Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-04-27
CHAPTER III.
AT ALL COSTS AND RISKS.

Masie for its pivot. She could hard
ly sit on her chair. She dropped and
swooned with horror. Jose Mans
field leaned over her, and held her up
with one large hand. She was beauti.
full, so. That dropping head, that
shapey shoulder-how marbly white!
how magnificent. how satinlike! how
faultless!
He held her for a minute or so. He
was in no hurry for the girl to come
round. This bewiderment brought
out wildly the strong points OF her
face. She looked like a daughter OF
Niobe in the Florentine halls; for
though Jose Mansfield boasted himself
true son OF the prairie, he was travel
led for all that; he had "done'' his
Europe.
In short time, as he gazed. she
opened her eyes, and came to again.
She looked at him reproachiully. "Oh,
jose" she cried, not so much angry
as appalled, and unnerved, you
should have told me that before.
You have a wife in Nehraska!"
Yes, Maisie, my child" the poet
answered, peering deeper still into
those liquid eyes, too perfect to be
tender. II have wife-in Nebraska
In the Lunatic Asylum"
At the words, with a sudden bound,
Maisie took heart of grace again, ain
the lunatic asylum" she cried gasp
ing. "Oh, Jose-incurable.
The poet bowed his head. "Incur-
able" he answered, with Sphynx-
like air. 1t was q part OF Jose Mans
fields pose to be ,Sphynx-
like and inscrutable?
Maisie drew adeep breath again. In
many Of the States-above all our
west-hopeless lunacy is agood ground
for divorce. MaiSie knew that very
well. There were not many moves on
the matrimonial chessboard unknown
to Maisie. A tremor ran through her
from head to foot before she dared to
go on tentatively to the second oues.
ton.
"And you've never tried-you've
never attempted in any way-to rid
yourself OF this incum brance-to-"
The poet smiled, and interrupted
her placidly.
"Wnat would you have, Nlaise?"
he answered, Struggling his shoulders,
after the fashion intended to denote
bis Castillan ancestry. ~ am poor.
lam free. l am a son OF the rolling
grasslands. I never before met any
woman in this world who attracted
me to submit myself once more to do
mestlc slavery. g. -. It's abol-
lshed in the south. Why restore it in
Nebraska? =. -. e. Consider the
situation. was young once, and q
fool. In the West, in those days,
women were scarce, and poor articles.
They sampled very ill. did the best
! could for myself That best was
feeble. You should have seen her
Maisie; a little understood thing. not
taller than your shoulder-oh, yes, a
decent enough woman in her way. no
doubt; a pretty-faced baby; but not
fit for me, for whom the Fates design
ed great, glorious, large.limbed ex-
ultant Greek goddess. Say
you, for example, Maisie." And he
darted such look from his big
brown eyes at her that Maise
trembled and thrilled in her inmost
marrow. The poet went on, lingering
his niustache with affection. "a small
cramped nature as well; not like mine
or yours-bOrn to roam with the
buffalo of my native prairie. A moth
er OF children, good to bake and clean
house. And that, too, for me! Pah.
my heart grew sick at it,"
He paused again and eyed her.
':In time, he said slowly, "the muse
came and found me. She found me
on the rancho, among the coyotes and
tie cowboys. Write, Jose, she said.
And rose and obeyed her. I wrote,
till the world hocked around me to
read. Then knew what was, and
grew sick OF the woman. -. -. -.
She conveniently went mad. -. -. 80.
There you have the whole episode"
Maisie gazed at him, awe-struck. 1t
was grand! 1t was glorious! His
bombast imposed upon her. The
mans ca.lousness and egotism never
impressed her at all. She saw only
her own gain in this hideous story.
''And now, Jose," she asked tremu-
lousy. what do you mean to do
now? The laws of Nebraska admit
incurable lunacy as good and suffi-
clent cause"
With snap of his finger the poet
once more interrupted her.
"What can I do?" he answered,
playing with her as cat plays with a
mouse. II am poor. am penniless.
Iget what ! make with my pen-the
spinnings of my owl" brain-the bart
or OF my likelihood. Out of that !
support myself-and the mad woman
in Nebraska. How would you have
me support yet third or a fourth?
Above all. a Greek goddess, Tapped in
Washington luxury"
Maisie's mind was made up. He
had said it himself No obstacle
should stand between her and the
man of her choice. Was he not right,
indeed, that here was a help. meet
for him? If he could give up his mad
wife she could give up all else. What
were ties of blood to her now. At
all risks she should have him, hel
own peerless poet. For his sake she
could dare all-the Unspeakable
Thing itself. For his sake she coulo
stand any risk, any punishment,
"Good-bye!" she cried, rising to go
"i can't stop here longer now. This