Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1898-11-03

USE
at seems Immensely stupid to let your
affairs get so muddled," she said.
country mouse on Long Island and the
eccentric stable. Secretly she was tired
OF them both.
sit seems immensely stupid to let
your affairs get so muddled," she said
in her soft voice, "but you'll pull out
all right Men always DC"
"You don't understand, Olga. This
is no passing breeze. We are in the
midst of storm, and how it will end
God alone knows. The Citizen is safe
I am the heaviest stakeholder there,
and if the worst comes / can sell my
interest"
"But the worst won't come" she
said slowly and looked up at him from
under her shady hat with an express
sion not unlike hatred.
YOU'D better face what might be
now. hardly know where I stand. "
He spoke coldly. He was antagonized
by her tranquil selfishness when he re-
membered his nights of suspense.
"But you'll come out of it all right, !"
she quietly insisted Fortunes go up
and down. Other men have been in
awkward places lots of times, but they
have managed to escape unhurt, and
you must do the same. BERTHE Ogden
was telling me only the other day that
when things were lively in Wall street
and some men failed it was the time
for others to seize the opportunity and
make money. He said it was like vul-
lures battening on a wounded bird
Suppose you batten little, David? Or
are you too conscientious? ] wish I'M
derstood business. I'd tell you what to
do"
She stood up and shook out her
mauve, lacy skirt. He saw she was pale
to the lips. After the kiss of greeting
she had not touched him or spoken one
word of comfort or courage. And he
hoped for these things still from her,
though since she bore his name she had
taken no pains to cheat him.
Zone needs money to seize the chance
Of standing in fallen mans place, F"
be said. trying to be patient. "What if
I have none? If paid our tremendous
debts which few months ago it seemed
OILY consistently fashionable to acoumu-
late, I'd have scarcely anything but my
interest in the paper left. Do you quite
realize now where we stand? Do you
know what it costs to live as we've
been living? I've been very generous
with you. Olga. You can't say I've de-
MED you anything even when should
perhaps
Generous she said, her eyelids
falling insolently. 81 don't like that
word. It's out of fashion between nus
bands and wives. When you married
me, half OF all you had became mine.
spent it as my right. If you'd interfer-
ed, you'd soon have understood that
held this view"
She looked frivolous and winsome as
she stood in the soft light striking a
long stemmed rose against her skirt as
she spoke. David felt mixed sensation
of tenderness, pity and amusement seize
him at the thought that the right to her
husbands purse was the only advanced
problem Olga had been interested enough
to attempt to solve. Despite the crisis
VI Ul4O iIlOAliCuu anu AIS SOlO hSdl lO
was disposed to question her further.
He leaned forward, letting his elbow
rest on his knee, and, Selling the head
of the rose she toyed with, held her SO.
"But I don't agree with you," ne
said quietly.
ooh, suppose you'd have doled me
out dollars if you dared and made me
keep an account" she said. perhaps
that's your view"
"No. AS said before, although you
do not like the word, am generous.
would give you half my income, or
more perhaps, but your right to it
deny"
81 can't argue with you. only know
what think. -
Cant you tell me why you think
it?"
"Well, / married you. I've given up
my freedom for you, made your life
mine; therefore everything you possess
should be equally mine" she said inso-
lently.
"But in becoming my wife do you
make me your debtor?''
"Well, something of that Sort
"My dear Olga"-aud David looked
at her with wise and tender eyes-''you
are not the first woman who has made
that mistake. Just consider the matter
from reasonable point of view. /"
She looked out at sea, her face ex-
pressing rebellion and unbelief.
Marriage should be bond bringing
as much happiness to woman as to a
man. asked you to marry me because
I loved you. I supposed you came TO me
as gladly for the same reason. Had l
thought otherwise nothing under heav-
en- would have made me accept you as a
wife. l didn't want sacrifice, / didn't
want to buy you, and if either of these
things has happened I may count my
self wretched man. Therefore at the
beginning we stood equal i'll love. Low
ing each other, we married. We were
unequally mated in regard to fortune.
1t was all mine. Do not misunderstood
me. was glad it was SO. But why
should half what 1 personally possess
become yours when third or fourth