Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1902-10-03

u neI lhtutI > NetdA1s Aht bAttNA heno "a
seeing Maria Drewelowe ia her beau
tiful home while she must live in an
obscure corner.
Tenderiy he soothed her and bathed
her throbbing temples. Years OF wed
ded life had taught him the futility OF
argument when his wife's mind was
made up. He remembered, too. that
For love OF tim she had refused Henry
Drewelowe back In the old sunny days
at Mayville.
Unable to be up the next morning,
nevertheless she managed to indite a
bitterly accusing note to the little MIL
liner and dispatch IL with the bonnet
by a messenger boy. Several days
elapsed. and no answer came. Finally
In desperation she gathered her
strength and. boarding a downtown
car, was soon mounting the steps Of
the old brick building behind the ca
thedral.
There was no answer to her first
knock, so she raped again a faint
moa came through the open transom.
Then she turned the knob and entered.
The room was in disorder; most Of the
little furniture It had contained had
mysteriously disappeared. Only q bed,
a chair ard a table remained. Upon
the table lay two opened letters, and
beside them sat n bonnet box securely
tied. Upon the bed lay the frall figure
of the milliner. her face hot with
fever. At this sight Mrs. Wentworth's
wrath vanished, and she stood by the
bedside only n sweet. helpful woman,
her heart wruug with pity.
There was n rustic Of silk lined gar
ments outside in the hail, then an i'm
perious knock, and when Mrs. Went
worth opened the door she beheld q
second Nemesis in the form of Mrs.
Dreweiowe. The latter bestowed q
curt nod upon Mrs. Wentworth, and
that softened and already %repentant
woman stepped aside and allowed her
to advance to the bedside. Mrs. Drewe-
lowe heard her own name and Mrs.
Wentworth's mingled. falling incoher-
emily from the parched lips. After a
moment she turned and faced Mrs.
Wentworth.
"Annie Wentworth, this is our work.
/ wrote her a very harsh note Mon
day morning, accusing her of copying
my new bonnet, which / bought in
New York three weeks ago. She was
in the house doing some work, and /
felt sure she must have seen it through
the treachery of the maids"
And l." sobbed Mrs. Wentworth.
sent back my bonnet Monday morn
ing with a scandalous unexpectedly
scandalOusl"
Then they sought the landlady and
demanded an explanation of her neg
lect. She surveyed the two ladies with
rising anger.
"Sure, ma'ams." she said, IAN I'm
a lorn wilder myself with FIVE childel
to support, an she's back on her ren.
three months. It's all along Of he
havin' to go on to Moo York an 81
her bad brother out Of Jail, an she
sold her furniture an clothes an gon
without fire an enough to eat to max
up. Then, on top of that, two womei
-foine ladies in sassiety-writ her tw
Of the meanest letters you ever see 4
your life, an then she went clean out
en- her head. They was all about
bonnet she see when she was in No
York an copied fer n of 'em, an sh
said the other u must have been O.
an bought the identical bonnet, fer
had Jest come over from Paree, al
nobody'd had a chance at it.
"Them letters done It. Mighty mea
women, If they are sassiety women, a
would let loose an abuse
There! You have explained sutI
GENTLY" Jelly interrupted Mrs. Drew,
lowe, her face quite crimson. 1--WE wi
pay the rent due you and take chari
of your roomer at once" And 81
drew out her purse.
When the little milliner had bee
safely tucked in the white hospit
bed and Mrs. Wentworth was seatC
in the Drewelowe carriage rollir
home, she suddenly exclaimed, II
ria. what did you say?
when? What do you mean
queried that astonished lady.
"Why, Sunday in church, when 70
leaned back and whispered to MI
/. Roberts?"
Mrs. Drewelowe was lost in thong
. for some time and then said;
= ooh, | know. / told her that, aft
4 all her instructions, the night before
: had forgotten TO make the musta
plaster for Henry's chest as she a
.. vised. and the poor a was blister
) so d%readfully that II II hadn't be
Easter morning he would not Ia
- tried to come'to church"
It was a fashionable hour, evel
- body was abroad, and the d lenih
- Drewelowe coachman felt quite /
. inflated by the peals Of merry laug
y ter which ripplod from the a%ristocra
Drewelowe equipage.
10 An Unofficial order.