Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-06-23
The Broken Cloud

~ EALLY, Gerald, the way you
liz speak to me Is unendurable. Ii
l were your slave you could not
be more domineering" exclaimed Mrs
Fenton. as she put the teapot violently
on the table.
plode the teapot, madam" her husband
retOrted
AS If l hadn't a name.' she cried
And then followed angry words on both
sides.
They paid no attention to their lit
tie daughter, Ada, who looked first Mt
one angry parent and then at the 9TH
er. until she finally sobbed aloud. En-
mie- Mrs. Fenton-rose to ;soothe the
child, but tears are catching. and theirs
mingled. Mr.. Fenton meanwhile left
the room. slamming the door after him.
and went to his office as usual.
Its fortunate that the new house
keeper is coming to-day" thought EN-
inie. Now l can go and see Cousin
Maggie, and get the cObwebs brushed
away. 1t will do Gerald good to pass
an evening without me-"
She initiated Mrs. Maloy, when she
arrived, into the ways Of her house
hold, told her to prepare her husbands
dinner and left message for him to
the effect that she intended returning
by the late car.
Don't leave either house door open.
for tramps come round sometimes" she
cautioned the woman, who replied:
Sure and amt l afeared enough o.
tramps to lock the doors?
When Gerald came home toward
evening he rang the bell as usual. not
being in the habit of carrying a latch
key. for Emmie liked to admit him her.
self.
"Good-evening Mrs. Maloy," he said.
ms he heard the latch click.
The new housekeeper opened the door
a little way, placing her strong foot
firmly behind it.
who are yOu?" she asked. giving
giving him a suspicious look. And
what may you be wanting?"
ITO come in, of course" was the nat
llral answer.
Sure and We DON'T" was her reply.
us Mrs. Fenton at homer" Gerald
asked loudly.
'"rhe mistress is out" she answered.
land the business is none of yours"
Don't you know I'm Mr.. Fenton?"
he began.
But she interrupted him with:
IL
woman to believer
Gerald fairly gasped. while he Won
dered how much of his wine Mrs. Ma
10y had imbbed. What mistake he
had made in this woman. Yet he had
done the best he could. After Emmie's
correspondence with her, he had seen
her in his office for was it not part of
his business as "A lawyer to judge .peo-
pie by their faces?
NO nonsense"' he commanded. LET
me in at once
II just won't and so there:" she de-
clared. AS she slammed the door in his
face with great bang.
He went round to the kitchen door.
and found that fast bolted. Should he
fetch a policeman and force an en-
trance: The woman might have done
Emmie some mischief. Turning to go
down street, he met a friend
Il saw your wife and little girl start
off to Deepdene this morning. Intend
ing to come back on the 10 o'clock car"
ne said
Resting on this information, Gerald
spent the evening at his club. returning
at II. All was as still as the dead. His
wife evidently remained for the night
Mt her cousins and the old woman was
doubtless in drunken stupor. His only
resource was to so to hotel.
After wakcful night the first per-
son Mr.. Fenton met in the street was
II client of his, who urged his going on
important business to Chicago, and
tenton consented to start at once. His
house preserved the silence of the pre-
vious evening; so. tearing n leaf from
his pocketbook, he scrubbed upon it.
of to Chicago; you will understand
Expect me when you see me.
"GERALD FENTON."
Slipping the paper under the door he
thought. This trip will give Emme
time to return to her former self" Then
he FASTENED away. having barely time
to catch the morning express.
when did Mr.. Fenton come back?"
was his wife's first inquiry of the
housekeeper on her return.
Sure and Misther Fenton's not
shown himself inside the doorway since
you went away
ton went on:
HAS no one been here them"
mo one at all to come in the wom-