The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-08-24

furnishings. Later, they would be re
4 placed by rows of folding stools char
tered from the local undertaken.
Redmond's concern grew more evil
dent. He,was still hurrying; but as he
reached the breakfast room and
stepped inside he stopped abruptly.
"Hellom he exclaimed.
The breakfast room was vacant.
Mrs. Redmond was neither there, nor,
as 1t appeared, had she already break
tasted and gone; and. staring at her
empty place, Redmond's establishment
grew.
The day was one of vital Importance
to his wife. At p. m. the caucus
! would be called: and from now till
4 then every moment of her time would
be taken, planning, arranging, seeing
| fellow members. marshaling all her
forces for the night The office she
sought was that of state supervisor,
! the peak, the apex of all her present
activities and ambitions: and, rs Red
mond knew too, her candidacy for the
/ place was to be no easy victory. AL
ready opposition had reared its head ;
! and, his air of questioning, his astonish-
ment growing on him, Redmond hur-
! riedly drew out his watch.
| He had made no mistake, however.
| It was quarter to eight-hfteen min
/ utes past the hour; and again Red
I mond shot glance at his wife's va
! cant place.
He was still standing there, watch
| in hand and wondering when the pan
try door opened, and gaunt, angular
figure In cap and apron appeared II
was maid, the Redmonds waitress.
you're late" she greeted abruptly,
bluntly.
Redmond knew he was That, how.
ever. did not concern him now. Neither
was he the more concerned in the
maids brusque abruptness or his
own choice, Redmond would have
| preferred different. less thin-llpped,
sere and iint-eyed Hehe to serve him
his repasts hut Mrs. Redmond. natu-
rally. had made the choice. The wom-
an, Harriet Lipn. was a protege of
hers, fragment. in fact, of that hui
In part with her career, made II a
habit to snatch from troubled waters
and relaunch again In life, The whit
ress, In fact. owed not only her pres
ent place to Mrs. Redmond, she owed
also her liberty TO her, Mrs. Red
mond's influence with the state pardon
board having obtained Harriet Llpp's
,sf L.,
the penItentiary As Mrs. Redmond,
however, had pointed out II was for a
crime of violence, not one of ignoble
meanness or stealth, for which Har-
riet had been committed but of this
distinction. difference In Mrs. Red
mond's view, Redmond was not think
ing now.
"wheres your mistress?' he in.
quIred.
Upstairs" the woman answered,
briefly
The reply, too, was ms blunt, as
hrusqne as It was brief; and. his dis
taste of her growing. Redmond stared
Mt the woman.
''Whcn IS Mrs Redmond coming
DOWN." he asked,
Harriet Iipp's air did not alter
"She amt" she answered, and Red
mond started
"What?"
"She's breakfasting abed." said Har-
riet Lipp
"In bed?r Redmond echoed
"U'h huh - repeated Harriet Lipp.
Wondering, vaguely pcrturhed now.
Redmond wandered to the table In
the same wonder he drew out chair
and seated himself, the maid watch
Ing him with hard aggressive eyes. II
was nothing new. though that Red
mond should breakfast alone often.
in her fun. active life. Mrs Redmond
was up and away even before he had
come downstairs There were days,
too often weeks, when her official dlb
Ties. public affairs, called her entirely
from her home No, TO be alone was
nothing new. hut now Mrs. Red.
mond breakfastIng in bed That was
new. yes
4 woman's trlcli-that breakfast In
he'd. II WAS trick too. woman's
trick If sort that Myrta heretofore
would have scorned The soft, The in
dulgent. the feminncly feminine things
popularity presumed of womankind.
Mrs. Redmond instinctively and con
tomptuously ds'lained To her they
meant hut one thing n confession Of
sex Of the weakness a confession Of
sex involved Tho parity Of the sexes
the abolition. rather. of all sex, that
was Mrs Redmonds watchword
Here I" Redmond said sharply to
the maid. bring me my eggs and cof-
fee"
lie sat there. staring nj his hands
Something had happened, he saw that /:
something yisibly out Of the way. Red
mond. In fact in the twelve years Of
his married life. had grown, If only
suhronsciously. too familiar with his
wife's ways. her hahltude not TO sense
that something unusual had occurred
70 her IT'S indications. however. were
not merely the otherwise trivial cir
cumstances of her breakfasting In
bed Of late he had noted IN his wfe's
usual calm, her somewhat compliment
self-restralut, hint Of nerves, Of fem
perement-a reaction as If she labored
under some secret weight burden
Uneasy. now. a frown pucSered on his
brow What had troubled her? he
wondered, his uneaslness gaining
ground.
It was rarely, il ever. now In these
later years that Mrs. Redmond con
fded In the man she'd married. Be
tween the two It was as II the usual
marital situation had become reversed
he, not she. fhe dependent; she the
master hand. The change, however II
such had happened, was not Just