Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-01
Dame Isabel.
I SABEL HOPKINS was a discon-
tented woman. Her husband did
not earn enough to suit her. She
4 had married a crawler when what

SABEL HOPKINS was a dtscon-
tented woman. Her husband did
not earn enough to suit her. She
il had married a crawler when what
she wanted was aflyer. She was
always prodding Homer and plying
herself and Misunderstanding
ing that they had more money.
Here we are, middle-aged people"
she would say, and we've got no.
where. Yet you've worked hard and
been steady and I've economical and
contrived. All we've got is your job
and our house. Almost everybody who
was married at the same time we were
has got more. Just look at the Tar.
boxes! They've just bought their
third automobile. And the other day
Stella Tarbox went downtown and
bought that expensive library suite in
Cables window. She paid 5000 for it,.
We think we've got to live six months
on $780,
1--WE have" Homer would reply
gloomily "I don't see how Dick Tar
box gets hold of the coin. i wish [
could. l wish / could satisfy you for
once, Is, and give you just such a
home as you want. You'll give me no
peace till l do
The Hopkinses were not very happy
together because at morning when
Homer started to work Isabel sent
him away signing, and at night when
he came back she sighed again, be-
cause they had to have salmon loaf
instead of roast chicken.
Worst of all. she got on hard terms
with her neighbGrs because she was
not on good terms with herself. And
she grew to hate the neighborhood
and the small, neat house and every
thing in it.
IL could be just as much as Stella
Tarbox IL l had a chance" she said
to herself. Homer ought to give me
the chance. Any man can make
Homer doesn't try. He just sticks to
that old Job and takes what is handed
out to him without complaining. He's
too easy, that is all the trouble"
Isabel cried good deal and her
emotions made her sallow. People
remarked that she didn't look well.
And she didn't. How could she look
well or feel well, for that matter,
when discomfort was seething within
her like liquid birthstone?
Then one night something hap
pened. Homer came home to supper
with a new look, p. new air.
There's what you've been looking
for" he said ''in that letter" He
flung it to her
When Isabel had read the letter she
screamed She had her wish, indeed.
Some relative of Homer'S had died
and left him $4,000.
Now Wen live as we ought" she
said. "I'll show Stella Tarbox. Homer.
I want you to buy me the Norris
place."
1.-THE Norris place, Why. we don't
want that. The house is too big for
us, Is. And what would we do with
all that yard? And that carriage
house, besides! Oh, you don't mean
you want that"
'T do. It's going for a song. And
we can fix up the yard and put a car
in the carriage house"
"But who'll learn to run the carp
81 will, if you can't" snapped Isa.
bel.
Homer gave in. AS soon as he got
the money he bought the place for
his wife. This meant a lot of new
furniture. The yard had to be re.
dressed, repairs made everywhere and
the new car selected.
Isabel had delightful time. She
let people think what they pleased
about the size of Homer's inheritance.
The most triumphant moment of her
life was when Stella Tarbox sourly
congratulated neT on n6T BOOQ lot
tune. They had met at the dress
makers where Isabel was having
some new gowns made. People were
saying that Homer had received any
where from a hundred thousand to a
million. Isabel made him keep his
mouth shut, but she could not make
him give up hts job. He kept to that
with quiet determination that ruffied
her.
In time. she got things to suit her
and they gave a "housewarming. I"
Everybody was invited and every
body went. 1t was a great affair for
humble little Summitville In time
also the new car was purchased.
Homer called it the yellow Peril''
and after one or two attempts re-
fused to learn to drive it. Isabel, in
spite of her heroic resolve, gave up
trying to understand clutches and
service brake, and hired man to
drive for her. In a purple hat she
made quite a sensation. flashing about