The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-28
After Ten Years
BY MARION RUBINcAM
SYM PATTY
CHAPTER 40


Patty went on with her day dreams.
in spite of the increasing cynicism Of
the matrimonial example she was
watching.
To be sure, after Humphreys anger
had smouldered out, things settled
down as before. Mile tried hard,
systematically, to be a good wife, and
a good housewife too. But she did not
succeed.
First of all, neither Millicent nor her
mother were meant to do homework
Running a house successfully requires
a certain sort of talent
Housewifery, if it may be so called,
is particular science. Some women
possess it instinctively, some acquire
it by diligence. But Mrs. Parke and
Mile had a heavy hand at domestic
work, and general lack of Judgment.
They were both fond enough of a
nicely arranged home and daintily
cooked meals to recognize the differ
ence now, without having the energy
or ability to change their way of work
ing.
81 don't mind half-cooked beans and
overdone steak" Humphrey said once
I'm not growing. What I object to
is hearing you grow1 about the bad
food when you buy and cook it,
This was in answer to complaint of
Miles that things tasted so bad they
took away her appetite" And as she
was really responsible, there was no
answer to Humphreys criticism.
Mrs. Parke was even worse about
cooking Some say that there is no one
so pampered as the woman of small
income who has been able to afford one
servant Her helplessness exceeds that
of the woman Of enormous wealth, be.
cause it is self-conscious helpfulness
| This was true in Mrs. Parke's case at
/ least
The work wouldn't be so bad if you
| didn't have SO much of your furniture
over here" Mile said to her once. Fol
when she moved, Mrs. Parke had
brought over all her most precious pos
| sessions-an homogeneous mass of OBJ
| jects varying from mahogany Colonial
pieces brought out west by her grand
father, through the knobby dark wal
nut and horsehair of a later period to
the ford, vanished products of the
| sos. AS each piece was catalogued fol
| the sale, she found that she was toe
strongly attached to it to have it sold
and half her house at least now min
gled with Miles modern furniture il
the already too we'll filled rooms.
This remark of her daughters made
/ Mrs. Parke do one thing strange
carry her complaint to Humphrey.
was almost the only time she had sid
| ed with her son-in-law against he
daughter Humphrey tried to pacif!
her-and in the end was drawn int
an argument with Mile.
Her things do clutter up the place
I have to sweep and dust them.
ought to know the amount of worl
they make" Millie said finally
Mrs Parke, being feminine and mid
die aged at that, made use of her priv
iIege of changing her mind instantly
Its your fault anyway" she turnet
upon the astoniehed Humphrey. 81
you hadn't lost my money l wouldn'
have to be here. You made me sell m.
house-what business was it of yours
1t was my house. l bought it and pait
for it"
Humphrey was getting to the stat
where one more complaint would hay
been the proverbial straw on the cam
els back. He tried to hold his tempe
and succeeded in answering quietl
enough
you seem to forget that six year
ago you let a salesman wheedle yo
into putting most of your money int
an oil stock you never heard of. Yo
never let me know until you'd lost a
most everything you had.
"Since you've such a short memory
| might remind you that you put
mortgage on your house then, and tina
had to come to your rescue and pa
off that mortgage and give you bac
your house. So l don't feel so bad a
having you sell it now, as it was praC
tica1ly my house. But I'm not sayin
I'm not sorry at losing some money c
yours"
"Oil or lumber, I don't know whic
is worse. l lost my house either wa!