The Glenwood post., 1924-02-07

a committee caucus, was to be held.
Myrta's candidacy and her campaign
Tor state office were to be discussed;
and already the man-of-all-work,
prompt at the task, had begun to move
out the chairs, the tables and other
furnishings. Later, they would be re-
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.
"Hello!" 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 astonishment
grew.
The day was one of vital Importance
to his wife. At 8 p. m. the caucus
would be called; and from now till
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, as 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.
1t was quarter to eight-ffteen min
utes past the hour; and again Red
mond shot a 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. 1t
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. OF his
own choice. Redmond would have
preferred different, less thin-lipped,
sere and flint-eyed Hebe to serve him
his repasts; but Mrs. Redmond, natu-
rally, had made the choice The wom-
an, Harriet Lipp, was protege Of
hers, fragment, in fact, Of that hu-
man social-wreckage Myrta Redmond,
in part with her career, made 1t
habit to snatch from troubled waters
and relaunch again in life. The wait
ress, in fact, owed not only her pres
ent place to Mrs. Redmond. she owed
also her liberty to her, Mrs. Red
monds influence with the state pardon
board having obtained Harriet Lipp's
release from n three-years' sentence in
the penitentiary. AS Mrs. Redmond,
however, had pointed out, 1t was for
crime of violence, not one of ignoble
meanness or stealth. for which Har-
riet had been committed; but of this
distinction, n difference in Mrs. Red
mond's view, Redmond was not think
ing now.
where's your mistress?" he in
quired.
"Upstairs." the woman answered,
briefly.
The reply, too, was as blunt as
| brusque as 1t was brief; and, his dis
| x,
| at the woman.
"When is Mrs Redmond coming
DOWN." he asked.
Harriet Lipp's air did not alter.
"She amt" she answered, and Red
mond started.
"What?"
"She's breakfasting abed," said Har-
riet Lpp.
"In bed?" Redmond echoed.
"Uh huh |" repeated Harriet Lipp.
Wondering, vaguely perturbed now,
Redmond wandered to the table. In
the same wonder he drew out a chair
and seated himself, the maid watch
ing him with hard, aggressive eyes. 1t
was nothing new. though, that Red
mond should breakfast alone. Often,
in her full, active life, Mrs. Redmond
was up and away even before he had
come downstairs. There were days.
too, often weeks, when her official du-
ties. public affairs, called her entirely
from her home. No, to be alone was
nothing new. But now j.. Mrs. Red
mond brenkfasting in bed. That was
new, yes.
woman's trick-that breakfast in
bed. It was trick. too. woman's
trick. Of n sort that Myrta heretofore
would have scorned. The soft, the In
dulgent, the femininely feminine things
popularity presumed Of womankind,
Mrs. Redmond instinctively and con-
temptuously disdained. To her they
meant but one thing, confession of
sex, Of the weakness confession Of
sex involved. The parity Of the sexes,
the abolition. rather Of all sex, that
was Mrs. Redmond's watchword
"Here!" Redmond said sharply to
the maid. 'bring me my eggs and cof-
fee"
He sat there, staring at his hands.
Something had happened. he saw that;
something visibly out Of the way. Red