, 1905-03-15

By her side lay the man she was about
TO leave peacefully sleeping and stir
ring the air with nufi1ed snOres. The
thought came to her that he had not
earned the rest he was taking and
thai he was dependent upon her for
the bed in which he was sleeping.
Mrs. Peters arose the next morning
with her purpose still firm in her MINI
and her resolution ~undaunted. AS soon
as he left, she thought, she would
leave, too. but there would be a differ
ence. lie would return, but she never.
When the plain breakfast was over
Mr.. Peters took his hat and said: I'm
goin' down to see about the lection;
then me an Pete Miller is goin' out to
Nathan Hulett's to see that new now
er work. Prob'bly l won't be back
fore dark" And, turning, he passed
out the door.
In an instant her face grew white
and her hands clinched tightly. Run
MING to the window, she looked after
the retreating form which was SO soon
to be husband in name only. There
az an lotdht . III u Wv
as he passed from sight, and then her
face resumed its un~compromising cast.
LATE was bustling about, bringing in
wood and kindiing. How was she to
tell him? His young eyes had never
seen his father in the true light. That
he was different from other boys ia
theirs he had probably never thought.
If mni,I1 no apupl hr1to1 IN foil him
that they must leave their home; that
his father was a worthless idler, a
good for nothing. And yet she must
explain their going away. If she did
not tell him he would find out oon
or later, and she would rather he knew
from her lips than receive his informa-
ton from the distorted stories which
would soon be abroad. Still she could
not do it just yet. She would put it off
as long as she could. She cleared the
table and washed the dishes, putting
the plates and cups methOdically away
in the cupboard, and by the time she
had cleared up the kitchen it was time
for LATE to go to school.
AS the boy ran the comb through his
holl1 III Z Will hlODo vi a.
ter from its sousing in the basin, she
put her hand on his shoulder.
"Come over to Uncle Noses when
you come from school," she said. I'm
goin' over there today, an I'll be there
when schools out. Now, don't for
get" And she leaned over and kissed
him.
Mrs. Peters set to work to s~traighten
up the house. She would leave every
thing except her clothes and Lafe's,
she thought, and the few things she
would need at her brothers. Her one
good dress as she laid it on the bed
looked, ever to her, mean and cheap.
Beside it she placed two or three calico
dresses, some aprons and underwear
and then brought Lafe's Sunday suit
from the closet and added it to the pile.
1t would make a big bundle, and she
wondered what people would think
when they saw her carrying it along
the street. Now that she had made up
her mind to go she was in a. fever to
get away. There were many more
things she needed to take, but she
would wait until the storm was over
and her come and get them or send
Nose for them.
She laid a sheet on the floor, and,
folding the articles carefully, she piled
them on the middle of the sheet. TAX
ing the four corners, she drew them
up and tied them in a cumbersome
knot. Putting on her bonnet, she pick
ed up the bundle and without looking
back went out, locking the door behind
her.
On the way to her brothers, a few
blocks distant, she met but few peo-
pie, and those she did meet only
thought that Mrs. Peters had come to
taking in washing. When she reached
her brothers neat frame house she
went around to the kitchen, where
Aunt Cindy was STOPPING over the
stove. She looked up with q curious
expression on her wrinkled face as
Mrs. Peters entered with her big white
bundle in her arms.
Aunt Cindy had beer rather noncom-
initial as to Mrs. Peters leaving her
husband.
"Of course" she had said, 'ef Sam
don't an won't support Lod, he amt
got no p'tic'lar claim on her, but a hus-
bans a husban' an not to be thrun
away like an old bunnit. My idea is
eff you've got a man it's a good plan
to hang on to him" This old maiden
aunt had never been married, and she
perhaps set a higher value ON hus-