The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1903-09-18
CHAPTER XVII.

With a generous and perhaps weak
falsehood the Major sought to assure
his wife that Gid had paid a part of
his debt, and that a complete settle
ment was not far off, but with a cool
smile she looked at him and replied:
n further. It's too great a strain
on you. Let the matter drop. I won't
w say l told you So"
And as much as you might want
the subject to be dropped you can't
let 1t fall without reminding me-but
we will let it drop; well throw it down.
But you have your rights, Margaret.
and they shall be respected. | will tell
him that out of respect to you he must
stay away from here"
THAT is very thoughtful dear; but
does it occur to you that your contin-
ued intimacy with him. whether he
m here or not, will show a want
of respect for me?"
you don't give a snap whether he
pays LIS uSutS Vi uOI. 1Ou Simply
don't want me to associate with him.
No, it has not occurred to me that 1
am not showing you proper respect
and neither is it true. Margaret, do
you know what is the most absurd and
insrfpportable tyranny that woman can
Tut upon man? 1t is to choose a CON-
panion for her husband"
with me, dear, it is not tyranny; 1t
is judgment"
"Oh, yes; or rather, it is the won
derful intuition which we are taught
to believe that woman possesses. l ad-
NIT that she is quick to see evil in a
man but she shuts her eyes to the good
quality that stands opposite to offset
It,"
ooh. know that I haven't shrewd-
ness enough to discover a good trait;
I can recognize only the bad, but they
are always clear in view. 1t is a won
der that 0 can respect so stupid
a creature as I am, and l know now
that you have ceased to have a deep
er feeling for me-"
Now, Margaret, for gracious sake
don't talk that way. Oh. of course
you've got me now, and / have to iop
or be a brute. Yes, you've got me.
You know I respect your good ems
and love you, so what's the use of this
%wrangle. There, now, it's all right.
III promise not to go nea him if you
say so. And / have made up my mind
to attend church with more regularity.
! acknowledge that l can go wrong
oftener than almost any man. Respect
for you'll" he suddenly broke out.
why, you are the smartest woman
In this state, and everybody knows it.
Come on out to the office and sit with
me-
Sometimes the Major, with a pre-
tense of having business to call him
away at night, would go over to old
Gid's house, and together they would
chuckle by the fire or nod over roast
ing potatoes. They talked of their
udyS ou tuS IlfcIl anu VI luelI ulSHIS
at Natchez under the hill. To be
wholly respectable, a nan must give
up many an enjoyment, but when at
last he has become v~irtuous, he fondly
recounts the e~scapades of former
years; and thus the memory of hot
blood q~uickens the feeble pulse of
age.
Sometimes old Gid would meet the
Major at the gin house and joke with
him amid the dust and lint, but he al
ways came and departed in a round
about way, so that Mrs. Cranceford,
sitting at the window might not be
offended by his horse and his figure
in the road. A time came when there
was al interval of a week, and the old
fellow had not shown himself at the
gin house, and one night the Major
went to the sypress log home to invade
his retirement, but the place was dark.
He pushed open the door and lighted
the lamp. The fireplace was cherries
with cold ashes. He went to a cabin
and made Inquiry Of a negro. and was