficult matter and began under the guise of banter She reached the drawer and brought out the check book and bills. Walter pro- tested.
 Waiter Stedman, I'm surprised at you," Janet said severely. Don't you know that as a married man you have no right to privacy-to keeping any thing from your wife,"
 She was poking good natured fun at her new role. but her anxiety to get the issue at hand settled showed through her joking. She glanced at the bills. Then she looked at the modest balance Walt had in the book.
 T thought so." she said soberly. These are the bills for fitting up our home. You were going to send checks for them your little bank account and I know you didn't intend to tell me anything about 1t. In just an hour, if I did not stop you, you would have left AS poor dollars in your name in the bank Walter Stedman, you're not living up to the agreement son which we married"
 He knew 1t. But the difficulty he felt at the outset in agreeing to the arrangement was with him more strongly than before.
 Its mans part to pay the ex- penses of his home" he said lamely.
 Janet took his face in her hands and held it firmly for attention.
 Listen to me, sir" she said, shak- ing him. You can't go back on your agreement to share ffty-fifty with ne on all expenses we incur in common. It isn't fair-and our agreement is. There was I languishing for you in my hall bedroom--alone. There were you pining for me in your hall bedroom alone. You. as conventional moss back would have kept up this state of affairs until you made enough money to marry and support me. I. as a mod ern business woman. refused in the first place to be supported; and I re- fused in the second place to wait for marriage till you made your pile.' l proposed that we move our hall bed rooms together. add a kitchen and a living room and study and throw the door between them open Of course we had to get married to keep the com munity from tar and feathering us. But is that any reason why you should pay for my hall bedroom and my half of the kitchen and study? Especially since I earn almost as much as you do?"
 "A man pays womans car fare when he's with her" he protested. "Why should he not pay her rent when she's with him?''
 "Walter Stedman. is our marriage to be exactly the same hum-drnm, con- ventional. stereotyped. barrel-organ- tune, rubber stamp kind of marriage, undistinguished from a billion other marriages. or is 1t to be unique, orig inal. modern. sensible? You're regu- lar husbandi"
 I'm not a regular husbandi" Walt protested heatedly, wagging his finger