River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-01-18
HENRY WOODFORD'S WIFE.
a Chance Bit of Gossip That
Changed Her Life.


"well. tell me about Henry Wood
ford How did that match turn out?-
Badly enough. thus far. tie is the
same delightful good-natured fellow,
always ready 10 do a kind thing But
that woman will be the ruin of him"
''HOw? What is the trOublc?'
1.-THE trouble is, she fancies herself
an invalid; lies around, does nothing
but read-has every foolish within graf
ified; and. in fact, / don't see how he
stands it,"
''Did she have any property"
Not a cent II was an Out-and-out
love match. She has expensive tastes,
and is indOlent and extravagant Why,
his carriage hire is big item of itself
She couldn't possibly walk block, you
know"
Perhaps she Is really a sufferer"
Nonsense. She had that fall, you
remember. at the skating rink. At
first her spine was thought to be seri-
ously injured WOOdford paid out sew
eraI hundred dollars TO have ller cured.
and the doctors discharged her well,
they said. But it has pleased her TO
drag around. load on his hands. ever
since II is thought that he is much
crippled financially; know positively
that ne has lately mortgaged his inter
est in the firm II he can't manage To
make or save Eve thousand dollars by
the end of this year it is all over with
him; and he will never do it at his pres
ent rate of living"
''Why doesn't ne tell her? Has she
no sense of feeling at alp"
None, except for herself; and he is
80 fond of her that he will indulge her
10 his very last cent
Il thought he looked a little bit
down as he passed us this morning"
Yes, he is beginning to realize that
he has gone too far and, poor fellow,
IL is tugging At him hard IS
Did She hear Alright? Was it of her,
Eleanor WOodfOrd, that they were
talking? Swiftly she sped out of the
dark, heavily curtained back parlor o.
the stylish boarding-hOuse, and iEto
her room, a gorgeous alcove apartment
on the first floor. She could not mount
the stairs on account of her weak
spine. Weak spine? She forgot all
about il as she paced the floor, angry
tears gushing from her large, brown
eyes. IL was shameful-it was wicked
to be so abused, She had never in
her whole petted life been found fault
with As To money, what did she know
about il? Her father. before his failure
and death, had always gratified her
Her husband had never made any diff
ference. Yet these We're friends of his.
Her bitter subs ceased. and mgr wound
ed vanity gradually lost itself in better
thoughts Did all the world think of her
with scathing criticisms like those of
the two chance callers, who thus killed
the time while waiting for some one 10
come down to them? She began to
feel glad that she had overheard it.
The merest accident had sent her into
the back parlOr Was it true? What
could she do? Her dear. kind husband
in trouble and she the cause, oh. she
must help him. somehow. Long she sat
buried in thought, and when the we'll
known step sounded at the door. her
face was radiant with a new resolve
He came to her large easy-chair with
a step somewhat weary, but his kiss
was as usual "All right, Nellie. Had
a good day? Why. YOU look-let me
see-how do you look?" he said. cheer
ily.
81 look as 4 loved nv big boy very
much, don't p" she responded. mer-
rily.
His answer was another kiss, and as
he turned towards his dressing closet,
her heart ached with unspoISen tender
ness.
Her dinner was brought up. She
was not considered strong 'nOugh to
sit at the table. For this service an ex-
ira charge was made.
Later. when he opened the evening
paper. she sat aud watched him.
Surely those lines of care were new
now that he was not smiling fOndly on
her oh. foolish wife, Rising gently,
her long, handsome tea gown trailing
behind her. She stood beside him, one
slender white hand upon his shoulder.
Then. playfully putting by the paper,
She sat down upon his knees
well. dear. what now? Another
new gown? he asked. with his old,
sweet smile.
She pressed her lips slowly upon the
broad white brow, another pang at
her heart Then she spoke:
Not this time. Harry. dear. let's go
10 Mrs Wickham's to board"
Mrs Wickham's.' he echoed: why.
you wouldn't stay in her dull little
place week" But even as he spoke
there flashed through his mind in rapid
calculation: Twenty dollars a week
there; forty here; eighty dollars
month saved; nearly a thousand dol
lars year
i Don't you like it here?" were his
next words, as he glanced around the
luxurious suite
YES" she said. ''e xcept that there
are too many people 1t is so noisy"
Very well, then, we will try it-any-
thing 10 please my darling" and he
wrapped his arms around her as he
would have lulled a restless child
The move was made. and Eleanor
found that she was not so much IA
tigued as she had often felt after a
days lounging with n novel Her hus-
band thought il only new within; but,
as il was not an expensive one. he could
not complain. When he wanted to
take her driving. she playfully told
AAAAAA HAAN " - ANeAA AAAAAh - vain NUS
We're not safe.
The first step. she thought. Now for
the next /: came TO her almost by
magic In a little rear hall room sat
Margaret Devices. clicking away at her
typewriter. 4 strong, clear-headed
girl who had maintained herself these
ten years, and had put by her savings
She WAS soon 10 be married 10 a stall
wart young farmer. the lover " her
early youth They had worked and
waited. From the first she took an in
terest n the young wife, and it was
given 10 her energy and common sense
10 help a suffering sister. Together
they plotted and planned EleanOr's
lassitude passed away under vigorous
rubbing and brisk walks
Margaret's trousseau was thing TO
be considered From Eleanor's surplus
stock Of stylish gowns and garments
the country girls outfit was deity con-
eocted- Eleanor could sew neatly and
rapid, When all was ready the snug
sum 4 TWO hundred dollars lay in her
writ desk Her grand piano. too
large for the new quarters. was re-
moved from the storage room to
dealers and was sold for three hundred
dollars more. She wrote TO an uncle in
Kansas CITY. told him OF her little ef-