The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-19
MY SOLDIER
HUSBAND
Adele Carrison's New Phase of
REVELATIONS
OF A WIFE
Why Mr.. Stockbridge Was so
Careful About Mddges
Telephone Call.

M door r Of my elas. room one after
noon shortly after the holiday va
cation. and summoned me into the corri-
dor.
There Is some one on the telephone
for you in my Office he said with the
cold brusqueness so characteristic of his
manner to all his teachers. 81 will take
your class so that you may go right
down"
looked at him in undisguised trepida-
ton. There is an iron-clad rule In the
Bayview school that no teacher shall
be summoned to the telephone in school
hours unless for a grave emergency. Mr.
Stockbridge was courtesy itself. despite
his surface brusqueness. In taking mes
sages and delivering them to the teach
ers, and outside of class hours the tele-
phone was ours as freely as If in our
own homes. But the recitation hours
were sacred.
What could be the emergency that had
led him to summon met
What Madze Guessed.
He read my thought. smiled suddenly.
a smile that had in II whimsical twist.
as If something in the summons for me
had amused him.
alarmed" he said, "but should advise
you to have your wits about you"
The last words were almost tiippantly
spoken. The next moment he had stiff
ened again into his usual brusque dig
Eity. and turned toward my class. leav-
ing me nothing to do but to go down the
stairs to his office. 1t was as If the
eternal boy behind his mask of dignity
had gotten thesbetter OF him for the mo-
ment
Puzzled. uneasy. in spite of his reas-
surance. I hurried Into the office. Miss
Hines. one of the lower grade teachers
a colorless sort of girl. OF whom I had
seen very little. rose as I came In.
II shall stay just outside the office,
Mrs. Graham she said as I came in,
land make sure that you aren't dis
turbed."
She hurried out. closing the door after
her. looked after her in helpless be-
wilderment- OF course. she Ind received
her instructions from Mr.. Stockbridge,
but why all this elaborate precaution
for my privacy?
knew there was no bad news. Mr..
Stockbridge's manner had assured me
of that. Besides, remembered his
thoughtful kindness when the news of
Dicky's disappearance came, He would
never have allowed one of his teachers
to receive bad news alone. 1t must be
some emergency message from Lillian
She must need my aid in something,
and had impressed Mr.. Stockbridge with
the Importance Of her errand
The reason for my stupidity in not at
once guessing the real nature of my
summons I shall never be able to under
stand. But the absurd truth remains
1t was Lillian's voice expected to hear
when I crossed the floor to the telephone
booth, sat down and put the dangling
receiver to my ear.
"All Ready, Sir"
Hello" A girls voice. evidently that
of a switchboard operator, came over
the wire In answer to my opening
words. "Is this Mrs
Then, with the inexplicable perversity
of telephone circuits, the wires became
crossed. and I heard in a high-pitched
feminine voice:
And she says to me: I won't demean
myself by listening to no such talk and
1 says to her. 'Demean yourself? You
couldn't do nothing more"
"Cut that chatter out. Get of this