The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-20
CHAPTER XIII.

u
%. Henning."
.. CHAPTER xii.
I threw his letter on the fire and
watched it burn, a greater flame swelling
In my own bosom. I rose and went out
again, wandering over to the Lake front
In a passion Of Indignation. Had ever a
woman more cause? I asked myself.
There had never been a time when I
did not have some masculine friend to
lean upon in times of trouble. Now. the
count had gone, Phil was in love with an
other woman, and my husband had left
me. I knew not which way to turn, and
could only fight my own consuming rage
in solitude. It was not fair, I told my
self, to condemn a woman without a !
hearing, as Joe had done Perhaps I had
been foolish with regard to the count.
Perhaps I had gone too far with him, but
if Joe had only heard what I had just
said, when he appeared in that, doorway, |
he might not have blamed me so much.
But I was too proud to go to him-too
proud, even, to write to him. He had
left me suddenly and for a trivial cause.
Very well, he should take his own time to
come back. I would neither beg him to
come nor apologies; and as for the club,
I would not be browbeaten, there, either.
They should not drive me from
the presidents chair by underhanded
methods. I was not to be routed by
anonymous letters. I would stay and I
would be reelected the first Saturday in
January. AS the cool wind blew across my
hot cheeks, the tempest in my heart sub
sided and I came to a state of mind ap-
preaching calm. I went back to the
house and told my mother, in response to
her questioning, that Joe had gone away
indefinitely.
She had long since learned the futility
| ~f 1I1f~;,a- ~~@,1I1 @s~r+ - -,sI --l
like the wise woman she was said moth
ing. And so life flowed along as usual
for some weeks. Joe did not leave town;
it would nave simplified matters for me
if he had; and it began to be whispered
about in the Nota Bene that he was liv-
ing at his club.
"Really," Mrs. Parsons said to me one
day, you ought to persuade your hus-
band to come back if only for appear
ances' sake. People are talking, you
know"
"Why should it trouble other people?"
I asked, Indignantly.
Don't you know that half the Joy of
life, for the average man and woman
comes Of talking over other peoples
troubles?" she answered. "Of course. it
is nothing to any Of us whether Joe
Henning sleeps under his own roof or
some other; but you will never persuade
people to cease troubling about you. Get
him back, if you are a wise woman"
I went home bordering her advice, only
to stumble upon Minnie Morrison, who
was just coming from the other direction.
20, say now" she began Familiarity.
"You are in a box, aren't you? Why
don't you get that stunning looking hus-
band of yours back home again? I never
saw a man improve in looks as he has
since he went abroad. Shows what a good
tailor can do. Is it true that he never
comes home nOw?'
"Who told you so?' I asked.
Everybody is saying so," she re-
sponded, quite as cage to retail gossip
about me as she had ever been abou,
others. "They say he's jealous Of the
t counts attentions to you, and that he
will only return to you on condition you'll
give up clubs and go back into penal SER
t vitude in his Kitchen"
"That's not So" I said hotly. Joe has
) always been very generous about hiring
t servants"
, "Well, you know his staying away does
Ety. E'y color to the S'0F'es-"0"' doesn't
"What do you mean?" I asked.
:, "Why, all that gossip about you and the
count, you know" she went on merciless-
! ly. "Joe's staying way now, and your
living apart, make all the gossips believe
there was something between you and the
count"
=, I rose, furious. I would have ordered
= her out of the house, but my rage fairly
. choked me. The scales suddenly fell from
my eyes.
G you'll have to get him back just 70,
I decency's sake, won't you?" she went on
Oh, don't look so a It's no time now
to ride your high horses. Besides, you'll
. need me for our campaign this fall. il
. you propose to be elected. It's going tt
I be uphill work, but I guess we can do it.
0 BY the way, it's going to need a lot Of
press work in different papers. That will
take a great deal of time, and time l.
e money to me-" She stopped Significantly
: II shall, Of course, pay what expense:
t there are in connection with the work,
y I said, getting calmer. "There should b.
Y circular letters got out, I think. Wha
else?' .-- ... -. r -.--
Suppose you pay me a lump sum, ant
I'll get out the circulars and attend to al
n those things" she said. "Say we make |
y five hundred" n-
o 1 gasped. THAT is a pretty high fgur
to. pay for the presidency" I said at last
Oh, you're not the first to pay it," sh,
y answered coolly, land I'm not in bushes
for nothing. I've been thru the mill be
d fore. I'll tell you what I'll do. Make /
d two hundred and fifty If you fail and fv
It if you win" and she went on to shoy
me the cost Of issuing a series of letter
d on what she called the "~follow-up sys
% tenn" to be sent to every member Of tn
club. 1t was alluring, as she representa-
it, but I had a grain Of sense left and s
postponed decision, fearing to get her i'll
m will. When she had gone I rang up Mrs
re Parsons and told her of the incident.
l. To Be Continued Next Saturday.