Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-19
The Head of the
House
By ELENOR HOLMES

long are you going to let your husband
%tyrannize yer your
%'"Tyrannize over me? Why, mother.
what do you mean?"
81 mean just what l say. William
Is a tyrant. Didn't l hear him refuse
! to give you the money you needed for
your fall hat?"
Martha thought a moment, then smil-
ed. 'You heard me ask him for S. for
a hat. He said he would not give me
So, for l couldn't get much of a hat
for that. He gave me $40"
ooh, he did, did he? He probably
did that to make you feel easy at hav-
ing to go without a new cloak. Ten
dollars for a hat saves $40 for a cloak"
"But l don't need a cloak. l spent
500 for one last November"
"What! That old thing with a sheep
skin collar! 1t isn't fit for a servant
girl to wear"
"Why, mother, dear, that collar is
mink, and the cloak is as good as new"
"That's not saying much for it. You
are the shabbiest dressed woman I
know Of. When l was your age | made
your father pony up for what l wore.
1 told him it would be time enough for
me to dress shabby when I'd got old.
I didn't intend to look like a bundle
of rags when I was young N hand
some. AS soon as we were married l
let him understand that | wasn't to
be his slave. And that's what every
wife needs to do right off. The longer
she puts off the harder it's going to be
to get the upper hand.'
But, mother, | don't want the upper
hand. VIII and l manage our affairs
jointly"
"If your father would have listened
to me we would have been rich today.
OF course l couldn't GO into his store
and run it; l had too much to do at
home. The consequence Is he vas al
ways buying goods he couldn't sell and
trusting persons who wouldn't pay,
and that's the reason I've had to be
contented to be a poor mans wife.
But when | had him at home l tell
you l made him toe the mark"
The young wife smiled. She knew
her mothers idiosyncrasies, and she
knew, too. that actors are not usually
takers. She considered her mother
harmless, and instead of being infu-
enced by her she humored her.
"You must remember, mother" she
said, that all women don't have the
firmness that you have"
"All right, if you want to take a
back seat and let a man ride rough
shod I'VE you. For my part, I don't
intend toilet any man boss me-"
Now, during the last words of this
dialogue Mr.. Bumbleton came into the
house and walked upstairs. His
wife's hearing was not of the best, and
she was not aware Of his approach.
On reaching the door of the room
where mother and daughter were talk
ing be paused and looked in. His
wife's back was to him, while his
spoke her last sentence he smiled at
Martha, then, assuming a sever ex-
preston, walked into the room.
Amelia" he said to his wife stern
1y, Il thought I told you to have the
lock on the front door fixed. I've been
fumbling with it for a long time. 1
come home tired with business, think
ing l have a wife at home to attend
to these little necessities, and, behold,
nothing is done. Why didn't you do
as l told your"
"Why, Henry, I forgot it."
Forgot it! Do you consider that
any xcu for neglecting your du-
ties?''
Now, Henry, I'm awful sor"-
Sorry! Does being sorry prevent
my struggling to get into my own house
half the afternoon? Hereafter I'd have
you to understand that when / tell you
to do anything I want you to do it."
I'll telephone for the locksmith at
once" And she started for the booth.
Come back here. Don't you know
you can't get a workman after 5
o'clock? What's the matter with you,
anyway|
During this storming the father cast
occasional glances at his daughter, who
frowned her orders for him to desist.
At this point she broke in:
Papa, you are very unkind. Mother
didn't feel well this morning and l
told her she had better lie down and
take a rest while / made her a cup of
tea. She didn't eat much breakfast,
you know. There now; that's a good
papa. Don't scold any more"
With this she vent to her father and
put her hand owe his mouth.
Every well; for your sake, my dear,
I'll overlook your mothers negligence
this time, but if it occur AGAIN.
He got no further, for his words
were stopped by a kiss from Martha.
At that moment Martha's husband
came in.
whats upT' he asked.
ooh, nothing much" replied his ia
ther-in-law. 81 just found it necessary
to exercise my authority as head of
the house. I would recommend you to