The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-10-15

tive house The money was to have
been distributed by theil most able
representative and champion, Andrew
Ferguson, who. at the moment of vic
tory had turned It into defeat by
fraudulent" disbursement OF the
bhbe entrusted to him Greed, it was
claimed, had made him shave the
individual allotments, thereby increas-
ing his TO the lions share. The de
frauded" patriots had bolted, and In
the turmoil ensuing the deal had
been dragged into publicity which
noble deed every newspaper and "un-
defrauded' statesman was claiming
the cwdit Il was rumored that indict-
ments were being prepared
How Mary got home and how she
spent the interval until her husbands
homecoming, no one, not even she,
could tell
late train brought the legislator
70 the city.
His wife, pale and silent rose from
her scat at the window as he came in
swaying between contempt and loyalty.
not We. knowing whether to reproach
or pity him.
Andy, o Andy. tell me it's all a
mistake, isn't &c? You had nothing
TO do with it you're not implicated
I'm this-in this-oh. / can't even men
ton .t,"
"FOc heavens sake. what is the mat
ter with you, Mary?' Ferguson was as
self-possessed as ever what are you
talking about? That garbled and sen.
sational account In this afternoons pa.
PERI You ought to- have more sense
than that Ii won't amount to any
thins-its nothing We fixed it to-
night as soon as got back to town
and in a day or two The whole thing
will be forgotten These things viii
happen sometimes, but they always
make more smoke than fire"
His wife remained silent, Ferguson
permitted an expression of deep injury
to creep over his features.
But it's nice to find out what kind
of wife | got lie stepped close to
her. Say, do you know how you act?
You act as If were a thief and"
What are you, if not that?' cried
Mary. and Ferguson realized that his
fool Wife had changed to a wise
woman
"Oh, so am thief, am I?' he
sneered "Wel, If | stole, for whom
did I steal? stole for you. because
loved you and want 20 make YOU The
lady Of the ward' ] wanted to make
money, lots of il, because | wanted
you TO be envied by the others What
do yop think ! go to the assembly for?
Men don't so into politics for their
health That's where the invest
ments' are. And you, as to you-do
you think you can make anybody be-
lieve that you We're so soft YOU did
not know where the money was com
ing ircm? ] might believe n, but
they won't. They know you handled
most of the money and got diamonds
bought with it, and--ah, don't be fool
/ ish Mary Have a little sense. I'm
no worse than the others and"
Ferguson had been so intense in his
I harangue that the collapse OF his wife
had been unnoticed by him, and he
barely had the time to catch her I'm
his arms. Il was the beginning OF a
long illness.
Weeks passed, and the relations OF
/ wife and husband We're still unde-
fined Mary never asked for him and
would not see him, unless the nurse
or Mrs Landish we're present
The liking of Mrs Landish for Mary
was OF many years standing. Her
husband. too, was legislator The
older woman had had her experience
and could sympathize.
YES dear, It's bad and wicked. /
used to feel the same way about it,
just the same. but"
"Oh, how could you stand it?" Mary
would interpose. 1T is unbearsble 10
know that"
Il know / know" consoled the
friend. but what can we do? And,
at last one gets used TO it, because
and that is the saddest part OF it all
there is no choice"
Restored to health, It seemed as n
Mary had learned her lesson from
Mrs. Ldndish. Whenever husband and
wife appeared ON public occasions II
would have been difficult to find any
difference in their intercourse. The
servants were Installed again and were
given carte blanche, as Mary interfered
very rarely IN household matters. Hei
social duties were not neglected; and
they Kept increasing, as term after
term her husband was sent to the as.
sembly or other important legislative
bodies. where his services were Of sucl
incalculable value 10 his constituents
At the many affairs which wer,
honored by the presence Of Hon An
drew Ferguson and his wife, Mary'i
diamonds ana gowns were the admira
tion and envy OF the other women.
As to the love and the inner life al
Andrew Ferguson and his wife -whC
cares for the lot of the wives Of oul
statesmen!
Copyright 1876 by Joseph b Bowles
Politicians In the Saddle.
In the last resort man Is not gov
erned by phllanthropists or Sunday
. school teachers. but by hard, cynical
anxious politicians, who. whatever
they may say when they make
J speeches In parliament. are as keen az
: American business men to snatci
benefits, or what they consider 20 b'
! benefits, for their own countries.
b pudon gnepfafor