The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-08-15
EVENING STORY
John Jones-Hero!
(By Joan Rugby.)


watch with the other. Mrs. Jones
knew what he was going to say next.
He said it. Five minutes Guess
I'm all right
If he had not uttered those very
words as he had every morning, ex-
cept Sundays and holidays, for fifteen
years, Mrs. Jones would have taken
his temperature and sent for the doc
tor. Jones was very method'cal,
deadly methodical.
If Mr.. Jones missed his train-altho
that never happened-it would have
been not because he was Late but be-
cause the train was early; and if he
came down to breakfast ten minutes
ahead of time it was not that Mr.. |
Jones was early but that the clock
was slow and breakfast late. Mr..
Jones was never wrong; he was never
excited, nor in a hurry, nor out of
humor, nor anything, for that ma tier,
but plain john Jones Even his
name had to be John, If it had
only been Florian, or Absalom, or
Ishkabiladab, or something,
Mrs Jones sighed. 1t wasn't sigh
of regret, for she had nothing to re-
great. John was good to her, gave
her enough money TO run the house
and buy the few clothes she needed
for their uneventful life. The living
room didn't need a new rug, The
vacuum cleaner was as good as new,
she didn't want an automobile and
her spring hat was becoming. But
she sighed again, nevertheless. The
trouble was that Mrs. Jones would
have welcomed something to SIGH
for If only something would happen!
Anything!
She laid the paper aside and finish
ed her coffee; but instead of clear
ing the table, she sat inert-one
could hardly say thoughtful. for she
had almost lost the power of think
ing-so little ever happened to think
about.
E,varv othor woman Sbe koau had
something to keep her occupied. To be
sure, it was trouble in some cases; but
even trouble is better than an empty
nothing. The Cribbses had a new
baby every year and couldn't keep
help; the Prelans had a brother who
ran away with the banks money and
they had TO sell their house to make
it up; the Kinks had a fire; the Nc
Creas had a fortune left them and the
Carriers ran into ditch with their
car. Only the. Joneses lacked these
exciting experiences that made life
interesting.
Mrs: Jones began to realize that
something was very much wrong this
morning. She was tired of washing
the dishes and putting them away
only to get them out again for lunch;
she was tired of darning Johns little,
worn socks, tired of making apple
tapioca pudding the way John liked
it, tired of doing everything.
Finally she got up and went into
the living room There was Johns
chair with the deep hollow worn in
the seat, there was the footstoo1 he
liked, his smoking stand, his huni-
dor, the book he had been reading
with the place carefully marked. Mrs.
Jones looked at all these things with
sudden revulsion and gave the stool
a little kick out of the way. John
Jones, I'm sick and tired of every
thing" she said aloud, then started
at the sound of her own voice
Whats wrong with me to be acting
like this. 1 wonder! But 1 can't help
it whatever it is"
Then she turned to picture of her
husband she kept on the top of her
! desk. "11l tell you what's wrong,
John Jones I'm tired and sick of
everything, and I'm tired of-of you.
Yes, 1 am. 1 don't care. 1 can't help
and L can't stand it. L know every
word you're going to say before you
say it. I know how you're going to
knock the ashes out of your pipe. 1
on first 1 know everything about
you If you'd only swear. or break
something, or beat me, get run over
or miss Your train, do anything
| except be perfect all the time.-I-I
! think I'd like you again. But you
won't. You'll go on being perfect
till your dying day and I'll go crazy.
1 know 1 shall Things were more
interesting for while when the war
started and there was so much to
read about, but I've got used to that
now, too. You didn't even get ex-
cited about the war. And there's an
other thing I haven't got Most folks
have somebody that's enlisted. but we
haven't That would be something to
get excited about perhaps
/ The morning wore on and Mrs.
Jones finally went about her work.
The old apathy had replaced the tur-
bulenee of the early hours-but with
a difference. Her resentment against
her husband had come to stay and
she was already planni, - a dozen
ways to rid herself Of this monoton-
Gus thrall that bound her.
! 81 could go to Aunt Mary's in the
country after month. but that
wouldn't help much. 1t would be
/ just the same when 1 came back. Or
I could study to be a nurse. but John
wouldn't let me, and, of course. now
| that l am married to him guess he
has a right to expect me to stay at
| home and keep house for .iim.'
The surprise came wher Mrs Jones
was in the kitchen rolling out the
crust of lemon eustard pie.
I Mr.. Jones walked in-tfe only time
in fifteen years he had come home
| before the five-ten train in the after
| noon. And with him came a uniform
| of khaki-for he had it on.
! The rolling pin clattered to the
floor and Mrs. Jones, with a smudge
| of flour on one pretty pink cheek,
| opened her mouth without uttering
sound
Mr.. Jones's eyes twinkled with
amusement. Salute your superior
officer. Mrs. Jones'" he commanded
coming near and turning his cheek
for a kiss.
why, John, you-you're not going
| to war, are your" Her face blanched
4 and her voice trembled.
Sure I am. I'm going to camp
anyway The commission came to-
day. Tt is because of my experience
7 in the Spanish war I'm a ma jor now.
II I am going to train the Youngsters
But aren't you afraid, John? You
might be killed."
{ afraid, Killed, Pooh, l won't