Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-17

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ed him before their marriage that he
must not beat her. Wife beating. ut
least in that community. was a COM
mon thing, and most of the women
submitted to it without protest. No
squatter felt his position as boss" Sc
cure unless he had applied the rod to
his wife's back. Dave had been adj
vised by his father and grandfather to
fall into line. and when month had
gone by and lie could not say that he
had yet beaten his bride he was in dan
ger OF being looked down upon in con-
tempt. There had been no cause to
strike her, and yet it ranked that she
had warned and defied him. He
thought the thing over until he finally
got to feel that he must either switch
her or give up any claim TO being the
head of the house and lie set the day
and hour of her humiliation. She was
sweeping the dirt floor with n broom
made of twigs when he entered the
cabin with a switch in his hand and
said:
Linda. I'm goin' to wallop yo'."
"What fur" she asked.
"Jest to wallop. Come over yere."
"Dave. do yo' remember what dun
told yo' befo' we WAS married?" she
asked as she stood before him.
Reckon 1 do. but that don't count.
shall wallop yO' mighty hard.''
'"Better not
''Shoo, ShCor'
And he seized her arm with his left
hand and held her in place while he
used the switch over her shoulders IN
til ii was worn out. She did not strug
gle or cry out. With pale face and set
teeth she took her Punishment as if in
sensible to pain. but there was n look
in her eyes that made the young hus-
band uneasy. He tried TO make him.
self believe that he had done his duty
and that the whipping would in some
way have a great moral effect on the
freckle faced woman who had received
it, but he came to almost wish he
hadn't done it Even when his IA
Their praised him for the stand lie had
taken the words aroused no gratifica-
ton. and when his mother added that
Linda wouldn't feel above her betters
now Dave WINGED at the thought of her
humiliation. AS for her threat he
scarcely gave 1t thought. Linda was
quiet. even spoken and appeared to be
without temper. He did not know hui
man nature well enough to know that
such people are the most cruel and un-
forgiving Three days passed, and
there had been no outbreak. The hus-
band could not tell from Linda's looks
and actions whether she had been hum
bled or still defied him. Then he woke
up one morning to find himself tied
hand and foot TO the bed. Linda had
prepared breakfast and sat down to it
alone.
whats this fussin' about?' de-
manded Dave as he found himself
helpless.
"Tied up briefly replied Linda.
"But what fur?'
"Kase I'm gwine to have yo'r life
fur wallopin' me. 1 dun told yo'.'
The man was no coward. even though
wife beaten. His check paled and
his blood chilled at her words. She
spoke without passion, and there was
cause for fear.
"And yo'r gwine to Kill me?' he ask
ed as she ate her food without the
slightest sign of nervousness.
Fur shore. 1 dun told yo', but yo'
walloped me-"
yo'r pop wallop? Don't Jim Renshaw
lop?"
makes no difference"
''Then I'm sorry"
"Makes no difference"
Dave saw that Linda was impiaca-
BILE. Even with the chill of fear at his
heart he had to smile at her originality.
Here was a squatter's daughter with
independence. here a slip of a wife
who objected to the switch. here a
woman seeking revenge for what she
called her humiliation, but which other
women looked upon as part OF the
routine. She was truly n novelty. 9th
err women would have stormed and
wept. Linda was calm and quiet. He
had said he was sorry. and he really
was. but he decided as he lay there
and watched the woman's impressive
face that he would switch her again
as soon as he got loose. His dignity
that. When he had come to
this conclusion. he said:
LINDA, unite me-"
. "Can't do it." she replied.
'1'H wallop yo' ag'in and wallop yo'
powerful hard
But yo' won't. Better git ready"
! 40 amt gwine to kill me?" he ask
ed as she showed back from the table
at last.
SCOT to. 1 dun told yo'."
. But they'll hang yo', Linda"
81 don't kerr
1t was she herself that gave informa-
fion of fha rnurdar and there was no
trace of excitement about her when
she confessed her crime.
NJ. QUAD.