Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1917-12-04
Marbles EFFICIENCY
BY JANE OSBORNE.


There was just enough of the house
wifely in his thoroughly masculine
makeup to make him feel convinced
that, were he a woman, there would
be deep content in making biscuits and
bread and cake and pies in front of one
of those devices, with the neat little
rows of spice boxes all ranged most
conveniently to hand, where sugar and
-four could be measured out In cup
fuls and sifted at the simple turn of
a lever and where all the dishes that
anyone might need for cooking for two
were within easy reach. And at the
department store that Martin passed
every night on his way home from
business, there was a whole window
full of those tempting, soul-disturbing
cabinets, ranging from little oak ones
at $19.74 to white enameled affairs at
$99.69. A woman stood beside him
looking longingly at them, too, and as
Martin saw her he sighed. If Marble
only liked kitchen cabinets.
After Martin had INDUCED his dream
for housewifely joy In this fashion,
dinner at the boarding house, to which
he always brought strong, brave ap-
petite, seemed less sufficient and less
satisfying than ever.
That night as Marble was sitting
Misunderstanding of course-one of
Ibsen's plays Martin, as usual, was
buried In the evening paper. But his
longings pursued him even there. For
there, spread over ha,f page of the
evening paper, was an advertisement Of
those tantalizing kitchen cabinets with
cuts almost as tempting as the cabi-
nets themselves and column of de-
scription of all their virtues.
He felt Marbles eyes on him and,
he heard just the suggestion of sob.
"What's the matter? Aren't you
happy?" Martin soothed. After Mar
dies sobs there had been the tempest
Of Marbles tears and then came the
soothing of them. I'm so glad you
asked that" Marble frightened, "be-
cause I'm not just exactly happy and
/ didn't want to have to tell you. I've
been making plans-and you are al
ways so busy with that horrid old pa
per and the stock quotations and the
real estate reports saw you reading
those reports this very minute-that /
never get time to tell you. Even if
/ am woman" she went on, "there is
no reason why I should not be an in
dustrial factor. There is no reason
why I should not become efficient;
there is no reason why / should be
parasite" To Martin all this sound
ed deadly familiar. He had heard it
lots of times before and he could en-
dure no more.
81 know" he murmured. "Pve heard
that dope before"
"But not just this" Marble persist
ed. "You see Industrial conditions
have changed woman's position"
Martin dropped his head In his
hands peeyishly. "Oh, don't" he was
almost fierce as he spoke. ''Don't go
INTO details. What put that sort of
thing into your head, anyway"
yesterday I went to a conference
of the Woman's College club"
'LordT Martin was one Of the men
who believed that he disliked all col
lege women on principle. "Cut that
out. / don't want to hear it."
Marbles tears were dry. swell,
since you won't listen to explanations"
she said with hauteur, "there won't be
any. / want to take course at col
lege. I feel that my education has
been neglected. I want to become eff
fcient l want to" She was trying
to explain again.
Not with my money you can't take
a college course" was Martins YER
dict. "You know my prejudice"
Nobody said anything about your
money" snapped the wife. The fact
that she had never spoken in that tone
before made il all the more cutting,
now that ii came. Il may be poor,
but I'm not q pauper. I've got few
hundred dollars in the bank and I'll
use that and ask no questions. / was
going to explain-but you wouldn't
understand"
This took place one evening in Sep
TENDER just when the law classes at
the university were forming. And be-
cause Marble was gone from home five
or six hours every day, Martin knew
that she had kept her threat. If she
ever studied at home, IL rs were
always well concealed in tn vening
and Marbles conversation betrayed
nothing Of the subject on which her
mind must be dwelling during the
hours Of the day. One day in May he
found letter on bis desk. He opened
1t. Department of Household Arts
was the heading on the folded sheet
within. sThe honor Of your company
Is requested at luncheon TO be given
Saturday at one o'clock by the gradu-
ating class In household management.
The luncheon is to be prepated and
served entirely By members of the
class
When he reached the domestic sci
ence laboratory at the university five
minutes ahead OF time, no Marble was
to be seen.
The instructor Of the class Was there
to greet the guests
ssOh, yes, Mr. Stone. So clad to
meet you she was saying after he
had inquired for his wife. .'Sne will
be IN presently, but she is so capable
that .gs,e Is In charge of the luncheon.
That is what delays her in the kitchen.
Did she tell you thar next year we are
going tc make room for her as part
time lecturer? Mr.. Stone, you are
such fortunate man to have wife
who Is so hone-loving."
fCopyright, 1917. by the Mcclure Nawspa-
per Syndicats.1