The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-06-23
ANDREW AND
 TMOGENE
By ROE FuLKERsoN


 "Humph." exclaimed Imogene, breaking the silence. Andrew glanced up to see her toss her head with in- dependence.
 "Humph?' he repeated questioning ly. That means a camel, dromedary or a peanut. They are the only things can think of just now which have humps"
 "she is a peanut. then" snapped his wife.
 You bet she is, agreed Andrew heartily. We will poke her in the nose, won't we? What has she done to us? I do not like to declare war until know the casus belH, as we Latin scholars say"
 Tt was Sadie I was speaking of" said Imogene, "I passed her on the street yesterday and she did not speak to me"
 "Is that so?" asked Andrew. inter ested. You spoke and she gave you the icy glare, eh7"
 "Of. course I did not speak to her" said ImoBene Indignantly T would like to catch myself speaking to some one who did not speak to me"
 But suppose every one felt that way about it?" Andrew asked. Would no ono ever speak to any one2'
 That Is one thing I will not give up to any one," asserted Imegene, belligerently. q am just as indepen- dent as any one in this world. and 1 would like to see myself trying to curry favor with. Sadie or any other woman. I am no bootlick or syco- phant"
 "Bootblack or elephant aside said Andrew, "will you please tell me what there is about you so much better than other people that they should always speak to you before you speak to them2.
 Now you are trying to quarrel with me" said his wife. T have my pride and l don't care who knows it. I all ways did say that I was as indepen- dent as any one"
 "Yes. we are all like that at times" '" said Andrew, sadly But l wish you were not"
 You wish I had no independence? demanded Imogene.
 No not that, dearie." he said. T simply mean that I wish you would not take your greatest weakness out and coddle it and parade it up and down and show 1t off like it was a strength.
 U iS JAHt dN WE hpNN iNAiA@ " AANit we were barefooted. We would tear the rag off a sore toe which we had stubbed and exhibit it as a wonderful thing, and the sorer 1t was the prouder we were of It. That's the way you are with your pride. You have founded it and loved it until you have begun to consider 1t vir- tue instead of vice.
 You have no reason to suppose Sadie saw you. You admit you saw her. This pride of yours is nothing but sin, and you have boasted of 1t until you arc as proud of 1t as the small boy is of his sore toe. as a camel If of his hump. as the museum freak is of his deformity.
 T have no pride of that sort. I am proud of you, of course, but l myself am democratic I am self-made and of the people, and l am not too good to speak first to any one and am all ways willing to speak first. You ought to do the same thing, dear. It is too bad that you nave nursed thls weakness until you are proud of It."
 T believe l see what you mean" said 1mogene. humbly You mean that we take something in our char acters which is really weakness we ought to cure and talk about it, un- til we get so in love with 1t that we think it is virtue.
 Like, for example. your association with bootleggers, box fighters and things like that. You do 1t because you are naturally .. CT common, we will say, and then you brag about 1t until you think 1t is something to be proud :" Enough. womanm said Andrew, "enoughl"
 Copyright, 1922. by Twenty first Century Press, 1nc.)