The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-07
EVENING STORY
The Washington Mirror.
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

For several days Mrs. Tilford had
been distract.
Mr.. Tilford hac noticed with I'M
easiness that she scarcely touched her
meals, read listlessly as tho her
thoughts were a thousand miles away.
started IL spoken to. and acted :yener-
ally as tho life on this particular bit
of terrain were not worth the effort.
whats the matter. Elsie; don't you
feel well?" he asked. You look tired
out"
"Oh, no, I'm all right" she answered
in surprise. "Why?"
You just don't seem to act right
that's ALL"
Pm perfectly WELL" she repeated.
and pretended to go on with her read
ing.
But after another day of acting
like a wet hen," as Mr.. Tilford unsen-
timentally and unsympathetically put
it to himself, he decided that some
thing was wrong. Why else would
she sit looking straight thru him at
something just beyond, sigh dejectediy
every two minutes by the clock and
convey by every motion the idea that
all her friends were dead and she was
about to follow.
Aren't you happy. Elsie" Mr. Til
ford asked the next day. Are you
worried about something?"
Worried No. Why should I be
worried? I'm perfectly happy. per-
fect1y!' And she signed again.
Mr.. Tilford scratched his head in
perplexity and resumed his paper.
Women were queer creatures. He
had been married fifteen years and
ton. Not that he didn't love elsie
quite the other way. Her very un-
reasonableness seemed to endcar her
to him more every year. That was
one thing about Elsie, life nad no
chance to get monotonous with her.
She kept things interesting.
But this new and entirely unsuspect-
ed side of her was battling. He had
never known her to worry, actually
fret, you might say. before. He had
enough. that is. that she didn't take
things seriously enough, particularly
where money was concerned. She Wa
fond of pretty things for herself and
for the house, and sometimes, as in
the past winter. Mr.. Tilford had been
compelled to demonstrate.
You see, my dear, we can't have
things in war times" he had explained.
81 know you'd love to have those furs
and that new mirror. and a chow dos,
be better to let the government use
the money" And after an argument
that consumed more words than this
whole story, Mr.. Tilford won out
one-third of the way; that is, Mrs.
Tilford got the furs and Ching, a
without the mirror for the hall. =
By Wednesday evening Mr.. Tilford
was in despair. Mrs. Tilford was WISH
bly, dropping. aud still no sign of the
malady making itself known TT has
been a hard winter on her. poor girl
We have given up all the little extras
she's been accustomed to-theaters.
expensive dinners and all that. 1 sup
pose now that it's coming spring; it's
| sort of a reaction. There's no doubt
My income tax would have bought her
lots Of pretty things. Perhaps have
been bit hard on her. preaching
economy the way have"
just then his eye fell on cartoon
| in the "funnies" where Mrs. Bing asks
Mr.. Bing as he departs for work if
| he remembers what day 1t is. Mr. B.
assuring her that he does, spends the
day trying to figure out whether it's
| her birthday. their wedding anniver-
| sary, or the date of her mothers
| death, and sends home candy, flowers
and a wrist watch, an occurrence not
| precedented in years. That evening
Mrs. Bling. after expressing her delight.
| asks her spouse If he's paid the rent.
This is rent day. you know. Grand
| finale! Mr.. BIS pockets are empty.
Faints. Curtain.
| Mr.. Tilford was too worried to
laugh. but 1t gave him. an idea, and
he looked at the date on the paper.
| The eleventh. Was their anniversary
near? Could that be what Elsie was
| frettfng for? He ran over the ensu-
ing dates in his mind, twelfth, thir-
| teenth. fourteenth of April. Had any
thing occurred then? The fourteenth.
| Why. yes. that was it, their wedding
anniversary! A light was breaking.
His wife was fretting for something
\ and was afraid to ask for it. Bless
her heart, He's have to find out.
| "Elsie. we have an anniversary in a
few days" he began, tentatively. DO
you-is there anything you would
like?"
mo, Henry. nothing. thank you"
| He smiled. He'd no idea that her
training in economy had been SO
thoro. After all, war was a good
thing in its way. 1t disciplined peo-
pie. He could afford to be generous.
| We'll. think, it over, my dear. If
You change your mind, let me know
and we'll see what we can do
| Then Mr.. Tilford had an inspira-
ton; He thought of the mirror:
| "Of course, that's what it is" he
! thought delightedly "Elsic's been
| cleaning house ana doing over the hall
and she wants that Washington mir
ror she's talked about all winter. I'll
have to look it up"
| For two days Mr.. Tiiford looked at
| colonial mirrors. He went to every
store. art shop and antique bazaar in
town. until he had seen enough mir
rors to build the Crystal palace. By
that time he was so confused he didn' t
| know what he wanted, so he deter
mined to let price make the choice. If
Elsie wanted a mirror she should have
a good one, and SO he decided on one
! at Gormley's for -wo hundred dollars,
which they assured him was a genuine
antique.
Tflford. carrying tox of roses, ar