The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-05-28
EVENING STORY
Time and Tide.

the four flatfish he had caught that
morning. Then he walked up the path
to the house. whistling gayly. 1t was
Z O'Clock. Eleanor would be just
coming downstairs. He would cook
the fish while she prepared the rest
of the breakfast and there would be
plenty of time to catch the o'clock
car into town as usual
Eleanor was not in the kitchen or
the dining room, so Jimmy went to
the foot of the stairs and called up.
A sleepy voice answered: What do
you want?"
why it's after 8, dear; time you
were down" A pause. Then the sleepy
voice again. this time in injured &C
cents: Its only s. Jimmy" Jimmy
consulted his watch again; then a sud
den thought struck him and he
called back, laughingly, say, dear.
the jokes on you. You forgot 10 set
your watch ahead last night Better
hurry up and I'll start the break
fast"
Jimmy was we'll versed in camp
lore, but not very expert in turning
did his best, and in half an hour the
fish and coffee were ready. But still
i Eleanor. So he made the trip to
the foot of the stairs again and hailed
her. Breakfast is served, and l will
have twenty minutes with you if you
hurry, Lazybones."
But it really isn't : yet: why
should 1 lose an hours sleep just to
please the people who made that fool
law" came back the injured voice.
We'll, please yourself" replied Jimmy;
rather peeved, but L must eat and
be off" And his sense of injury grew
as he ate. This was the first time
since their marriage, three months be
fore, that Eleanor had not got up in
time to prepare breakfast and eat it
with him. Well. he could pay her
back; and. he did so by a casually
flung good-by as he hurried out the
door.
Eleanor couldn't believe that Jim
my would really start off for all day
without kissing her goodby. She
the window. Yes, there he was, hur-
rying down the road without once
CHANGING around. Feeling much
abused, she dressed swiftly and ran
downstairs.
In one minute she had decided that
Jimmy had left the table in very
messy state, used the wrong frying
pan for the fish. forgotten to turn off
the gas and left the back door open.
so the neighbors cat was in the
kitchen. And all that morning, as
she went about her homework. she
piled up grievances against the un-
fortunate Jimmy.
But in the rush of the days bust
ness Jimmy forgot the incident en-
tirely and arrived home in his usually
good spirits.
We've got an extra hour of day
light, dear; let's hurry thru dinner
and go out for row. It's like sum-
mer out of DOORS" he said.
Tut you're home early, Jimmy. I
ms fhiQ mir T1f tat in,
the oven to bake" answered Eleanor,
accepting the kiss rather coolly.
ITS nearly s. my usual time" Jim
my drew out his watch to confirm his
statement.
"Oh. / forgot to set my watch
ahead. after all. Anyway, it isn't
really 6. you know"
His wife's voice sounded very sweet.
but a suspicion dawned in Jimmys
mind that she had forgotten on pur-
pose.
Now. see here. dear. that's very
foolish slant you are taking at this
matter. The time has been changed
The whole country has accepted it.
Allowances haves been made for it
everywhere All business is running
on it. Do you intend to stick out
against it alone and keep on upsetting
my daily schedule this way?"
To relate what Eleanor said next
anu W TeDlleu WOulQ take
some time. Suffice it to say that they
started on their first quarrel right
there. and that it took the extra hour
of daylight to make it up. Then
Jimmy set every clock and watch in
the house exactly right and everything
was glorious happiness again. But
Eleanor was a normal woman and she
didn't quite forget Jimmy's statement
that she had been the only person in
the country, who had not made allow
ance for the change in time.
Now Jimmy owned a Kppy little
power boat. There was only a three
foot rise and fall in the tide of their
cove, and the power boat could not be
brought up to the wharf except at
high water, so it was customarily left
at mooring about 200 feet off shore
and reached by means of the rowboat.
1t was Saturday afternoon and
Jimmy's half holiday. They were to
entertain his senior partner and the
partners wife at dinner. 1t was an
important occasion and Eleanor, as
flying around. too intent on the ar
rangements to pay much attention to
the man of the house.
The latter felt himself quite unhec-
essary, and So after consulting an al
manac as to the tide. announced that
he would tow the rowboat over to Cap
tain MoOre's and leave it there to be
overhauled. The captain could fix
that leak in no time. he explained. and
the tide would be high about 5. SO he
could bring the motorboat up to the
wharf in plenty of time to dress before
the guests arrived.
Eleanor had dismissed her husband
from her thoughts entirely. too busy
even to glance OUT of the window and
watch for his return. At a quarter
after she was consulting anXiously
with the woman about something that
didn't seem to be going Just right, and
left to fly upstairs to change. her
housewifely eye glancing to right and
left on the way to discern any posi-
BILE flaw in the immaculate order of
the house.
Wet. sandy tracks on the stairs COZ
frorted her. Hastenin. back for a
cloth, she followed them up. almost in
tears How could Jim y be SO care
less at this time? The tracks led to
an unused room at the back of the