The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-03-07
THE WIFE BEATER.

"Iaddie, siIe said at last. placing her
hand on Rogers head, ''pcrhaps you are
right in what you lid. | am only a wom-
an. my boy, and 50 WAS a little shocked
at hearing you say you had struck Katie.
You goo. wife beaterS are not generally
looked upon as n very noble race Of men,
and
- shall never touch her again. l told
her 50, interrupted Roger, land shall
keep my word.
'Of course aesnut.d his aunt, mo one !
knowing You would doubt your word for
a ONE You are an exceptional man, I
my dear Roger. and therefore | say again
perhaps you were right, perilous a. the eX-
pertinent j.. | do not cXOnerate your wife
from blanc. She should have had more
sense. for -hc i by 30 means only a silly
pretty doll"
40. indeed. =" cried Roger. Il am very
proud Of ka1ic's Common sense. She Is
often clear headed and wiser than two men
put together
"Quite 50. All the more blame to her
for 50 GROSSLY misunderstanding your
character. She should have been more
dutiful, more oDedicnt, should have stud
led your wishes moro
She always studied my wi5hes-al
ways cried the young man w~rathfully,
rising from his position and pacing up
and down the room. ut was only that
she did not understand that | would he
master: that when | said a thing | meant
it.. Otherwise she is the sweetest little
wife any one ever had"
"Come here, laddie. Put your head on
! nv knpcs-so. You say you idn't hurt
her much. How do you know She is a
( terrible little coward, il wee Katie. and
breads pain.
Most women do" went on Mrs. CrOm
bic. "But it was not only the bodily pain,
for / don't suppose for a moment that you
did hurt her much. You are not q brute,
and. as you say, it was but a toy whip,
.'Think n moment, and please under
stand | am not pleading for Katie in the
least. ana only trying to shoW you the
state of the case from her side OF view.
"Shr had gone on in her foolish, impe-
rious little way, thinking she WAS govern
ing her Eig husband, utterly unconscious
that be on his side was storing up every
single opposition to his will, to pour out
the whole Of it one day upon her in cold
and bitter Justice.
,~hc was wrong, very wrong but, RoG-
cr, / ask YOU a. Il mau-a stern one but J
. tliuk lust onc-are you perfectly with
out bl@"":'
There was silence again for some five
minutes; then the young man raised MS
ewes. and they were wet with tears, to his
auut's face, and said: 81 see, auntle. l
was blind, too, and / have sinned too.
TEL me. DO You think it is too latcE VIII
kH.ic hate me noW:'
eff know anything of Katie, she will
receive you back with love and tenderness.
But. Roger. remember one thing. She can
never hn quite the same again. y woman
never furget4. DO what you will, do what
she VIII, She viii always fear YOU now, al
WAYS be a little bewildered, a little uncer
tain, never sure of you again.
.'Ncn never understand that every true
lowing woman builds up an ideal OF th'
man size loves and clings to that idea
desperately even after the god OF brass ha>
plainly shown the feet of clay. There
laddic, / will lecture no more. Goo"''y.
There was no carriage to meet hum Whci
he cot ont at AIthOrpe station, two m!Io.
from the Towers, and though he dld III"
expect il he felt somehow chilled.
Nv the time he reached the gates he wa
really nervous for the first t!mein hIsIlfe
He walked iuto' the house and gave
SLIGHT -IiyCr as tie thought crossed III
! mind that perhaps it would always be s.
. in i fu,.rr. 10 Katie wOul c"l"c ny
. ing out to meet him, and he knew that l
; that should he the ca e his lie would III
" deed be d.~olatc.
~Huw foolish ann" he mut;ered. "@h
could not know when | Wa, coming h@Int
p She must Er in paradise; | Will go there.
80 lie mounted the low, broad stalrca'
. on to Il Ilt!Ir room he had furnished 70
her with every luxurious trii" love c"uI
fancy. and which they had named pAr'
disc.
Katie was lying on a low lounge st7rIn
into vacancy. She had been hoping a-"in'
l--. .l,, L., u-C,lJ rDO,p Ent she Ene1