The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1907-12-26
Josephine's
independence
BY ELIZABETH HARr1AN
ts+s+s+s+s+s+s+s+s%s+s+s+c
(Copyright)

loved a man. The FIRST part Of the
statement makes the second super
huous. The man was Stilson Adams.
captain Of the Fourteenth United
states cavalry, and the woman was
Josephine, his wife. And the man
loved his wife. but she would not be.
lieve it. She thought that love could
only exist between people who we're
financially independent Of each other
and financially she was absolutely de-
pendent on Capt. Adams.
"Of course you say you love me.
Stllson,' she said one morning after
heated discussion, but how can you
prove 1t? II were rich, II would be
dinerent-then you could leave me II
you wanted to-but haven't even
a cent! | know that you are lovely
TO me, but that doesn't mean any.
thing-except that you pity me You
give me everything you have, because
you have such q high sense Of honor
and Of duty and Of niceness--for you
are nice, Stllsonl / wish you we're
not-it makes such a slave OF me!
And what good does the devotion Of
penniless creature like me do? You
probably think that | devote to get
more out of you And as for your
sense Of duty, wish you hadn't any!
| wish that you we're only good to me
because you loved me-that knew
that II you didn't love me, you wouio
pound me black and blue every day.
but II you had married the Old
Scratch's grandmother you would be
Just as sweet to her as YOU are to
me, and since I understand your noble
character, how can tell whether you
love me or not? And | don't believe
that you do! And don't believe that
you believe that I love you! am
going away, Stilsonl or course you
know that l am not, for have moth.
ing to go on; but am going to live
all by myself in the little dressing.
room, and you must live in one room,
the room that has been ours here.
tofore. / will not Just live with you
because | am poor and have to-
! love you too much! will stay alone
until | am a self-supporting individ.
ual-not a supported good and chat.
tel Are you thinking bad and chat.
tel?' Don't. Stilson / am not bad
And don't try to dissaude me-"
And thereupon Mrs Adams went UP
TO the little dressing.room, and sat
down at her desk, and wrote, and
wrote, and wrote Writing was not
a new thing with her For several
years she had been trying, spasmod.
ically TO win her way in literature
with story or a poem; but pipe she
high or pipe she low" she could not
strike the keynote at whose sound
the walls around the sacred precincts
Of editors fall down, opening the way
for the piper.
But this will be accepted, am
sure" she said to herself as she fold
ed up that particular story. and put 1t,
with its stamp accompaniment, into
an envelope and started It on
She wrote all that week, and then
her story came back She stamped
her foot, tore the printed slip OF
thanks and regrets into infinitesimal
fragments, and-said thirgs.
Poor old LADY," said Capt. Adams
tenderly. And she wept on his
breast.
Then she went upstairs and wrote
another story-and in due time It also |
came back
Then Mrs. Adams became desperate |
and enraged and broke her pen.holder |
and threw her ink-bottle out OF the |
window, where 1t knocked the colo.
nels cap Off and made spatter work !
on his new blouse, and caused a stih |
and indignant letter OF inquiry to be
written to Capt Adams, to which |
Capt Adams replied that he had moth. |
ing to say in explanation; and as soon
as he had gone to the troop, Mrs |
Adams hied herself TO the colouers |
office and explained, and the colonel |
forgave her freely and with a charm |
ing courtesy, but with a suspicion Of |
amusement in his eye that made Mrs
Adams feel that she hated him.
81 will be independent" she said !
aloud when she was home again in
the dressing,room. and she empha.
sized her words by pounding on the
0IRNNlnEslhult WIN lltA VI h0AI anu
Cant. Adams in the next room heard |
her. and knew that she was in trou.
bic; so he went to the locked door and
said
whats the matter dear@
I'm so miserable!" walled Mrs
Adams. 60 into the hall want to
Org"
So Capt. Adams went into the hall,
and on that neutral ground Mrs
Adams met him, and wept in his
arms; and that afternoon Capt Adams
went To the post exchange and bought
her a new ink.bottle, and Mrs Adams
began q novel.
ct think ! can finish 1t in six weeks,
dear for | shall work day and night"
she said to her husband. Maybe n
will be successful" and she looked at
him with very wistful eyes, that failed
I'm their effort to look brave
But, dear you do me such an in.
iustlce!" said Capt Adams. Il love
YOU! and It is not being dependent TO
toLa what | give Won"