Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-11
Copyright. 1908, by Daily Story Pub. Col


 ." ITS a mighty risky thing, Theora,
 l said her uncle, the physician, de iberately. "Heredity will show in spite of everything, and his father-I hate to shock you, little girl, but Myror Perry's father died an alcoholic"
 The girl drew herself up proudly ''I am not afraid to trust him, uncle You cannot find a nobler, steadiel man in the state. His nerves are iron and his whole physique a gladiatoriaI denial of excess. No one looking into his calm, true eyes can question his stability"
 q hope sol am sure I hope so- for your sake, Theora, but blood will tell. I can remember when his father was as perfect physically as the son is now, before dissipation shufhed him to an early grave.'
 Theora Tabler left her crusty un. cle surrounded by the gloomy bind. ings of his books and went out on the lawn where Myron Perry, in ten. his fannels, swung a winning rae. quet. He dropped it at sight of his fancee and came laughing to the steps. "
 "Whew! It's hot, Theoral What makes you so solemn? Been reading the lives of departed monks with your uncIe?"
 She shook her head, the resolve to confide in him her uncle's fears for her future dying under the refuta. tion of his strong smile. She might better accuse the Colossus of Rhodes of physical weakness than brand this mental, moral Hercules with a de. grading taste.
 She tried to forget her uncle's ob. jection to her marriage, but it preyed on her mind unconsciously, and often she awakened from terrifying dreams in which young Perry, always her husband, lay in an alcoholic stupor the strong, earnest lines of his face irresolute and faccid. But, waking tions for the wedding went on apace
 "Let US go quite away by our selves," she begged, when the ques- tion of the bridal journey came up ''There will be time enough for dress parade when we come back"
 From fairy land" he finished, lov- ing1y. (Which will be anywhere that you are for me. You shall choose the realm"
 Unlike the princess who across the night, beyond the day, through all the world, followed him." she quoted, too happy to remember she had proposed a honeymoon remote from the world that she might study him and combat any hereditary de r sire for drink that might arise. Let us go to papa's cattle ranch and en- joy the Indian summer roughing it, she said.
 He acquiesced, fas he would have agreed to reside in prairie dog town if she accompanied him. So immedi- ately after the church ceremony they were hurried off to catch western going train and next morning break lasted on fried bacon and hoe cakes, served on the clipped china of the head cowboys cabin.
 An hour later their tete-a-tete was interrupted by the chatter of drag ging spurs, which gave distant warn ing of the cowboys approach.
 Hits an order to round up the strags!" he announced, his frowsy head preceding a soiled document into their presence through the open window. "Kin you-al git along a week or so by your, lonesomes Thar's heaps of victuals on hand to cook and two bottles of whisky Theora shivered. s'Do ye think you-an could cook for yourselves, ma'am?'' looking doubtfully at her fiimsy trailing silk and diamond-bedecked white hands.
 "Of course,'' she cried with childish pleasure in the thought. "I can make beautiful biscuits, Myron. We won't have any more of those greasy meal cakes. Oh, won't it be fun?'' @
 So the cowboy departed un- mourned, leaving his cabin to the mercy of tender-foot rule, and the newly-made Benedict, spurred by ne- cessity, laid aside his coat and pres ent1y his collar, to chop wood, and the bride shed her rings and smoth- cred her lace cascaded silk negligee under an apron improvised from a clean dish towel, to manufacture cake and coffee for their lunch.
 And so week passed. A gloriously happy interlude in two lives, a pas toral opera in which love sang the solo part from the setting of a. log cabin nestling like a snuff-brcwn toy ark between high, verdant hills. They never wearied of themselves or the silent grandeur, and Theora's fears, for a moment stimulated by the cow boys mention of his stock of whisky,