The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-08-12

L Y HYfsSSSl EAM
rs there onVtbin else nc tCantit to spcah
dboot Jess ?"
light was failing in the room. She pick
ed up the letter her husband had writ.
ten to his assistant and carried it into
the kitchen, placing il upright on the
chimney piece there so that It might
not be forgotten in the morning.
Davies sure TO see it when he's at
his breakfast" she thought. Il don't
want to bother him speaking about it
again"
Returning TO the parlor, she first
sOothed the child who was showing
signs of restlessness, and then seated
herself at the table and resumed her
examination Of the ledger, from which
she was drawing up a rough balance
sheet and profit and loss statement
Her husbands present state Of affairs
was vastly different from that first one
which she had sighed 90 set on paper
two years age. The ends that no
stretching Of the most hopeful imagi-
nation could then bring together were
now tied and with something to spare.
David Houston was solvent, and not
barely 50.
And yet Jess considered the cheerful
figures before her with anxiety. II
was as IL having done all she could TO
make ends meet and tie the knot she
saw the knot already giving and the
ends slipping slowly but surely apart
How could she secure the knot before
it was too later Had she thought and
labOred In vain? Was her great idea,
her sweet secret desire, her never slum-
bering hope, TO come TO nothing? What
could she do TO stay the dun falling
away Of Devid's trade and bring back
the recent bright prosperity?
She could tell her husband every
thing everything she had done, every
thing she rad endured through the
past two years. That would rouse him.
she knew, to the strong effort of which
she was convinced he was capable
But in what way would II rouse him?
Through tender love? Through hot
Dridef Through pure shamey
All, no. she could not bear the
thought OF her good man shamed be
fore her Nothing was worth that-not
even her great ides Moreover it sud
denly fashed OH her. if she told him
all her great idea wsr'l become her
ruined hope
Il can't give IN. / won't give in"
she murmured Il don't want Davie
70 be sorry for me-" she thought a mo-
ment later II don't want him 10 be
bitterly veXed with himself ! must
rouse him without hurting him; / must
be patient with him: I must try 10 get
him to take things seriously without
seeming 10 take them too seriously NY
self Oh, II he could only have another
year Ike the last ! don't think ! need
toto hide things from him any more.
Only one more year, and then he 80!
l don't care II it takes five years. ten
years, | won't give in! won't give
in.' she repeated firmly 10 herself and
bent steadily over her work.
She started up listening She fam
cicd She heard faint cry outside She
rose to go TO the window when David
came hurriedly into the parlor
"What is'- she began, seeing his
face white
There's a man I'm the waiter oot
thonderr he said rapidly. "I'll be back
I'm wee while"
lie was gone.
Jess hastened TO the window and saw
him running out at the gate. The
hedge hid him for few seconds, and
then she saw him leaplng down the
] II.
ily over the loch, and ont Of Il came the
cry she had already heard. Something
seemed 10 grip ber heart, and a sickly
chill came over her body.
"Davle" she cried stupidity. "Cone
back. Come back"
She beheld him wading into the lOch
- deeper - deeper and somehow she
could not move.
A little cry from the cradle broke the
spell Of horror that seemed 10 have
been cast upon her. She turned swift
ly caught up her baby. wrapped the
tiny mortal In a heavy sofa blanket
and fed from the house into the snul-
mer dusk, not calling but panungiy
whispering her husbands name.
From the road she could see nothing
but when she reached the waters edge
how she passed over the rough beach
burdened and without stumbling she
c0ald never afterward tell-she per-
ceiyed through the mist dim, dark
m0nsrOus shape Ike tue back Of o.
whale, and, her nerves giving way, she
screamed loudly
Some one-she does not know who IL
WAS today came 10 her side and re-
lieved her Of her baby, patiiug her on
the shoulder endeayoring 70 sOothe
her.