, 1905-03-08

"Why, Lod, sldDes acaS better of'n aue be-"
DO you suppose Il man with any pflde
would work for $35 a month? why, Il
boy could earn most that. NO. sir,
when a man gets me to work for him
he's got to pay me what I'm worth.
I'm too stiff in the back to work for a
boys wages"
There was silence for a few mo
ments, and then Mr.. Peters got up and
went toward the door.
"I'm goin' down to the store" he
Eaid, ito see if there's any news on
the lection. When LATE gets home I
wish you'd tell him to split what wood
they is sawed. I'll be back in time for
supper"
Mrs. Peters head was bent over the
work she held in her hands, and she
did not answer or look up as her hus-
band went out. The shadow of the re-
treating form had scarcely moved from
the doorway when the needle stopped
its rapid thrusts and her hands drop
ped in her lap. Her head was still
bowed, and tears fell softly on the
white linen, which absorbed them as
though to hide them from the world.
To this woman was coming a new
vision. Cold, hard, bitter facts were
tearing asunder the blind love of wife
hood and soaring themselves on the
vault of her understanding. Never be-
fore had h looked at things in this
light. She sat as though stunned by
the hard truths which were thrusting
themselves in Upon her. She had never
thought of her husband in this way
before, and it seemed as though some
one were lying to her. Was her hus-
band, after all, lazy? Had he left her
to support him all these years, and
was he as worthless as Nose had said?
Her thoughts began to grow bitter
as she realized that all this was true.
What little thought she had ever given
the matter before had always made
her husband appear to her in the light
of an unfortunate man-One who was
willing, but against whom circum-
stances always arrayed themselves.
Now he appeared different to her.
Was it right, she asked herself, that
she should slave and toll that he might
have enough? She thought how hard
she had ~worked-the homework, the
mending, s%crubbing, washing and sew
ing-and she thought how glad she
would be to get away from 1t all.
He knew what he was, she thought,
and he had married her simply to have
some n to support him. Well. there
was an end to all things. She had kept
him for fifteen years. She would let
him see how it was to support him.
self. She would take LATE and go to
live with her brother. She wouldn't
have to support him.
Her face was CHASTITY as she raised
it, and her lips were set in a thin,
straight line. She raised her hand to
her head and pushed back the hair
from her temples with a gesture full
of WEAKNESS.
Yes, she would go tomorrow, she and
Lafe-and Sam-well, he could work or
starve, as he chose.
She arose hurriedly as footsteps
sounded outside the door. The door
III anolHer Instant opened Will u rush,
and Lafe ran in breathleSs.
"Oh, ma" he gasped, car l go down
to the pollywog tonight? Jim and
Ieb and Frank are goin' to fish for
bullheads? You know, ma" the boy
went on eagerly, you build a big bon
fire on he bank, an it makes 'em bite
like sixty. l can go, can't L? I'm 60
in out to dig bait And before she
could reply he was out the door with
a rush.
h started a fire in the cracked
kitchen stove and filled the teakettle
from the pail on the bench. Suddenly
1t came to her that that would be the
last supper she would ever get for
her husband, and it almost amused her
as she thought that he would have to
skirmish for his next. AS she put the
e and potatoes on to cook Sam
swung open the door. He hung up his
hat and coat and, rolling up his sleeves,
went over to the bench near the door
to wash. The tin basin was half full
of dirty. water. and he stepped to the