Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1908-06-17
A Decision
Of Fate.

Kenneth: | cannot be your wife,
III "Why not:'
IA ",lother. l cannot leave her alone
HDld age is coming upon her; she would
IaSuffer untold misery.
S "She can live with US
Nh Kenneth, do you know what woull
He in store for us---for you-undcr such
Hfircumstances:'
# "What:'
III "You don't know women. Mother has
been head of b.r house all her life.
She would regulate ours
M II don't mind who keeps house"
|# II do-that is. if have one of my
Own. prefer to keep it myself. But
,ssSet are other considerations. Moth
n requires very high temperature
You, know. like a cool house. When
kou came home to q hot one you would
3throw open all the doors and windows.
Mother would retire to her room and
Hetay there all the evening. She would
wish to have me with her. would
||Hemain with you. She would call me.
"a would say: NO mother: you have
bad me with YOU all day. Ny husband
needs me now TO which she wouI,l
reply: 1 shall not live the night
Ahvuugh. Goodhy die of cruelty
Then yeu would sly: Go IL her. To-
Sn0rraw we snail be free would g,
e0i the Hes.t t:sN or 1t" Ecxf.
81 "EeH llt:':n ti}:,l il ;i:;1e she would
lie fire.; we v,ft,.d 90 ,hr d ia@.
~ Ne: we ':ou. s,!..!c nGt Il miserable.
e. is.tI G.
81 "I he picture i.l.rre>i> lie. :; e.
III 'Tlen etc;ss iei.:,!ly We wo..lG lave q
little .t>intiorsiHi.dil1
sA "NeNer"
d Yes VIC Woilld. vi married people
dc. Mother would be aware of it. SHE
would take NY part "!d Wuuld lru!t
you like a criminal. That would m llc
you furious and we would be forever
making up. Then she would he con
tinuously discov cring that you had no
respect for the hardships | was endur-
Ing. She would consider YOU a model
OF selfshness aud treat as SUCH
Any more of it"
Yes; you would soon lose YOUR euua-
nimity and treat her harshly That
would stab me to the quick and would
only irrtate her the more against YOU
E"Go on"
professionally We would wish to so
out to a theater or to visit our friends.
Mother would make such a fuss about
being left alone that we would have
might wish to go on a journey and
take me With you. l couldn't leave
mother. Then you would begin to
curse and to swear and wish her at
the bottom of bottomless pit or in
the hottest of a fiery furnace. 1t would
be terrible
There was long pause. Presently
be said, but With faint heart:
II love you SO Well, sweetheart. that
II would rather stand all this than give
you up
9a She wavered and at last said:
Let fate decide for us. Do You sec
those two volumes in the library in
~ hIOi cNIc. w CIl, lotlOl low lliOIU-
Ing when you come downstairs there
will be Yes i'll one volume and Ne
I'M the other. Choose one. We will
abide by the result of your choice"
s For the rest of the day he thought
hard. That night when all We're in
bed he slipped downstairs in his stock
ing feet and went to the library He
|Dpened volume one and found Yes"
Then volume two and found also a
Yes" Rubbing out both, he wrote a
for each, put them in and stole
Supstairs to bed
The next morning when he heard her
leave her room he left his, and they
went downstairs together. He went to
the library, hesitated long between the
Two volumes, lifted his eyes as if ia
Sllent prayer, then took out volume
Two, opened it, read the word NO" and
1ank limp in chair. Then, With
moan, he rushed from the house
There were complications for few
6ays.
Then he wrote Mother" on slip
IA paper and KENNETH on another
SD4acing one in each of the red moroc-
10 volumes. The next morning she
N Vas to draw as he had drawn. He did
rot slip downstairs that night to make
10Th Kenneth" Indeed, he feared
MAT If Kenneth" were drawn it would
mean both Kenneth and Mother"
ii combination he especially wished to
sAvoid. But as the clock struck the
Imidnight hour there was siken
read on the stairs. A white figure de-
'ocended and, going to the library. took
out the slip on which Mother was
written and wrote Kenneth in its
Dtead.
Fate has decided in your favor
Kenneth she said after drawing. and
be- held her in his arms. But if all
s7oes not turn out as well as you ex
poet you mustn't blame me-
There was an interval of ten years.
will the old fiend live forever:'
"Now. Kenneth. l will not hear you
tall poor mother an old fiend. told
r0u when you persisted just what you
had to expect. You We're willing to
navo II tn fof