Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-03-07
MR.. and MRS. HOLLANDS
FLIRTATIONS
[Original.1

Harry Holland was an all ROUND
good fellow. He loved his wife and
their two little children devotedly, but
did not hesitate to risk his and their
happiness by what he considered HARM
less affairs with women. Clara, his
wife, was one Of natures peeresses,
and every one who knew the couple
wondered how Holland could be even
amused with other women. Neverthe-
less he would get up an affair with
some creature who had neither brains
nor principle and whose beauty was
often entirely made up" Clara pre-
tended not to notice these freaks, fully
approaching what it was to start even
the slightest breach between her hus-
band and herself. Was not his, her
and their children's happiness all at
stake? She argued that every man
has his weakness, and this was the
only weakness Of which her husband
was guilty. MY wife is a sensible
woman" Harry would say to his init
mate friends. "She knows it's mans
nature to rove, and it's a woman's IA.
ture to be true to one man. She's the
angel of the household"
So long as Harry fitted from one
flower to another-some of them wax
and paint-there was no great harm
done. But at last woman got hold Of
him who kept him dancing attendance
upon her so long and so constantly
that the affair became the town talk
Then rumor began to undermine Mrs.
Hollands good name. You see how
1t u.s." said thinking persons; lone sin
loads to another. Clara Holland has
Lcen at last affected by her husbands
want Of principle. They won't hang
together long. What pity for the
children!'
larry didn't exactly like the situa-
ton and cautioned his wife. She did
net say, cease your attentions to other
women and I'll cease accepting favOrs
from other men," She simply said,
"Ch, Harry, we don't either of us mean
anything by itr This was not salts
factory to Harry. For the first time he
began to think his wife was not the
angel of the household after all. He
began to think of the terrible results
that might accrue from his wife's con-
duet. What if his family should be
broken up, his children separated from
him? 1t would be the woman's fault,
but that would not mend matters. One
would suppose he would begin to set
matters right by devoting himself to
his home and letting other women
alone. But the charmer who at the
time held possession Of him was not
inclined to give him up.
One morning as he was going in to
breakfast the postman called, and Hol-
land took the mail from him. CHANGING
over the letters, he saw one addressed
to him In woman's hand that he did
not recognize. He thrust it in his
pocket and after breakfast, while read
ing his paper in the library, opened 1t.
1t read:
Keep an eye on your wife. She is pre-
pairing to skip out with c. B.
Holland sat SO long in the library that
his wife at last came in and asked him
why he delayed going downtown, as
usual. When he looked up at her it
was with an agonized expression.
What's the matter, HarryY she
asked.
lie handed her the note. She read it
coolly and handed it back to him.
'WellY' he said.
Well" she repeated, ''of course the
games up"
What do you meanT
II mean that this farce may as well
end now as at any time. We are both
more interested in others than in our
home and our children. Yet why should
] co as that note indicates and make
the scandal all the worse? You, being
a man, can commit some fragrant act
that will give me my legal freedom.
and l can marry again, whereas if l
run. away with another man while /
y your wife orr children will be dis
geaced."
Holland looked at his wife stunned.
She went ON:
happy with you and our dear little
ones, who must now suffer, but you ed
heated me with your theory that great
license should be given the husband
and father, and from this grew to as
sume equal liberty for the wife and
mother. You might have kept steady
course for the children's sake II not for
NINE"
Her voice trembled and tears started
TO her eyes.
Tell me-" he gasped. CLARA, have
You done anything criminal"
She stood with her back turned to
him without reply. He fell back In
his chair. She turned and saw an ashen
pailor. eyes glazing at vacancy, every
evidence of a mental torture which IL II
could be transformed to the body
would have delighted an Apache In
dian. She turned her eyes appealingly
toward portiere screening the adjoin-
ing room. Alice Holland, Harry's sis
ter, brushed aside the curtains and
stepped into the room.
"IEarry," she said to her surprised
brother, 81 wrote that letter for Clara
and made her promise me she would
rot undeceive you after this interview
till should give her the word. She is
as pure and innocent as little child.
advised her some time ago to begin
the preliminaries that have led up to
this lesson. If II is not enough to make