The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-12-13

the smartest wife in the world
would work myself to death forawJ~
but he seldom talked or petted me-
was too busy with his farm work. X
That second wintera baby came, and
the young German widow who stayed
with me six months said it was the
prettiest boy she ever saw. / thought
1t looked like Glen, and of course he.
thought it was my image. Like all
. young mothers [ was easily frightened
and L think I had some cause, for the
doctor was fifty miles, off. [ may have
been overanXious, but the first shadow
that came between Glenn and me was
his Indifference to my worries about
baby. He would laugh at me andigo
about. his work, while | carried The
child all day soothing it's fretting.
That summer | was not strong, and
may have been as Glen said, 'hys-
tericky."
! Glen grew broad shouldcred and
manly, bronzed with ruddy health and
slife; but I was weakly and dropping.
with haggard eyes and hollow checks.
n saw it plain enough, and / had no
ambition to alter my shalby$goVns to
fit mee~nQr. to look neat. I grew
s%latternly and careless. Was I to
blame? / had to cook for two men,
tend a sickly baby. and wash and iron.
ALI day long the fierce sun beat down
upon our little home, where the kitchen
was like an wen and the bedroom stiff
ing.
] was on my feet from sun up to sun
down. For somehow I never learned
Z to get through with work, it was always
ahead of me.
Then Glenn would say, "You are
getting cross, little woman, you seem
so spiritless. Are you sorrythat you
married me? Your life is no harder
than any rancher's wife endures. 1t
will only last a short time, then we
can get better things.and some one to
help YOU" That to me when / had
never complained.
He gave all his love words and petit
ing to baby, now, and | used to wonder
in dumb despair why it wasso. Was
it that he had changed Q rI?E
The third summer Mrs. France
came. She vas tho widow of a cattle
king who owned all tho land about us
but iii little homestead. She had
been in Europe, but usually spent her
summers at her ranch ten mics from
my home. | was washing that morn
ing or thc shady side Of the house,
IICdIu III vi Morse y
,hoois, and a handsome woman. with
Dold, black eyes came dashing around
Ghe mousse on u fine Thoroughbred mare.
l hotlced her perfectly lifting habit
lei equislte glcSSesairua.a., her beauti-
full face. No need to introduce herseif.
from Mrs. Bohm-the German widou,,ss
description knew my Visitor was
Mrs. France.
81 thought I'd find somcbbdv. - afte,.
n while she said Where's Glom ~
"He went over on the range TO see
after his sheep at daylight /, STAN
mered.
Are you his wife 2"
Yes" | was possessed ten with n
mad jealousy Of her, and ] Wondered If
Glen knew her we'll. He had never
said q wCrl. just then Glenn came
galloping up.
said eagerly Il sent my man on and
camc back. Arc you we'll? OF course
You are-the picture of health
She laughed merrily. showing her.
pretty teeth, while he lifted her off
her horse, and there I stood with my
hands In the suds like a scrub woman.
This is my wife, Mrs. France"
said Com I: then he looked actually
ashamed Of me, ] felt it. Luckily
the baby cried aud l ran into house.
he trd YOU were married Glenn
i heard her say, 81 was talking toyour
wife,
In my anger / fancied there was a
touch OF ridicuie In hertone. / sat and
rocked tho baby and listend to their
talk in the other room, and once in a
while / would feel q sob rising in my
throat. After an hour Glenn came out
to ask me to cook n nice dinner, for
Ms Trance would stay.
III y npa little, Molly lse said,