| Show I CONVERSION OCAOL1N1RRITT By Harriet Caryl Cox Lyford Merrill was certainly a most exasperating man Jn this for a won der the whole village concurred with the exception of his wife She main tained silence on the subject which Wa best perhaps inasmuch a she was thu cause of it all I He hes the most downtrodden j I and meek sort o man you ever set eyes on and it aint right that it should be i so Mrs Blake declared as Lyford I Merritt then under discussion shuffled i j i along the dusty red Its dreadful to see a man so suppressed she j I sighed I aint nature one bit Some men are born meek and would rather a woman d go ahead and boss I the house and him too and then you dont biame em but Lyford aint that t I L3ford kind Fore his wife got hold of him he oneA used to be as up ana coming as any j A slight flush spread over her thin cheek as she felt a critical glance up on her I That was the time he came acourt Ing you I spose her guest remarked Blandly I always heard you had I some sort of words and then he took up with the new school teacher and 1 roamed her right away fore your face I and eyes Mrs Blake beat her cake vigorously He aint done nothing but be set on ever since she declared at length so whats so exasperating No man with any nacural standup to him ought to I give In theviTay he does Thats whats the trouble He seems to think its all right < I She pouredrthe cake Into a tin and shoved It Inn oven and shut the door with a bang Weve all had spells of talking to him she went on but there it aint no earthly good He always sits so good natured and kind o nods his head a If agreeing and when you come to stop he looks up with his blue eyes and Y well well you dont understand under-stand I may seem kind o hard sometimes some-times to outsiders Mis Blake but then you see shes got the nerve Nerves scornfully As if any of us couldnt get up that kind o nerves if we wanted to Its a mighty nice way to rule the house When her husband wants to do anything or not do anything its always nerves She cant stand this and she cant stand that and she wont even let him sit down at the table in his shirt sleeves cause that makes her nervous too I was there once when he most forgot and the look she gave him was something some-thing awful Ben said he get divorced right away if he had such a wife But Lyford he just stands it always al-ways and its terrible exasperating She gave another glance out of the window Lyford Merritt was not insight In-sight Unconscious of his neighbors scrutiny and comment he slowly crossed the stubbly field and made his way to the barn There he deposited the packages from the store and then went to the woodpile He seemed in a sort of a brown study and his movements i move-ments were uncertain I aint right for a man not to be master in his own house he ruminated rumin-ated as if the I sentiment had just been impressed upon his mind hI really am t and I am going to assert my selfThe The thought caused a stick to drop from his arms He hastily picked it up with a backward glance over his shoulder hI wouldnt do anything to hurt Caroline for anything in this world Of course I wouldnt Shes a good ivife a very good wife to me and Im tharkful Ive got such a good wife and I hope I make her a good hus bad He paused and slowly laid two more sticks onto his burden and walked towards the woodhouse And Ive been thinking that perhaps i aint good for her to have me always giving into her he continued as he returned for a second load I read somewhere the other day that women was like horses They like to have their own way longs they can but then you make em mind they go all the better Not that I should ever try and mae Caroline mind He paused aghast but perhaps If I kinder took things for granted that she wouldnt mind my doing more things I could do em and shed like It Im going to try anyway It was undeniable that Lyford Mer rUts heart beat bomewliat faster than usual a i neared 3 oclock on the following afternoon The Town Committee Com-mittee had ordained to have an extra meeting I was usually held at the Perkins but Mrs Perkins was sick and so Lyford had generously asked them to come there I A few had already gathered and were sitting in the shade of the big elm Others could be seen coming down the road I suppose we might as well go in seeing there are so many of us already read Lyford remarked I I was an unwritten law that the mtng of the committee should always al-ways be held in some parlor or the church vestry I was not compatible i V ih the dignity of the committee to meet In barns or shops as did other c rganizations The men sprang up and Lyford led til way to the front of the house i they greeted the others They 1 moment and chatted while a traggled up then Lyford put his n the door fused to open He made several IP but i would not stir He t I it i in the face with the exertion