The Glenwood post., 1924-02-07

the inferior. bent under what virtual
the provider, the one who brought in
the living; with that, he. to all in
tents and purposes, ran the household
as well. OF that never mind, however.
With all the other calls on Mrs. Red
mond there might have been no house
hold, save that John Redmond had
stepped into the breach. He had not
complained. Overshadowed by his
wife, submerged in her growing promi-
nence, the added task John Redmond
had shouldered as If duty, his.
He was not thinking Of 1t now. He
was not thinking, either, Of how he
himself had become submerged, thrust
inconspicuously into the background
of their married life. Wonder still
reigned among his thoughts; and, in
their confusion, his mind leaped with
quick informality from one thought
to another. 1t Is the way with those
who null things over, solitaries. Some
thing was wrong, wrong with Myrta
Redmond and his mind dwelt on that {;
something wrong with Myrta.
With Myrta, yes, not just Mrs. Red
mond. You understand, no doubt. In
ether words. there were in Redmond's
mind two figures, always two: Myrta,
first; then-well, the other, Mrs. Red
mond. The two were vividly distinct
Myrta, the one he'd married, had Ito
him) never changed; she still was the
one, the same; but the other, the Mrs.
Redmond who'd taken his name, still
was using it-she and Redmond were
far apart. 1t was only at odd intervals
now, brief and far apart, that the
Myrta he'd married came back to him.
She was still there. though. She was
there now. Trouble
mere" husband, an appendage.
Well the term fitted well enough. 1t
was queer, though, the twist the mo-
ment gave to 1t. In trouble, If she
were, Mrs. Redmond was not merely
Mrs. Redmond. He was husband
yes; and instinctively to him she be-
came transformed. She was Myrta |;
and as Myrta, his wife, If Myrta need
ed help 80.
Redmond, startling, had half risen
from his chair when the pantry door
opened, and the woman Harriet Lipp,
stalked forth.
There's y'r eggs" she pronounced.
Redmond resumed his seat. To
Myrta he could have flown, offering
aid. To Mrs. Redmond-well, that was
different.
%h1- tv,rx t..
woman had withdrawn; and his eggs
grew cold within the cup. Mulllng 1t
over, his thoughts were now going at
full tilt, galloping. In the way with
those who moon, who null, one thing
ran into another. piling up in magni-
tude.f If something really was wrong.
what was it? A hundred thoughts
raced into his mind Politics i,
Schemes :. Plots for place, for pow
er. With women, women didn't
differ much from men. Politics, too,
were Mrs. Redmonds daily pabulum
Had she done something? Had she
compromised herself? Unwilling had
she let herself into something ugly?
Vague stories. sinister whispers of poll.
tics, public affairs, leaped into his re-
membrance. Her ambitions he knew.
He knew, too, that she-that is, Mrs
Redmond-would make no distinction
in methods. "In politics no sex" was
the watchword of these women, Mrs.
Redmond's associates, hers as well.
They fought with the same tools az
the men. But If Myrta -.
mond. An exclamation, sharp, ex.
ploslve, escaped him. Showing back
his chair he rose abruptly.
Harriet Lipp, as If her eye had been
glued to the crack in the pantry door.
at once showed it open.
"Say, you amt ct y'r breakfus' ~
she barked.
Redmond had flung down his napkin
on the cloth. He looked at the figure
In the doorway.
"What did your mistress say?" he
demanded.
Harriet Lipp's eyes narrowed de-
fenslvely.
"Say whenT she countered.
This morning-just nowl" raped
Redmond, his temper rising. "Is she
Ill" he snapped again.
mo, she anti" the woman an
sw cred.
"Then why isn't she coming DOWN."
asked Redmond.
With direct finality the woman an.
swered him. "She's a-breakfustln' a.
bed" said Harriet Lipp.
That ended 1t.
For long moment afterwards the
hard-featured maid stood there at the
pantry door, one hand at her breast
her face strained as she gazed after
him. A breath escaped her. The mys-
terry of all this, though, was not re.
vealed to Redmond. Already he was
at the stairway hurrying upward.
Mrs. Redmond's room was at the
front Of the house. on the floor above
For years-four years now, nearly
five-she and her husband had occu