The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-06-03
CHAPTER xxIv.-contlnued.

thought or my babies and had the
grace, for q moment to be ashamed that
I knew so little fthem. l had been sur
prised only the morning before to find that
little Joey could read words of two syl-
lables Really, I had been SO busy with
outside affairs I had not kept posted
about the children.
But then, did they not have my mother,
and was she not devoted to them? Why
should I waste all my youth on them? I
recalled hearing a club lecturer on What
shall we do with our children?" advance
the idea that the young mother should
not sauander her youth in petty slavery
for her children, but should hire others
to do drudgery necessary to their earnest
years and reserve her own youth for them
when they were growing lads and lassles
and could appreciate pretty, up-to- date
mama. And was that not just what !
was doing? $3.50.
If Joe had come to me that night and
spoken tenderly, giving me chance to
explain Matters; if he had been gentle
with me and let me feel that his heart
was mine and was worth all I had gone
thru to recover it, I could have yielded
But opposition always maddened me, and
his cold, hard letter drove me on where
| it should have called me back. l fought
another all-night battle and then got ur
and wrote him a short note.
TT is too late now to avail myself OF
| your kind permission to make 1T up WIFI
you by Withdrawing my name. You shoulc
know by this time that threats never
| yet terrified me- .7.
| sent this off before breakfast and went
calmly on with my preparations for the
afternoons struggle. How childish 1t al
| seemed to me afterward! ..- 49, q
| At noon received another brief note
! business has taken another sudde1
! turn which necessitates my immediate
| sailing for Europe. I shall leave on tn'
| 1 o'clock train for the east That wa
all. No word of farewell, no message
for the children. no hope for the future
My heart sank like lead when 1 read 1t
but I kept on with my preparations TO
the club meeting at 4.
A cloud seemed to have settled over tn
house, however. Gloomy forebodings
disaster made me miserable, and caugh
myself wishing had obeyed Joe's wishe
and given UP the fight at the last mo
ment felt sure I was to be defeated
and dreaded the afternoon as I had neve
before But I made ready to go early
determined not to give way to my fears
altho I put away the pretty gown l ha
laid out to wear and donned a plail
tailored gown instead. 49,
AS neared the clubrooms heard tn
newsboys calling their wares, "Al tn
news of the accident on the New Yor
| express!' The car was passing one Q
the great newspaper offices and my ey
caught the flaming letters on the bulleti
board: $685..
| Accident to the New York express a
Ashland Junction! Several Chicago me
injured
Like one in dream signaled the con
ductor and stopped the car. I Dough
a paper of the first newsboy and rea
the dispatch then and there. The word
seemed to burn themselves into my brain
"A misplaced switch at Ashland juno
ton caused the New York express leav
ing Chicago at 1 to run off an embank
ment into Gum creek. Several pas
/ sengers were killed outright and man
seriously injured It is understood tina
none fthe passengers in the drawing
room coach escaped. Rescue trains ar
on the way