Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-07-01
Hn...
: UNHER0lC
: VICTORY

somewhat upsett1ng embrace. Till give
you half my allowance every month, or
q third. No, won't either. You can
get hats and dresses and things, and
I'll pay you for them. AL the girls
will. You can set up regular shop.
It will be great sport"
Pauline listened, with smile, She
suddenly felt very old, very married"
She knew Edith did not mean hun
dredth part Of what she said, but these
were suggestions. some Of which had
come to her already, by which she
could easily gain ready money without
much likelihood of her husbands ever
discovering 1t. She had put them. aside,
however, without q struggle. She had
begun to look upon this thing rs des-
perate sort of game in which she was
determined, whatever might be the.out-
come, to use no unfair means, to toler-
ate no assistance.
She went by Edith's invitation to
1.-THE Geisha." But she did not go
about much with the women Of her ac-
quaintance. She had always the dread
Of exposing her lack Of money. She
never went to church without her hus-
band for very craven fear OF the cody
man who carries the contribution box.
Most CALLING Of MI. she felt the necessi-
ty Of refusing oil help to her miserable
brother.
The spring was coming on fast now,
and the Hudson across the wide River
side drive, on which the sewalls' house
fronted, lay crisp and blue under the
keen April wind. Pauline had been
married almost year, and there was
not wretched waif in the city who
had not felt money in her fingers more
lately than the girl who had dragged
millionaire Josiah Sewall came
home early from the city on several Of
these delicious days and begged for q
seat with his wife when she went ia
drive.
Sometimes in the morning he would
himself order the carriage and ask Pau
line to drive with him down through
the city. The park was lovely with
fresh green grass and the yellow bios
SONS of the fOrsythia.
One night at this time he was look.
ing over report from q charitable so.
ciety which Pauline had Joined in &C.
cordance with his wish. II see by
this" he said suddenly, that there
was call for extra contributions to
pay for readers to the sick poor. Your
name is not among those who respond
ed" he continued, rather sternly. II
don't like to have you niggardly in
such matters" Josiah Sewall was
strongly philanthropic, and his dis
pleasure made him for ON instant for
got. II offered instead to read once q
week myself" said his wife briefly,
and, looking up with a rather flushed
face, she surprised suddenly the old
twinkle of the eye which was the only
sign of amusement he ever showed.
1t was about a week after this when
one morning Pauline went In to town
with her husband on the elevated"
They were to decide upon some house
hold furnishings at shop far down in
the city. 1t was not the first time they
had done this. Mr.. Sewall always put
his wife on her return train, buying
her ticket and gravely saying Good
by" as II she were child. But on this
particular day some hurry of business
occupied his mind, and when they had
finished their errand he shook hands
abstractedly at the door Of the shop
and fastened Off down the street. Pau
line stood still, staring after him. After
all. in spite Of having been without q
penny for all these months she had
never before felt any real physical dep
rlvation from 1t.
It was II o'clock, and she was fiye
miles from home-five miles of city
streets. crowded and bustling, on Ian
guild spring day, when ordinary exist
ence becomes an effort. Pauline fel,
an impulse to run after her husband
but second thought forbade anything
SO humiliattng. She knew plenty Of
shops where she would once have ex
planned that she had lost or forgotten
her purse. but this. too. she would mo-
do. She would accept no money. from
O stranger while that Of her husband
was withheld. She could walk mil,
to Sewall & Co.'s big shop and tele
phone for the brougham, but she fearei
encountering Josiah himself. So at las
she trudged of determinedly on th'
long road home. somewhat weak
toward the end. in spite Of certain
satisfying consciousness OF SUFFERING
maEtyrdom.
10 Josiah himself the realization
came suddenly short time after hl
had left Pauline standing In the etreee
The old man was distressed and cho
grtned. but his hard face softened al
most to a smile as he thought Of the
predicament Of this small, quiet per
son, with head stubbornly upright, whc
had taught him SO much during thu
past year concerning that curious DUE
zle. woman.
Would she be conquered Of her I'M
yielding Obsttnacy now? Would the
prospect Of five miles of hard walking
send her to him after all these months
to humbly beg for cents, or would
she get the money in some other way
he had come to understand her well
enough to fancy she would not, and
then came back her hateful words.
Nevertheless he said to her sharply
at dinner, when they We're drinking
their coffee, "How did 4ou get home
this morningr'
u walked she answered quietly.
She did not look up.
Her husband fancied she looked tired
and dragged though as a matter Of
tactshewue not In the ieast so. lt:ts q
curious proof Of what unpremedf tated
6ings even a seasoned and iron wtlled
man Of the world will sometimes Do
when Josiah Sewall impulsively thrust
his hand into his pocket and drew out
handful Of bills and loose change.
.By heavens" said he lit is brutal
shamel You shall never again,l
Pauline WIS on her feet in an instant,
flushed and angry, her hands clinched
at her sides.
~ Will M tn,lcy, o,,<, cont ~ s.o-,r