The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-30
Helen Hunters
Husband
A FLOOD IN THE KITCHEN
BY JANE PHELPS

Chapter 4.
Jack Hunter kept his word and re-
lfeved Helen of all tasks he possibly
could, and had time for. Instead of
the coy evenings he had expected,
most of them he now spent in the lit
tie kitchen, helping.rather doing the
work Helen should have done easily
so he couldn't help thinking-in the
long day she had at home. He be-
came quite an expert at washing
dishes, and strangely he did not feel
at all belittled because of it. Helen
dried them, and that of course
wouldn't hurt her hands. But there
were also many other household tasks
and how rapidly they increased-for
him.
81 can't empty the pan under the
ice box, it is too heayy!" Helen conf
planned, and afterward that came I'M
der his supervision. Theh the box It
self had to be thoroly cleaned, and
twice a week he did it, perhaps far
better than Helen would have done.
There was the gar bage pail to scald,
the milk bottles. a hundred and one
little things that took up his precious
evening hours.
81 wouldn't mind. Helen, If. you
would stay and talk with meP ne
often said, but after drying the dishes
she would take a magazine and cuddle
up on the couch in the living room to
read, or play a new record she had
bought. In any event most of his
| evening was spent alone. Often when
bedtime came he was almost too tired
! to crawl into bed.
II shall have to find some other
way" he said more than once to him
| self. "a man can't work all day anu
| half the night too" But whenever
he said anything to Helen she would
tell him pleasantly: a
mo one wants you to do it, Earn
enough so we can have maid All
my friends have at least one. and I
feel almost ashamed to ask them here,
even in the afternoon for tea, and wait
upon them myself"
Il almost wish you would feel a lit
tie more ashamed. There's not a clean
dish in the house, I'll bet Nickel
1t was after dinner. and Jack was
| at the dishpan with a big apron en-
Veloping him, washing the dishes that
tonight were augmented by those
Helen had used that afternoon when
she had a bridge party. He had
| brought home a. new magazine con-
| tanning some articles on insurance. He
thought it might be of help to him,
| and was anxious to read it.
You win!" Helen said good-na-
turedly You didn't expect me to do
them, did you?''
/ Seeing it was your party, 1 think
hyou might. I would like an hour or
l
They worked on in silence. Not that
either were angry, but there was moth
ing to be said. Helen would not wash
dishes, and they had to be washed. AS
soon as he had finished, Jack wiped
his hands.
That's every blamed thing I'm go
ing to>do tonight" he declared.
But Jack, there's the
| Whatever it is. it can waitl I'm
going to warm one of the sitting room
chairs for the next houri" and DELHI
erately ignoring the fact, of the un-
emptied pan, the milk bottles, etc, he
| went into the living room and took up
his magazine. But the door was open
and before he found the article he in
| tended to read he heard Helen say:
1T will wait! I'll be no mans
servant"
Joined him, there was a smile on her
lips. as she also found a magazine.
This is cozyi" Jack said a little
later. The article had interested him
wonderfully, and he had thought he
might apply some of what he had read
to his work. Someway his mind had
withdrawn itself entirely from his late
home work, work he now had been
doing for several weeks, and he spoke
as he had when they first took the
apartment, and he had a little time
for reading.
IT expect that pan has run over by
this time as Helen's Careless re-
Spouse.
Dick jumped from his chair. She
4 was right, it had run over A mo-
ment after he had emptied it into the
sink, splitting still more, the janitress
came up filled with indignation.
"Youse> will have to be more care
full Them folks under youse is
kickin' fearful. They say they'll make
you pay if it happens again.
(Tomorrow-Helen is envious)