The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-16

!
Mrs. VIM suGs frequently on her piazza
chatting aCtth Mr.. BrGDton.
part of her neighbors? Why should she
submit to parsimonious skimping and
cheeseparing, to living with only one
servant when several other women had
two, to all the little shifts and mean
nesses poor Harry had declared to be
necessary? It was his business to pro-
vide for her needs. Her father had al |
ways supported her in style; why |
couldn't Harry do the same? True, she |
knew when she married him he had |
nothing but his pay. He told her every
thing, but she had never taken thought
fz.r the morrow, though she had taken
perhaps too much thought of what she
should wear or eat or drink. Laura 9ov
ed the good things of this life and had
been freely indulged throughout her
petted girlhood, and now, in the days
when every woman seemed turning
against her, purse, cellar and aarder
were empty and her husband goase on
stupid foray to the mountains. None
could say when he would retzrn or
what new sorrow would meet him then.
Other men managed to earn money or
make money somehow outside their pay.
Why should she, whose tastes, she said.
were so much more refined, be mated
with one who could only spend:
There is time when many a Aomely
face becomes radiant with beAuty too
! deep for sallow skin or heavy features
to hide and when a really winsome
face becomes we'll nigh angelic, bat
even as Laura Winn bent over her sleep
ing child or nestled the unconscious lit
tie one in her bosom the sullen fire of
discontent, thwarted ambition and
wounded self love smolGered I'm her
deep, slumbrous eyes. There were
hours now when Baby Winn wns left
to the ,scant care of the household nurse.
while the mother took the air upon the
piazza during the day Or fitted about
from parlor to parlor along the row at
night. She was restless, nervous, as all
could see. She frequently assailed
Braytm with queries for news, always
decorously asking first if oouriers had
come or were expected from the conn
mand Afield, yet speedily coming back
to the real object Of her constant
thou1hts. the now much honnred off
Ger, her next door neighbor. For three
days after he was pronounced able 20
sit up she did not succeed in seeing him
at all. though so many other and, 1t
shouId be explained, much older women
did. but that did not abate one whit
her determination that he should speed
lily see her. :,
: Just what her object was she herselt
: could not have told. 1t was an instinct,
an impulse, a whim perhaps, but nc
who had been her lover and was reject
f ed had dared to gaze into her face with
? ewes serene and untroubled, had met
: her but half veiled references to old
/ days with polite but positive lndlher-
, ence. She had nothing to ask OF hlm,
she told herself She meant no dlsloy-
j atty to Harry, no wrong of any kind
Not a bit of it. She had treated Bar
@ CLAW yerv badly. She had done him
a wrong that was much greater IN mel
own estimation than it was IN that o.
r any one of her neighbors, among whom
q the women at least considered the los
' of his inamorata blessing in disguise
y = INIT Laura fully believed that Barclay
heart must have been crushed IN the
a denth of his woe, and that 1t was nov
her duty to make friends agaln-per
i haps ia some way to console him, not
:. of course, in any way to which Harry
. could object; not, of course. in any way
n to which the post ought to object, bu
h well. even to herself, as has been said
n she could not entirely and satisfactorily
g exDlaiu her motive. 1t was impossl bl'
y therefore that she could hope to do St
d to anybody else, and yet she had dare'
% to write to him. 1t was only lttl'
# note, and yet with all its inconsisten
;. cies it said SO much:
DrAR CAPTAIN BARCLAY-I cannot tell 20
- nv distress at hearing Of your again pelng st
i verely wounded. especially at time wnen
n had hoped to have you meet and better kno'
l. nv husband, but now in his distressing al
, sence 1. who more than any woman at TN
- MOST am anxious to show my sympathy an
es sorrow, am practically helpless DO tell me
IS there is ANYTHING l can do, though am sure
IN can't see what is left for me, with no COOK
Kitchen. and Mrs Frazier and the Misses + =
10 zier senGling such loads of things l rean
S, amy them and Mrs. Blythe the privilege
at their years in going TO see you personaIy; X
IN am not at least your oldest fr1enoF A' w.