The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-13
7he Day Of he Drone A Few Samples from the Island of Manhattan
By THOMAS L. MASON.

It isn't only the staggering cost of everything," said Mrs. Struthers- Nor timer of Manhattan, and Occasionally of Newport, but it's the fact that I can't get people to work for me. And when they do pretend to work, why they don't"
 And you are such a good manager" said he rather intimate friends. Mrs. Burt, "T have often envied you the superb way in which you did things ] with such lavish hand" That was in the good old days be- fore the war" sighed Mrs. Struthers- Mortimer. You remember Stubbs my butler--a jewel that man. Now they come and go at a moments notice-or none at all. This week l was actually obliged to cook my own breakfast. Cook you own breakfast" ex- claimed Mrs. Pellers- Burt, with an ex- pressive shudder. Impossible! I sim . ply cant believe it."
 My dear, l did. It was really quite a lark You see we keep only five servants now-when we keep them at all, and they all went picnic to Coney Island-it was the opening day believe or something of that sort. And of course they didn't come back. At my usual time in the morning I
  agine my feelings, my dear, when at last l had the courage to go down stairs, only to discover that there was no one in the servants hall And such confusion!"
 Flow tragic! But how intensely in teresting"
 'T faced the situation, and---if I do say it-I think I was calm about it. In a few moments I had coffee and toast. and bacon. When Henry came down a little later into the breakfast room-you see it was Sunday--he couldn't get over 1t. He started at me as if he thought me mad"
 "Yes I can well imagine that. Your dear husband has always been So par ticular about your not doing anything and he is so prould of you. How could you excuse yourself?"
 By being perfectly frank. Yes, Henry l said, I cooked the breakfast, and I'm going to do it again. That's what's the matter with this country. there are too many idlers. And think of the starving people In Europe! That's the way I talked to Henry, and he was awfully nice about it. My dear he said, you're a briclt With a wife like you a man could go anywhere. But don't do it aSAn he said, stirring the coffee. T wouldn't have you be a household drudge Isn't Henry a dear?"
 Mrs. Pellers- Burt reflected audibly
 '1 suppose you found your kitchen
 in the utmost confusion.' she said.
 Perfectly terrible. I had difficulty in finding even the coffeet pot-and I'm not sure now that it really was coffee pot. You see, I haven't been in my kitchen in years and
 IxY housekeeper that you never have had to go ther. But let me tell you some- thing, my dear"
 Mrs. Pellers-B Burt laid her delicate hand on her friends shoulder. An in- cipient tear was in her eye.
 "It is the example of brave women like you" she said, that is going to bring this country to it's senses. You see, it's the drones who are doing it."
 'The dronesp'
 "Oh. of course, you know about the drones, my dear. Don't you remember perfectly chairming MT. Maeterlinck and his wonderful book. Why. of course you know a drone."
 "Oh, oh! You're speaking of bees dear me, yes What perfectly splen- did idea of yours to put 1t that way but you always were the brightest thing"
 At this Mrs. struthers-M Mortimer paused, fixed her beautiful blue eyes on the circumnambient atmosphere and sighed at the great, compelling thought of the drone entered her virtuous mind,
 q see it all!' she cried "We are like vast beehive-one of those won derful swarms-and now the war is over, the drones are doing it all mean. of course, that they are not doing it all. That new butler of mine' is drone-he prefers to sit up alIt