La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1906-09-22

rinued to laugh. and at the supper tahse
chaned Aunt Debasah- but the old laAy
eontinued to shake her bead and re-
ply:
Wait till the AZ or the melted lead
get to work and then well see whether
there is anything to laugh at or not"
That night AT midnight Sarah woke
up with her heart beating rapidly. She
was about To nudge Henry with her el-
bow, when a sudden thought came TO
her. Aunt Deborati's grewsoine predic-
tons came up. and she wondered IL she
had been awakened by some move on
her husbands part-sone move TO take
her by the throat She smiled at first,
but presently the smile faded away.
Wives had been killed that the hus-
band might profit by the insurance
Aunt Deborah was always predicting.
but at the same time many Of her pre-
dictions had come true She knew that
Kenry loved her with a great love. but
there was that 5000 For an hour she
lay awake and thought. and the longer
she thought the more miserable she
WIS.
Sarah had only fallen Into a troubled
sleep when the dog barked and Henry
awoke. He did not get up for fear Of
disturbing his wife. and after listening
10 the dog for a few minutes the
thought Of Aunt Deborah's predictions
and solemn face came to his mind.
He grinned at the idea Of Sara. kill
ing him OF for that 1900. aud yet be
began to recall cases where wives had
done that same thing. She could push
him into the well. push him down ths
ways 10 enable her 10 escape detection.
and with that $4,000 abe would Be- .
rich widow. and windmill men. wire
fence men. piano agents and men with
patent farm gates would tumble over
each other to ask for her hand. Shs
might not even put . $40 headstons at
his grave.
There was constraint between them
when the couple woke up next morning.
They tried 10 make out that thsfs
wasn't. but realized that there was.
Sarah claimed to have . headache. and
James said he had . touch Of rheuma-
tism.
At noon when the husband came up
from the neld be had been thinking
things over and almost wished he had
turned Aunt Deborah out Of the house.
She Was u meddlesome. gossipy Old
thing. and be would iet nothing sAs
had said annoy him In the Isast
Rarsh had also been thinking. and
about the same thoughts. and % tbsss
WAS . return Of love and coundencs-
ever. Henry had TO sharpen the a.
and Sarah saw him At II and felt that
he WAS contemplating . crime. Sarah
asked II the handle Of u table knife
could not be made fast by q little
melted lead, and Henry said TO him
self after answering her question:
-Ah. ha. Got melted Lead on her
mind. has shef Well. I've got TO look
out for my ears"
For the next four weeks the pair
we're hypocrifes toward each other.
They dissembled and deceived They
thought black thoughts OF each other.
James wanted to sleep In the barn o.
nights. and Sarah wzntel TO go home
and tell her mother all about H.
Things were Fastening on toward q
separation when, as they sat on the
veranda one night after supper. say
ing little. but thinking a great deal.
farmer Joe Collins came driving along
and halted TO aay:
Say. you folks beard the newsY'
NO. What ts itr'
It'll take your breath away"
But let's have IL"
wall, that life insurance company
you are Insured In has busted hieher'n
Gilroy's kite
oh. James,
"Oh. SARAH
And as they went dancing around
the veranda in each Others arms Mr.
Collins looked at them In astonish-
ment and said 20 himself:
by George. but they seem TO b
burned glad Of it,
And 80 they were.