i unlocked all right he declared 4 I Ut I saw to that this morning 1 o ri i we dont use it very often and 1 t s the reason why Ill go inside and tce if I can start i LI left the men and skirted the I rnmi I 17 4 avnMinrr the lritTiATi i M ffito and stea liUii the back way where he removed his shoes and quietly passed through the upper rooms and d3n the front stairs when he put on his shoes again He managed to open the door I stu k but he had forgotten that it Cl ned In In fact he never remem b red having opened i at all before The men liled into the stuffy parlorS parlor-S mt one suggested that the windows be ipened Lyford stared for a mo xrci t There were no screens in the I V ill J WE Oh yes he replied with a deal of errj Of course I meant to have tV i open anal forgot r Merritt J s bcn very busy or she would have act nJed to it for me I I 1 blue eyes twitched and he drew I a dep breath as he pushed up the vrJ ws and flung back the blinds HeSs He-Ss a dozen files dart In and he gave 1Mrun i jiii t chuckle His emancipation ha I The meeting opened with its usual I E iitj but soon it grew exciting I I a i + L < > ro > was a busy hum of voices The men had removed their coats and 1 J sating light draperies from chair 1 ji ks the family Bible on the marble t > t l table made an excellent desk f l the presiding officer and ballots were liberally distributed i l 111 peis WEre liberl C r ttl floor some of the men were fcr kng SrI ffl was making a speech I was nij excellent speech on the free t rn of the Individual His audience t s i 3 interested Suddenly there was a Insti H > t11rlf and Ir Merritt ft a fn time d torway Lyford gave a t sisP The eyes of the men were g5p ir n him and he straightened visibly 1fn Tl meeting of the committee you < > kn a n > dear he explained with hr f ntest tremor in his voice 1 trust T hap not disturbed you His ojts ucr a bit beseeching iL rral of the men were on thf ir feet ore was struggling into a coat Mrs crt did not reply Her keen brown cjes swept thc ruorn and a peculiar i en le settled n her face I was gal I 1 to suggest Lyford I jrol A the gn at e Trt of his lifeI I I was P pung to suggft si eing it is so ifry warm thjt < prepare some sort fr of refreshment tv te gentlemen Caroline j 1 There was a note of Inquiry In his voice His wife turned and with a hurried excuse he followed A nervous laugh from one of the men broke the tension of the moment We shall have to give him an office some one suggested He was gone some time and then I his wife returned with him He carried a big pitcher of Iced tea while she I bore a platter of spice cake and jumbles I jum-bles which she afterward supplement e with a loaf cake and pickles I was aVery social intermission that followed Mrs Merritt made herself I very charming and Lyford was In the I highest spirits Then she retired and I the meeting went on Lyford was nominated nomi-nated for School Committee He accepted ac-cepted cf course His wife had never allowed him to run before I would make her nervous to think of the responsibility re-sponsibility At 6 the meeting broke up Lyford escorted them to the gate and watched them as they passed from sight Then he slowly returned to the house gave gve a long look at the disordered room closed the door and shuffled off to the shed There he sat for several moments mo-ments and drew hard on his old pipe The supper bell rang At the sound he hastily started for the door His hand was on the latch then he hesitated hesi-tated his hand dropped and he returned re-turned to the bench sat down and ran his fingers through his hair The bell rang a second time He laid his pipe down carefully arose gave his vest a pull settled his hat firmly on his head and steadfastly walked into the kitchen I M His wife was sitting by the table VUUUU Ll u He hesitated a moment She looked very pretty as she sat there prettier than usual somehow Perhaps she had on better dress Was your meeting successful she I queried her eyes on the amber liquid I Verye replied as he crossed the room to where his coat hung on the I wooden peg They nominated me for School Committee j You will make a good one she said They ought to put good men in office He stared at her back Im sorry the parlor he began You neednt be she broke in sharp ly I guess She set the teapot down and arising carefully walked around the table and set it down at I her husbands place I guess that a man has a right to do as he wants to I in his own house She glanced at him proudly One 1 arm was in his coat sleeve Its pretty warm she remarked I seating herself again and Lyford I perhaps youd be more comfortable If I you didnt put your coat on He sent a keen glance in her direction I direc-tion and his blue eyes twinkled Mechanically Me-chanically he replaced the coat and took his seat at the table opposite her I I think that should he replied |
