The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1892-12-24
KATE'S HUSBAND.

| |tf04slI iAltr 81 t.lIF hplt hlAA
Kate babe ad'el to parents and friends
lad prepd iSd f Tor fer I'm IN he fur I coan.
ry.
| In the second year OF their married
lie boy was borr to them; golden
! laired, or0wn-eyed fellow the image
Of his father. and two years later came
= girl with the tender blue eyes and
sweet face of her mother Carl uar-
aud and his wife, were supremely
leppy IN the posses sion OF their home
and their children. Their love for
each other increased with the years
| and they seemed destined to pass
through lie under cloudless sky.
onc night, during great storm, the
water came down from tho mountains
nd swept through the valley Destroy
rs many thousands OF dollars worth
# property. Carl Harland's place of
business was wrecked. The property
@ns not insured agains, damage by
water and Carl awoke one morning to
end himself penniless.
IGis misfortune had marked effect
upon kg.e's husband He lost his
caoariulness. He became irritable
md crit cal in his manner towards his
vile. who tried to lie brave and en-
'oura e hes husband by word and deed
o renew his efforts 70 rebuild the
business OF which he he'd been so ruth
cssly robbed. The indifference with
which her Efforts in this direction
we're received, had at last deadeued
The ambition IN Rates heart. and she
ic1 tcgdn to enfoll herself in the
kris OF the gloomy mantle that her
husband had wrapped about himself
She grew dependent and p.evish.
rr,,acic and careless. and the last
year OF the married life of Carl Har.
and and his wife, had bsen married.
by many unpleasant scene, in which
marsh words very frequently prevailed.
II was late in the afternoon when
Carl came home, and he found Kate
yins upon the sofa suffering with
overo headache.
More worry, he thought as he sat
Town 10 p cold lunch alone, wei
hink aftor all, that II she Is bound
. worry, The best thing is 70 re rain
rom showing her sympathy. II she
thinks she is treating me and the
children right by acting in this man
ler | think | shall let her get all the
abstraction that she possibly can out
u her headaches"
Card passed the evening In silence.
he gave some attention to his children.
nut he was indifferent TO his wife. The
-eyt morning her head was no better
md she was so weak "a 10 be unable
to leave her bed.
Carl did not think that she was
. il. rs she said she was. but he en-
outraged her within and insisted
Upon her remaining in bed. II have
20 work to-day" he thought, and
this will be splendid opportunity for
ne 10 show Kate how easily the house
wo. k can be done, il person goes
about it calmly and takes some inter-
est in it
He was kind to Kate that morning.
Tor he wanted his every act to impress
her. He dressed the children aad set
about preparing breakfast. While he
vas arranging tho dishes on the table.
Grace, the youngest child. crept up to
the coal hod aud tipped it over on her.
self. The coal dust filed her mouth
and eyes and soiled her clothes.
Carl. glad OF an opportunity to show
his wife how calm he could be under
trying circumstances. gathered the
crying child in his arms and talked
coaXingly TO her while he bathed her
face and hands and changed her Dress.
He had got the dress partly on when
the oatmeal boiled over. Carl sat the
taby down on the floor and stepped TO
the stove to remove the kettle. Mean
time Grace was irantically trying to
extricate herself from the folds OF the
dress her father had left enveloping
her head. Carl picked her upand said
peek a-boo" when her head popped
from the interior Of the dress, but the
tone in which he said 1t was not alto
gether cheerful. and when he buttoned
her dress he drew 1t together with so
much force that the seam in the shout
der was widely ripped. At this Carls
teeth bore together harder than usual;
that was all.
After breakfast he prepared some
toast and tea for Kate, and accepted her
praise with q triumphant smile. After
the dishes were washed and set away
he began to sweep the carpet He had
scarcely begun this work when he
found mn annoyance in the person OF
the baby, who insisted upon gathering
up the dirt in her tiny hands and scat
tering It on the carpet that had just
been swept. After several vain attempts
to get Grace interested in some other
direction, he finally picked her up and
with n mnttered, There. stay there,
will you?" sat the mischievous elf in
her high char with rather moro force
than was absolutely necessary. Grace
YVES not p eased with this arrangement
and began kicking aud screaming and
rocking to and fro. She swayed' her
body 90 wildly thu. she finally wont
over with crash. and Carl. dropping
tie broom In the midst OF the room,
cxeited himself to quiet tbs so.eechira
child. He bad succeeded in this when
it .uddcaly occurred to him that be
had 80. noticed Harold siocs breakfast.
ana as the outside door had been left
opcl on account OF the heat, 1t was
crobat.s Tint no had gone out ard ho
might hare failsn into the stream
ihat ran through the field near the
house Eatless. with his sleeves rolled