The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-04-20

His wifes watchful eye was upon
him. Her heart, long grown calous,
melted with mother-enfolding tender
ness. She came out and put her head
beside his.
What is the matter, Howard? Is
it more bad news in the letter."
Tale it. For me it is too Iate."
She quickly grasped the contents
and cried. Why, Howard, it's good
GOOD good! Think of the mortgage
gone. Think what We can do.-iix
Up the cid place, the house and barn
and get stock and-Howard what Is
the matter? Too late for WHAT"
| ''Oh, il it had come to me when
was young man. would have gone
to college-had profession! 1t IS
| too late.'
A chill struck her heart 1t was the
first time she had ever suspected
that she did not fill all her husbands
vision. She stood away from him as
she said, You have spoken words
that part Us Howard
But, Lizzie"
1T is not too late,". urged his wife.
GO. Be. A man can do anything in
five years. Take five years-ten.
| You are young man yet. Consider
YOU have 70 wife or baby! will
take care Of your mother. Unless
you are il distress, don't let NE hear
from YOU in FIVE years.
It was struggle for Howard. It
| y,;r &c
ties. this parting the yoke. TO find
himself pushed out of home by an
! imperious woman, whom lie had
known UP to this time only IS his
T! second Will! But when the step was
| taken, every emancipated nerve i'll
his body was tinsling with the joy
| Of fullllment.
| III a feverish rush, he Travelled over
| the country, then with his main pu--
rose ever in Wow, entered technical
school, where he studied with desper-
alton. Step by step he was master OF
tie knowledge he sought, and became
il good time a successful inventor.
This, then, was the meaning, the
fruition, OF all those wheels and
springs and joints and cogs out in the
barn. where he had seemed to be
wasting his time as he let the farm
go to ruin. He had been trying to in
vent ways to make farm work easy.
During this furloush, while he had
been accomplishing great things, he
had seen many fair face and grown
accustomed to the society of the cdl-
tured and refined. There were times
when he thought with rebuked pang
OF his early marriage, that bound him
to the crude country girl of his first
choice -
At last the furlcugh was over. He
was speeding home.
When he STEPPED of the car no one
recognized him. He passed through
the crowd without nod. There
stood Judge Wheeler's old rockaway.
There was the old broken sugar Eet.
tie in the same old spot. Sameness
was stamped all along the way. It
did not look as if 10y had kicked
stone out OF the road in five years
Mrs. Mullins fence had three pichets
off-the same three pickets.
Dan Jones' gate stood half open. Had
it ever been shut? The same green
shutter was OF at the Payne place.
the farm next to his. But whore was
his old broken down-fence? Where
the sagging gate? Where the weeds?
What meant that house painted fresh
" white with new green shutters all
on?-that stone walk leading through
the rows of pecan trees he had plant
ed and never tended?
What had become OF his family?
What might not have happened in
FIVE years?
Throbbing with fear, he fastened
up the unfamiliar path.
In a hammock on the side porch
was beautiful child ii white. At
her side, dressing q dol. was fine
cid lady in grey with her hair ar
ranged lcftily. They were strangers.
There was bell now. A tidy maid
showed him iato the rarlor, where
stood an open piano. Potted plants,
books and etchinss and well chosen
| engrayings were to be seen-every-
! where signs Of taste and refinement.
+; He sat down sick at heart-over-
| whelTed with grief.
At the sound Of footsteps he raised
his head. There stood in the door
way a woman almost too finely groom
/ ca in dress and manner for him in
his widest imagination to dare to
claim.
Howard" she said, holding her
self in restraint
| elizabeth .-Elizabeth, what does
this mean? Have yOu-narried