Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-09-07
Fiction


are comfortable, like q mans. Stop
carrying the whole burden of the
household. Go and come when you
please. Have your own income and
do what you've a mind with It. MY,
wouldn't that be line, thought" And
she laughed at the thought Of 1t all,
unlike as It was to little Mrs. Pea
body's present style Of life.
Then, having finished the dishes,
she sat down In low chair by the
OUNCE, and as she laid her smooth
hand on Mrs. Peabody's brow, said,
seriously: "Of course 1t is true In a
measure that life Is made harder than
lions that bind them. If women could
get away from that way Of being sub
ject to everybody's whims, life would
be happier. And II people would only
own that the female part of their fami.
lies have as great a right to seek
pleasure and happiness in the way
they happen individually to wish, do
believe the world would be better for
| It. Well good.by, dear. I'll just
draw the shades down for your poor,
tired eyes. ! must 30 to school now
Try TO feel better when | see you this
evening""
For long time Mrs. Peabody lay as
they had left her, In the darkened
room, with shadow In tho heart
equal to the dusk in the green. curtain
ed kitchen. Late in the afternoon she
rose, picked up the mail Susie had
left on the table, thinking bitterly
how impossible 1t would be for her to
offer anyone nickel for doing an err
rand.
She carried the teachers mail to
her room. and was about to toss the
rest aside, when her own name on
long envelope caught her eye.
The letter was postmarked at n
large city. and after n moments sur.
prlsed scrutiny, she opened 1t. In the
next three minutes time life changed
completely for Mrs. Peabody. She
read the letter through twice, with
nothing but establishment on her face.
She read It third time, with thought
plainly crystalizing into shape in her
mind She read It again, and then
went and stood for a long time look.
Ing over the bare, fresh-plowed prairie,
with It's fur Of dust rising In the NOV
Ing air Finally she lay down on The
couch, but not until she had carefully
slipped the letter under tho carpet In
one corner Of the room.
On the couch the others found her
when they came home, and concluded,
for once In the family life, that ma
must be Ill, and needed attention.
Three weeks later, attlrod In the
SWEETEST of walking costumes, beauti-
fully gloved and shod, with an mfr OF
well-todo-ness about her, that the
prairie village had never seen, Mrs.
Peabody alighted from the Minneapo-
lis train, at the station of her own
town. Her face was plum, her eyes
bright, she walked like woman who
was enjoying lie.
At home she found her husband
alone and then ensued such lash.
Ing as tongue OF respectable husband
had never before given to respectable
wife. He accused her of unfaithful.
ness. he accused her of deception In
slipping away to Minneapolis, when
she had announced herself as going
homo for a visit to Wisconsin. He
held himself up as an abused martyr
to wifely intrigue. he told OF his long.
suffering devotion to her and the sub
-stantial support he had given her and
hor children as II his own RESPONSE
billty In the matter had been nil He
turned In his wrath to invective of
the most excited type, and finally
rose, lowered above her and, raising
his right arm, shrieked:-
Woman, why don't you speak
amt YOU got nothin' to say for your.
self now you've come home In yer III
gotten duds? Answer me, | say"
She was little woman, and she
sprang from her seat beneath his tenn.
por.nushed face with such quickness
that he was startled backward and fell
clumsily into an upholstered chair.
whore he remained during his wfes
address, which she began by crying
exeitedly:-.
you amt said ono morsel Of truth
while you've been talking! If you
can find wife that's truer to her hus,
band than I've been to you for 10
years, you'd better so and get her,
You talk about supporting me and the
children. We'll, why shouldn't you?
Amt they your children, and didn't
YOU take mo from comfortable posi-,
tion, when was teacher in Wiscon-
sin. and perfectly able to support my
self, and in good deal better style
than I've ever lived since?
"But what you say isn't true You've
not supported me. I've earned every
dollar I've spent, or Worn. or eaten,
by doing hard labor right here in this
house You've always said, Abram
Peabody, that all YOU earned was mine
rs much as yours, but notice that
when have ever wanted to use any