The Topeka state journal., 1922-06-13
EUening Story
Mrs. Maxfield Disposes.
BY WILL T. AMES.


ting as she stole a covert glance at
Albert Crafts across the living room
center table. The center table, sur
vival of a period when there must be
a center table quite as necessarily as
a. roof, was exhibit B in the evidence
that Lettie Maxfield was not the ruler
of that household. Exhibit A con-
sisted of Mrs. Maxfield, who did rule
it. No one, no matter how kreat a
stranger, could spend an hour in the
presence of Letitia Maxfield and her
mother without becoming aware that
the latter tyrannized over her daugh-
ter unremittingiy, ShameleSSly, by the
device of exaggerated Self-renuncia-
ton. The center table presented a
case in point. Albert Crafts, now be-
seated rocker with the curved back,
wishing to goodness that Mrs. Max
field would go to bed or at least get
up from that distressing wretched
white-enameled chair in which she
was portraying martyrdom, was
Mother" Lefty had said a long
time ago, Tets Danish this dreadful
ia BILE and shift things around in this
room so as to make it just the least
bit home"
Very we'll. my dear" Mrs. Max
field had answered with all the woes
of a whole generation of mankind
registered in her long suffering coun-
tenance, whatever you see fit to do,
do of course. 1t is not to be expected
that it would make any great differ
ence to you that this is the way your
poor dear father knew our home. You
of fact, was in her fourth year when
Mr.. Maxfield went to his reward
and changing fashions naturally are
more important to you than his mem
ory. Do what you like with the room,
but please do not ask me to use it
afterward."
So, of course, Lefty being Lefty, the
room remained as it was, center table
Victorian mess
Likewise, in the case of Albert
Crafts. Ten years ago. when Lettie
was slighter and prettier-if not so
the imminent likelihood of Albert's
suit carrying the girl off her feet. So
she began to be unspeakably sad
dened by the Inevitable prospect that
would be going away out of her life
and leaving everything all barren and
empty and cold and so on. All of
which, being actuated by no suspicion
in the world that such disaster i'm
mediately impended, so far as the eve
hearted Lefty feel like something that
deserved to be shot at sunrise.
And so it had been. With the re-
suit that Lefty MaxHeld in the
creed that to think of herself in the
very least, or to fail to put her
mother not only first but second and
third and all the way down to about
tenth, was to be an unworthy, niser-
able creature.
This is the road that runs thru the
land of Spinsterhood to the deserted
village of Lonely Old Age in nine cases
however, that the love of Albert Crafts
for his self-sacrificing sweetheart was
not mere calf love. He was a man,
this slow moving young fellow, and he
kept up the steady. undespairing
tho not over hopeful pursuit of
the particular brand of happiness on
which he had set his heart in the be-
ginning.
ITS no use, Albert" Lettie would
say. 'I shall not marry. I will not
leave mother"
But I've told you a hundred times.
dear" Albert would protest, that
there need be no separation"
Always Lefty shook her head at
this point. She would not formu-
late words, even to herself, the real
ization that somehow it would be
unfaif to subject another life to the
same carking influence that had SO
manacled her own. This was because
Letty's brain knew that her mother
was a selfish tyrant, the very while
her heart kept insisting that that
which needed every bit of the daugh-
ters generous young soul for its
spiritual sustenance. "She has al
ways missed father so, the poor deart'
Lefty said to herself over and over
again.
And so Lefty had come to the point
where she could find just a wee bit of
amusement in the awkwardly con-
cealed wish of Albert Crafts that Mrs.
MaXfield would go to bed, and in the
quite unconcealed determination of
Mrs. Crafts to do nothing of the
kind. She had an uncanny way of
knowing, had that lady, when one of
the occasions had arrived upon which
Albert just naturally had to propose
to Lefty again. Only that very day
with her very best air of martyred
abnegation, she had said to her daugh-
ter: Lefty. my child, If your happi-
ness demands that you marry, pray
do not consider me. I am only your
mother, after all, you know!" And
thy, had kissed her and made believe
shake her, and said: stop it, mum
sic. I am perfectly happy with youl"
And at that moment she believed it,
the goosei
Albert was just on the point of Civ
ing up and going home in despair
when the door opened and Mr.. Stryker
entered portentously. Mr.. Stryker was
six feet tall, sixty years old and eIab-
orateIy bearded. He looked like tall
as well as portly Santa Claus. For
more than a month he had been a
lodger in the Maxfield home, the only
one that establishment had ever enter
tanned. He lectured, being the herald
of an amazing theory about the entire
unnecessity of ever dying even
physical death. Mr.. Stryker beal led
on the occupants of the room.
"Ah-er. Mrs. Wakefield" he de-
CLAIMED, "I ave-ah-er-found that
particular passage in Isaiah. Shall 1
bring the book here? 1t is on the
dining room table,
"Oh I'll come-that great Bible is