The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-16
Fer 6u$band'$ n
~ ~ Relations.
BY Amy Randolph.


Walter May.
;,ionately stamping her foot on the car
"Of course it isl" cried out Clara, pas
pet. do you suppose l don't know it
perfectly well? And that is what
makes it so hard-oh, so cruelty hard
to bear!"
The fact was that Mr.. and Mrs Wal
ter May had begun life at the wrong
end.
Clara Calthorpe was pretty young
girl, just out of the hotbed atmosphere
of a fashionable boarding school. Wal
ter May was a bank clerk who had not
the least doubt but that he should Ill
timatcy make his fortune out of stocks
and bonds.
Clara" he said to the young wife
while the golden circle of the honey
moon was yet overshadowing their lives,
would you like country life?"
;"Oh, dear, no." said Clara, involun-
tarily recoiling.
Because" said Walter, somewhat
wistfully, "my father and mother are
alone on the old farm, and think they
with Them
II shouldn't like it at ALL" said Clara,
land mamma says that no young bride
should ever settle down among her hus-
bands relations"
Mr.. May frowned little, but Mrs.
Clara had a pretty positive way of her
own. and he demonstrated no further.
But at the years end Walter May had
lost his situation, the clouds of debt had
gathered darkly around them. and all
the pretty new furniture, Eastlake cab
inets, china dragons, proof engravings
and dollhouse plants were sold under the
red flag. They had made complete
failure of the housekeeping business, and
now, in the fourth story of third-rate
hotel, Mr.. and Mrs. Walter May were
looking their future in the face.
Clara had been eXtravagant. There
was no sort of doubt about that. She
had given "recherche" little parties,
which she couldn't afford, to people who
didn't care for her. She had patterned
her tiny establishment after models
which were far beyond her reach, and
now they were ruined.
She had sent a tear-besprinkled letter
to her mother, who was in WASHINGTON
trying to ensnare rich husband for
her younger daughter, but Mrs. CAL
thorpe had hastily written back that it
was quite impossible for her to be in
New York at that time of year and still
more impossible to receive Mrs. Walter
May at the monster hotel where she was
boarding. And Clara, who had ALWAYS
had a vague idea that her mother was
selfish, was quite certain of:it now.
There is but one thing left for YOU,
Clara" said Walter, sadly.
"And that" =
us to 60 back to the old farm. have
no longer home to offer you, but you
will be sure of warm welcome from
my father and mother. shall remain
here and do my best to obtain some new
situation which will enable me to earn
our daily bread"
Clara burst into tears.
go to my husbands relations ?" she
sobbed. "Oh, Walter, cannot"
lou Will nave ~, he Sdlu, uOSgedlV
''or else starve."
So Mrs. May packed up her trunk and
obeyed. And all the way to Hazelcopse
farm she cried behind her veil and pic
tured to herself a stony-faced old ma n
with a virago of wife. who would set
her to doing menial tasks and over
whelm her with reproaches for having
ruined poor, dear Walter" As for the
farmhouse itself, she was quite sure it
was a desolate place, with corn and DO
tatoes growing under the very windows,
and the road in front filled with plows
and pigs and harrows and broken cart
wheels. But in the midst of her tears
and desolation the driver called out:
"Hazelcopse farm! Mr.. Noah Mays.
Here's tn house. ma am
"A long, low. gray stone mansion, all
garlanded with ivy, its windows bright
with geranium blossoms and the scar
let autumn leaves raining down on the
velvet-smooth lawn in front. Clara
could just see how erroneous had been
all her preconceived IDEAS. when she
found herself clasped in the arms Of the