The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-17
EVENING STORY
sSThe Fog"
BY LOUISE OLIVER

a late supper Sunday night, at which
Mrs. Bardsley had concocted one of
her famous rarebits. It was rich and
| cheesey. and Mr.. Bardsley had had
| two servings in spite Of the doctors
| orders about a light diet
| So, of course. when Mrs. Bardsley
asked him at the breakfast table for an
| increase in her weekly allowance, 1t
was not curious that hsf husband
| should growl out an unfeeling refusal,
adding that there was one other sure
thing besides taxation and death, and
| that was a woman's inability to be
| satisfied.
| Now, Mrs. Bardsley had felt her re-
| quest so justified since Katie had au-
| Dramatically added a dollar a week to
her own wages, the laundryman, I'M
| ashamed, charged her twice as much
| for her husbands shirts, and every one
from the garbage man to the gas COM
pany was politely and delicately pick
| ing her pocket, that instead of weakly
and miserably crying about his re-
fusal she became angry-in fact, she
| got mad clear thru for the first
time almost since their marriage.
Look here, NThomas! she said
snap that made her husband jump.
will you tell me why You married
| IT give up" he retorted. "Phono-
| graphs are cheaper and they occa-
| If you can't give me enough to
live in peace and comfort without hav-
ing to worry my head off all the time
about money!" she finished. ignoring
his interruption.
| well, Lord knows I'm not made of
money. I've had to dig down in my
| jeans for so many things lately. I'm
| nearly strapped all the time. If you
tried you could manage differently"
| How"
That's up to you. I'd let Katie CO."
And do my own work."
Wouldn't kill you. would it?"
Thomas Bardsley, I never did a
days work in my life!" rs
Then it's time you were benefit
ing by my admirable example and be-
ginning
| Mrs. Bardsley rose from the table,
| her eyes flashing dangerously. Very
well, Thomas, III do my own work.
But that doesn't include anybody else,
| remember. Where shall I send your
things-to the club or hotel, or would
you prefer to go back to your
mother's?"
"Oh. send them to the DEVIL" thun-
dered Mr.. Bardsley. jumping for his
hat and rushing for the door.
| IT WILL called Mrs. Bardsley after
him. II Just wanted to know his ad-
dress"
| Mr.. Bardsley proceeded to his Of
flee the east wind and shades of Welsh
|
all day. His stenographer irritated
him beyond endurance by refusing to
be a mind reader and understanding
what he meant to say instead of what
he did say when she took .dictation.
The typewriter seemed to tap in
oessantly on raw nerve ends, and every
time the telephone rang he jumped as
tho shell had hit him. The east wind
had brought more trouble in its wake
| also besides irritated nerves and do
mesic diseord. Since 10 o'clock the
air had thickened and condensed un-
[ til mixed with the smoke from mills
and furnaces, a heavy, impenetrable
fog, first cousin to a regular Londoner,
penetrated buildings, Railways and
offices until Mr.. Bardsley could scarce
ly see his own desk.
| The result of eye strain, nerve strain
and indigestion produced slowly but
surely the worst headache Mr.. Bards-
ley had ever had in his life. He stood
it until 4 O'Clock. then resolved to pull
up stakes for home. If there was one
| thing Lillian knew how to do 1t was to
| cure a headache. She was a born
nurse. As he locked up his desk and
gave a few curt directions for the
next day, visions of hot water bottles.
cold cloths with ice, a quiet darkened
room and a certain specific of which
his wife knew the secret floated be-
| fore his eyes. Then later a hot deli
cious broth and, Lilhan's smooth quiet
voice reading the evening papers.
| Out on the street he CROPPED his way
to the curb to call taxi cab. He was
| surprised at the density of the fog.
He could hear people quite near walk
ing and talking. but could see no one.
| Then he discovered that no taxis
were running. OF course, nothing on
| wheels would venture out in that black
destruction thru which no light could
penetrate nsore than a foot or two
ahead.
In some remarkable way he got to
a subway station, and finally. after a
few minutes, reached his own station
land street, and proceeded as before to
feel his way bkndIy to his own house.
He hung to familiar IRON ratings,
| followed walls and CROPPED along
hedges until at last he felt the rough
bricks of his own house. BIind1y he
stumbled up the steps, turned the key
in the lock and pushed open the front
door.
A hollow void suddenly seemed to
start up and fairly strike him in the
face. Altho the fog had penetrated
inside, he could still see clearly
enough to know that the hall and adj
Joining rooms were empty. Carpets,
His own breath sounded like thunder
in that vast. empty solitude, and his
footsteps like the explosion of ar
tillery. He shivered miserably.s It
dawned on him by degrees that Lillian n
had mean. What she said when she
asked where to send his things. She
certainly had lost no time. Then he
went to his club.
All day long Mrs. Bardsley had
tried to keep up the white fires of her
Indignation. but failed miserably as
the afternoon wore on. She had a
presentment that Thomas would come
home with one of his headaches. Two
servings of rarebft always did it, Poor
man. Away off working his head off
in an old stuffy office on such a day
with a headache. When she had a
headache she could lie down. 1t was
true, all he said. He did have it
harder than she did. She would take
his advice. give Katie weeks notice
to quit and do her own work. Then
she hunted up his dressing gown and
slippers. pounded up the pillows on