The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-04-13

! why uon you come Dack homer
he asked, leaning forward in his chair
and noticing how much Kate hal aged
since she came West.
"Rick never seems to think OF it,
besides don't think we've got money
enough to take one of us, let alone
both. just long to go-sometimes it
seems like I'd go wild staying here. A
man can get along better'n n woman"
yes, that's So" George assented
he looked very prosperous, sitting
there In his dark business suit, his
shining linen and new gloves. Her
brown calico seemed to grow older
and limper, and she felt Us if she be.
longed to another world than his.
He told her OF their k'nsfolk, of the
marriages and deaths in the old neigh.
borhood, who had sold and moved
away and who had como in their
places. How she longed to go back to
the commonplace, prosperous life she
had left
He went to the door. Not much
of m outlook here, is it," He
wheeled and gave her searching re.
gard. kate, I've been thinking that
if you really wanted to go back
home that can lend you enough to
do 1T. and you can pay back when you
please. don't want to interfere be-
tween husband and wife, but Judge
that you and Rick haven't been get.
ting along first rate by what You said"
| I'VE haven't had any open quarrels,"
she answered, "but l don't think he
had any right to bring me out to such
Collaboration country rs this. /
don't think, either, that I'd do wrong
to leave him. I've never let my folks
know how things were going, and
last spring when ma talked about
coming out just prayed she wouldn't,
though wanted awful to see her, too
Il was ashamed for her to see how
we lived"
IF you intend to go with me, you'd
better make up your mind" the man
said. looking ut his watch. "You
wouldn't want to meet Rick. Can we
go road that we won't meet him?"
Kate nodded. "Yes-the back road
it's rough, but wo could take it. D."
Are you coming?" he asked.
She stood n moment Strengthening
the cover on the table. "Yes, I'll CO."
she said decisively. There are a few
thing [ must take, but can be ready
in half IN hour"
She went into the other room of the
house and knelt at trunk whose
cushioned top aud frilled skirt tried to
beguile the beholder into the belief
that 1T was divan. Opening the lid
she lifted out folded garments, laying
them into neat piles on the floor. Then
she turned over tho articles in the
tray. She took some photographs in
her lap and looked them over. There
was picture of Kicks Uncle Ben
how they had laughed at his fierce
frown, knowing so we'll that he was
henpecked; then there was Mary
Haines, her bridesmaid, and Cousin
Lou and Emery's twins. A card slipped
from her lap to the floor and lay face
downward. She picked it up. II was
a photograph of himself that Rick had
given her before they were married.
IL had been taken by wandering
artist and he was an AWKWARD figure.
clad in queerly made suit, holding
his hat tight in his hand, but his
stea1fast young eyes we're looking
straight into hers. She remembered
the day he had given it TO her and how
she had praised it, meanwhile laugh.
ing at the presentation OF Uncle Ben,
though they were the work OF the
same artist She had tucked Kicks
picture in Mt the edge of the mirror
and o1e night Mary Haines had dis.
covered it. How Mary leased her I'M
til she confessed that they we're to be
married in the spring and we're to go
20 Kansas.
"Its 400" George called.
She dropped the photograph into
the trunk and closed the lid with n
crash. Sha 'si h9v bet m cloak on
the be L "im glad baked tie bread
aud dried-applo pies this morning."
she thought, "men are so helpless
about homework ] must leave some
word OF whore I'm Rono. guoss no
A,I tri TO he GOOD 81, ..-. bis i've
no right to keep M neto.
She found n sheet OF the THU, blue
lined paper on which she had no often
written to cher folks" She sat down
on the bed, with the ink bottle on a
chair near by. Dear Rick" she
wrote, then hastily crossed il out and
began ''Rick." Then she was motion
less for a time, her eyes fixed on the
ceiling. AT last she wrote: "Georee
Gilbert is here, and is going TO lend
me money to go home on. cannot
stand IL here any longer. hope you
will forgive me, for / know you have
tried TO DO good and"
She threw down her pen and ran in
20 the kitchen. aGeorge stood ia the