The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-11-12
INWAY INCUMBRANCE
ny JOHN HABERTON.
Author of "Hclen.s Babies"

darling OF all young married women of her
acquaintance, for she was slightly and SYM
pathetic, she loved her husband too dearly
to give any other woman cause for jealousy
and she had fund of vitality that made her
untirng in enjoyment and at devising pleas
ures for others, as well as at lifting burdens
from weaker shoulders. She also rejoiced
persistently in her three children, though
most other young matrons of her set were
wont to regard their own children as pre-
| ventives of what We're currently called good
times"
When her husband died Mrs Inway was
| the recipient of many condolences that were
fearful and sincere, but in short time she
| found herself left very much alone by her
old acquaintance, for, as one very pretty
young woman remarked at a theater party,
.'What can any of us do with woman in
black who can't think of fun?" The young
widow had much to think of, however, and
its nature, which was well known, was the
cause of oceans of talk Harry Inway had
left no property and but little life insur-
| ance, his wife had no relatives, so what
| should she do when her money had been
spent?
The subject was discussed for weeks and
months after Mrs. Inway had discharged
| her servant and moved into three rooms and
sold most of her furniture and begun to-
look wistful and absent-minded At first
the tone of the conversation was sympathet-
lie, then vague, finally irritating, and the
children were called, successfully, 'the poor
dear things" "Nellies BROOD" and, at last,
''the 1nway membranes" Most of the
| chat went on in the stting-room of young
Mrs. Burless, a semi-invalid who set forth
| tea and cake and connections every after
4l,ot Il, n lo.,
| company. One afternoon some echoes of
the talk reached Tom Dorley, a mature
! bachelor, brother of the hostess, who had
recently come from the west and was loung-
ing for an afternoon in tiny room called
the library, which was behind the sitting
room. After the callers had departed Tom
joined his sister and said:
4 ''Why don't you women do something for
! the membranes you've talked of SO
/ much.'
! Because we don't know what to do, /" re-
| piled Mrs. Burless, almost tragcally.
/ H IN! 'Twouldn' take so much talk out
west to organize a new corporation or send
man to the legislature. :"
Indeed? Then l wish you'd use some of
I your western sense to help us out. Nellie
Inway can go out OF mourning this week,
and we can get good position for her as
governess, but there is no way OF providing
for her children"
m! Isn't that the woman You used to
| rave about, in your letters to me? If you're
all as fond of her as you profess to be, why
don't You divide her children among you
until she can get start? That's the way
women out west would do for a widow"
Spare us! Our own children are suffi-
/ Gent care and drag
s.rrl,o, .l,;,, I;r, o,,,, ~
to do it. 'Twouldn't cost each of you more
than dollar or two a week-less money
than you spend on trash that you don't
need"
Trash, indeed" sighed Mrs. Burless.
"None OF US has as much money as she
needs.''
HIM! I've heard that sort Of talk from
millionares. Still, if you're in for anything,
| and want to get it off your mind, do it at
once. That's the way we do out vest
very well'' said Mrs. Burless. with an
other sign, "l'll repeat your suggestion to
/ Nelie's friends tomorrow
Dorley took care to keep out of sight and
hearing the next day, but an afternoon
later, when arrangements had been made
for breaking up the 1nway family, the widow
herself, VINO had not been consulted, was
summoned with her three children to APP
pear before her acquaintances and be told
what had been done for her. Dorley was
unable to escape from his favorite loung
ing place behind t he sitting-room, so he over
heard an angry refusal and some reproach-
full rejonders, followed by high-tempered
words on both sides. Then he heard some
of the ladies hurry to the parlor and the
door, as if to depart, and he heard his
sister follow them, and then figure in black
I'D mt n Of no nv
burst into tears; so he assumed, and right
ly, that the intruder was the owner of the
lnway membranes. Between her sobs
the widow talked to herself, so the bachelor
made haste to warn her that she was not
alone.
When the startled woman turned, Dorley
saw handsome, tear-stained face, two flash
ing eyes and a small figure in a defiant at
titude. He instinctively retreated a step
OF two as the widow exclaimed:
II do believe that you are the originator
of the cruel plot to separate me from my
children! Aren't you Mrs. Burless' west
ern brother"
81 am, madam"
"And there continued the widow point
ing dramatically toward sofa in the sit
ting-room, ARE the darlings whom you
would have dragged from their mother!
How could yor have devised so cruel plan?
Are YOU fathsr!"
Madam ssid Tom, earnestly, while he
thought rapidly, 81 am not, though / wish
We're, if my Children could be as likely lot
as yours
Don't try 20 palliate your cruelty with
compliments, cir! A more heartless-''
Madam Se interrupted, looking brave
ly into thu. angry eyes before him. 81
meant exactly what said, and can prove
it. l pass for a poor man in the part of
the west came from, but Pm worth about
$4,000, and III give you every cent of ii for
those children, if"
"Oh. you monster!"
'Please, madam. allow me to finish what
began to say: I'll give you everything
have for those three children if-there's
where you stopped me-if l can have the
mother also Think it over at your leisure
I've heard much about you; my sister and
her husband can satisfy you that I'm a man
OF my word, and not bad man in other
ways"
With bow Dorley went into the sitting