Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1931-09-25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
: But With Wives It's :
! Very Different
By JANE OSBORN
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


HILDA HOPE, Kate Walters, Bob
II Hilton and Jim Dutton consti-
tuted the eastern office" of Burton &
Co. This quartette, besides couple
of ever-varying office boys and two or
three very young and inexperienced
girl stenographers, was all there was
to the Eastern Office"
At thirty or thereabouts Hilda and
Kate regarded themselves and gen.
orally were regarded as perfectly safe
spinsters. "And Of course no one
could ever take too personal interest
In men like Bob and Jim," Hilda and
Kate told eacn other.
Then came Peter Yarmouth from
London. For the first week or so his
presence made little difference. Hilda
and Kate assured each other that he
was a perfect lamb" and let 1t go at
that.
One dreary day in March Peter
CHANGED to drop in the private office
of Hilda Hope on some business de-
tail Kate Waters was already on the
scene The gentle Kissing of tea
kettle over an alcohol lamp attracted
his attention. His fine gray eyes glis-
tened. The very sound of steam
ing kettle suggested tea-and after
noon tea spelled comfort and content
to this son of Britain.
Having finished perfunctory bust
ness Peter started toward the door.
"Tll leave you ladies to your tea" he
commented thirstily.
The door closed. SHOULD we have
asked him." asked Hilda.
Certainly not" insisted Kate. IF
we had him, then we would have to
have Jim, and If Bob found out that
he and Jim were drinking tea In here
then he'd have been sore. 1t would
have meant tea for five. They never
make tea for US"
"But think he was offended" said
Hilda. "You know they always have
1t in offices in London"
"Have we got three cups and sau-
cers?" asked Kate weakening.
Counting the one without han
de-" said Hilda. 81 know for a fact
that Bob's out.
"And Jim's seeing a terribly i'm
portant customer from South Amer
ica," countered Kate. ave might this
time"
So 1t was that Peter Yarmouth pres
emily received an invitation to tea in
Hates room. During his brief stay
he was occupying bit of room be-
side that of Bob.
81 really can't see for the life Of me
why you don't do this every after
noon," said Peter, as he regarded his
cup Of amber infusion contentedly be-
fore tasting 1t. I'VE always do in
London, and 'pon my word, we get
every bit as much done in day."
"All very true and pretty" said
Hllda, stirring her own tea with a
steel paper cutter. "But who washes
the tea cups?
"The girls, of course" said Peter.
"1n my own Office my private secre-
tary does it--why not?"
"Well, you needn't think that our
girls here would wash dishes in the
office. They'd leave first" said Kate.
1--WE actually did try 1t here a few
years ago. Really the girls wouldn't
do 1t. They thought It was mental
and"
"But don't you see," Peter said
turning to Hilda, the younger Of the
two women-Hilda whose slender fair
features seemed to Peter so pre-
eminently feminine, "don't you feel
that making tea and even clearing up
is something that is a woman's priv
ilege to attend to? I'd say 1t really
was a privilege. Why, at home
never think about the cups and sau-
GERS. My secretary attends to that
and get 1t all neat and hot every
afternoon"
Hllda found herself wondering about
that secretary Of his. 1t seemed to
her he had brought her into the con-
versatlon an unnecessary number Of
times.
Peter had arranged with Hllda to
go to lunch with him the following
day. When one o'clock arrived Peter
was ready in Hilda's Office waiting.
"Perhaps, though you'd rather not
co." he said.
Hilda looked amazed. It seemed
now as If this robust young English
man looked almost III. Something was
clearly disturbing him. why Peter
Yarmouth" she asked using his first
name quite as she had always used
that of Bob or Jim, have we offended
your"
mo" said Peter standing there be-
fore Hlldas desk. "Only I'm afraid
I don't make you out-Hllda. al
ways thought woman regarded It an
honor to attend to those things.
thought that when woman married
she looked upon what she had to do
in her home as not so much mental
work"
'When she's married." said Hllda.
"That's very different"
"Then you wouldn't think 1t was be
meath a woman's dignity to wash tea
cups or breakfast cups, for instance,
for her own husband-that ls-of
course-I guess you know what I'm
driving at
Peter Yarmouth, do believe you've
fallen In love with an American girl
and what we said yesterday about the
tea cups has begun to worry you
Hllda saw Peter stretch two tense
hands toward her.
"Poter Yarmouth" she said, you
don't mean -mep why bless your dear
old heart, I'd wash tea cups for you
and"
"And I'd black boots for you"
gasped Peter as Kate Walters APP