Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-06-07
copYRIoAr. ie 90 eY rne AurAoR


eY TAE AOTAoR
heart when he goes away"
81 shouldn't wonder but what you're
right. Julia. returned Foster wisely.
Meantime in Mary's mind only a
huge sense of relief from an obnoxious
presence dominated every other feeling.
She heard her mothers remarks about
tour dear boy, it is true, but she sim
ply endured them as go much babble
which it would be useless to answer
Her one idea was to think out some
plan by which she could be rendered
free of her husbands purse at the end
of the time of his absence. She had
fully made up her mind that she would
never under any circumstances live
with him again. She told herself that it
was no part of wife's duties to live
with man who had used personal vio-
lence toward her. She went over the
situation many times in her own mind,
and she had deliberately come to the
conclusion that in striking her to the
ground Captain Conway had forfeited
all further right to her consideration.
II knew" her thoughts ran, THAT
he was elderly, or at least of advanced
middle age. that he was rough and plain
in ways and manners, but did not
know that he was brute. an unmiti-
Ated brute. If had known it, even
for my mothers sake could not and
would not have married him. Now l
feel am perfectly justified in carving
out the rest of my own life independ-
emily Of him.
But. though it is an easy thing to say
that one will carve out life for one
self, it Is another thing to do 1t. 1t is
one thing to declare for independence
it is another thing to free oneself
from dependent position. And when
Mary Conway came to weigh herself in
the balance against fate she found that
she was not able to press down her side
of the scales SO much as a jot.
Her own career. in which she had
been doing so well at the time Of hel
marriage. was irrevocably closed to her,
even had she been willing to begin agair
at the lowest rung of the ladder. and
| III OGuGk OhC bCCliCA w ORoAA w AoA'
She thought of many ways Of earning
q living, but the very first question
which common sense put to her Away
brought her up sharp like bird tied BY
the leg, which, when it would auttel
away. Is brought up sharply to stand
still by the string that ties it, The ques
tion was, "What do you know abou
it1" The answer was always the eam'
and came with incorporating curt
ness. "Nothing!"
She gave more than thought to 90
ing on the stage-always woman
first instinct in times of stress blu
when she heard of there being 1, 10'
names on the books of one theater ant
1900 on the promise list of another sh'
was discouraged from any hope Of sue
cess in that direction. She thought o
trying literature, and she did write 4
little story which she smiled and erie,
over and copied ont many times AMI
loved dearly. But she sent her bantlinl
out into the hard world, and she neve
saw or heard Of it again She wondere'
whether she could start better elias
school for small children; but, again
although she felt herself competen
enough 70 teach, common sense steppe,
In and asked: Flow are you going i
furnish housef How are you going {.
live during the first quarter7 Will you
mother ever consent to tear hersel
away from her dear boy and Acaci
Villaf" And the answer to each wa
such as showed the utter hopelessnea
of attempting any such scheme as
way out Of her present difficulties. TIL
want of experience, the want of capital
the drag that her invalid mother mus
always be upon her movements, thes
disadvantages always came home to he
when she thought out some fires
scheme for earning a living.
''If l had only myself to consider,
could go and be scullery maid" sh
, said to herself passionately, forgetting
poor girl, that a schoolteacher woul
be Of but little use in kitchen or sou
|. lery.
! So the days went by peacefully an
uneventfully enough, in perfect confer
on Mrs. Hamilton's part, in feveris
{ unrest for Mary. And as each one darl
, ened into night she felt that she Wi
, one day nearer to terrible alternative
Z to meeting with the man who ha
, sworn to protect her against all possib
. troubles. but who had outraged b.
womanhood and broken down evel
shred of respect and gratitude which 81
l might, nay would. have felt for hir
: She felt more and more as each NOR
t Ing rose that she was fast approachir
t the time when she must either subm
J, to the vilest degradation of herself
' see her mother thrust out in her feebl