Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-11-05

Then her face grew little. stern and
| almost forbidding as she remembered
that only, last week her husband had
spent $3.50 for new electrical appa-
ratus to experiment with in his labora-
tory. And now he was talking hard
times and grudging the small sums he
gave to religious objects in connection
with his church and thinking he could
not afford to help the family of a man
who had once saved his life!
Again she turned to the piano and
played awhile, but she could not be
rested by the music as sometimes she
had been. When she finally rose and
walked over by the table near the end
OF the lounge, Mr.. Hardy was asleep,
and she sat down by the table, gazing
into the open fire drearily, a look Of
sorrow and unrest on the face still
beautiful, but worn by years Of disap-
pointment and the loss of that respect
and admiration she once held for the
man who had vowed at the altar to
make her happy. She had not lost her
| love for him wholly, but she was fast
losing the best part Of it. the love
which has It's daily source in an Unborn
respect. When respect is gone, love is
not long in following after.
She sat thus for half an hour and
was at last aroused by the two girls,
Clara and Bess, coming in. They were
laughing and talking together and had
evidently parted with some one at the
door. Mrs. Hardy went out into the
hallway.
FLUSH, girls, your father Is asleep!
You know how he feels to be awakened
suddenly by noise. But he has been
waiting up for you"
''Then l guess We'll go up stairs
without bidding him good night" said
Clara abruptly. II don't want to be
lectured about going over to the Cax-
tons'."
mo; want to see you both and have
little talk with you. Come In here"
Mrs. Hardy drew the two girls into the
front room and pulled the curtains to-
gether over the arch opening into the
| room where MIR. Hardy lay. Nov tell
me. girls. why did your father forbid
your going over to the Cations? did
| not know until tonight. Has it some
| thing to do with JamesY
Neither of the girls said anything for
a minute. Then Bess, who was the
younger of the two and famous for
startling the family with very sensa-
tional remarks. replied. "James and
Clara are engaged, and they are going
to be married tomorrow"
Mrs. Hardy looked at Clara, and the
girl grew very red in the face, and
then, to the surprise Of her mother and
Bess, she burst out into violent fit of
crying. Mrs. Hardy gathered her into
her arms as in the olden times when
she was a little child and soothed her
into quietness.
Tell me all about it, dear. did not
know you cared for James in that
way"
"But do" sobbed Clara. "And ia
Their guessed something and forbade us
going there any more. But l didn't
think he would mind it if Bess and l
went just this one night couldn't
help it anyway. Mother, isn't it right
"'Tisn't proper to talk about such
things on Sunday" said Bess solemnly.
"Clara" said Mrs. Hardy. why,
you're only child yet! Is it true that
James is Why, he is only boyv'
HE is 81, and am Is, and he's earn
ing $40 month in the Office and is one
of the best stenographers in the state.
foil vs~lo
could be married tomorrow, so!' Clara
burst out with it all at once, while Bess
remarked quietly:
eyes, they're real sensible, and l
think James Is nice, but when marry
I want more than $40 month for can
dy alone. And, then, he isn't particu-
larly handsome"
HE is, too," cried Clara. "And he's
good and brave and splendid, and I'd
rather have him than thousand such
men as Lancey Cummings. Mother, l
don't want money. 1t hasn't made you
happy"
flush, dearw Mrs. Hardy felt as If
a blow had smitten her in the face.
She was silent then.
Clara put her arms around her moth
er and whispered: "Forgive me. moth
er! l didn't mean to hurt you. But l
am so unhappyv'
Unhappy! And yet the girl was just
face Of God under the influence of that
most divine and tender and true feel
Ing that ever comes to girl who
knows a true, brave man loves her
with all his soul. And some people
would have us leave this subject to the
dippant novelist instead Of treating it
as Christ did when he said, For this
cause"-that Is, for love"shan a man
leave his father and mother and cleave
unto his wife,"
Mrs. Hardy was on the point Of say
ing something when the sound Of Pc
culiar steps on the stairs was heard,
and shortly after Alice pushed the cur
tains aside and came in. Alice was
the Oldest girl in the family. She was
cripple, the result of an accident
when child, and she carried crutch,
using 1t with much skill and even
grace. The minute she entered the
room she saw something was happen
Ing. but she simply said:
Mother, isn't it little strange "a
ther sleeps so soundly? l went up to
him and spoke to him just now, think
ing he was Just lying there, and he
didn't answer, and then l saw he was
asleep: But never knew him to sleep
SO Sunday night. He usually reads up
in the study
"Perhaps he is sick. will go and
see." -.