Free press., 1908-03-07

! { ! 4 ! !. & ! !! 4. ! !. 3 : J
Tnree Pines SAID
NnM it was good
al thing when at the
IN close of the spring
term of court Les
4 - sic Bingle got
divorce from Ted
Bingle.
~ People said they
k.H ZA were surprised
Mt& ;5:: :%ss.5 :s:; 51s a::: :;@9: :s:rs: 20 ::
oH6fUI!SW maiden name. For
rSNNHE ever since she
wv had run away at
the age of Is with
much older, and married him with a
future assured by nothing further
than Ted's contagious laugh and Gbil-
ity to see a joke, Lessie had been re-
garded by the populace as beyond hope.
They did not relent even when all
their prophecies of woe to follow were
fulfilled. They said they did not see
what else she could have expected
and it was only a proper judgment
upon her. To some people it is one Of
the chief joys of life to witness retri-
button descending where they think it
is most needed.
1t certainly descended on Lessie.
The four years Of her married life
had gone steadily from bad to worse
and at last even the two-room cottage,
with the leaky roof and broken win.
dow panes, was no longer possible, be
cause the cold weather was coming
on and there was no fuel, even If there
had been decent stove in which to
burn it. The lack of proper food she
was used to-one can get used to
many things in four years-but the
cold was different especially as she
had the baby to consider.
After she had taken the fat and
placid six-month-old youngster and
herself back to her own people in
sheer desperation the maledictions
which her relatives poured out on Ted
Bingle encouraged her to the point Of
seeking a divorce. The current of
bitterness in Lessies own heart had
only required accelerating. If Ted
| had been consistently brutal toward
her she could have hated him with
better grace, but she could not forget
the brief intervals when he would
stay at home, laughing and careless
and attractive as ever, with the few
dollars he had earned trapping up the
river, or working by the day.
Then would come long spells Of ab-
sence or OF drunkenness, followed by
| repentance. Meanwhile the family
| exchequer was absolutely empty.
Those had been years of hard toll
for Lessie over washtub and in other
women's homes at hCusecleaning time.
The townspeople gave her credit at
least for bearing her lot uncomplain-
ingly. But the baby had changed all
this. What she had stood she refused
to endure for the child.
After the decree Lessie left the
baby at home with her mother and
sister and went to work foP the Ora
hams. The Grahams had the incest
house In town. Lessie's room, which
was gorgeousness itself compared
with what she had always had, was
not the least of her good luck. There
actually was servants bathroom at
the Grahams' done in white enamel.
Likewise she had gas stove and
| Mrs. Graham rarely came into the
kitchen to interfere.
Three Pines, looking over all these
Items Of good fortune, sighed in sat
isfaction and said it hoped Lessie ap-
| preciated what luck she was in. She
was more comfortably housed than
nine-tenths of the population and act
ually earned money, though she did
not work as hard as she had done
| previously. Since she had seen the
error of her ways there still might be
hope for her. Ted Bingle was elm
| mated from her life and perhaps now
she could gain little peace and hap
! piness. Three Pines was disposed to
mitigate its opinion of Lessie's intel.
lect and to think that perhaps she
had some sense after all.
Lessie had been working for the
| Grahams four months and was thin
ner and paler than ever when Mrs
| Graham came into the kitchen doubt.
fully one day.
Leslie she said, Ted Bingle is in
town. Mr.. Graham saw him on the
street yesterday l thought you might
like to know"
Lessie tightened her lips and the
cake spoon bent in her hand. 81 don't
care" she said in hard little voice
What difference does Ted Bingle
make to me?"
''Lessie has got all over her infatu
aticn for that worthless fellow" Mrs
| Graham explained to her husband
with Il satisfied sigh that evening.
Leslie was just going IN at the
kitchen door at dusk few days later
when TED put out a OBTAINING hand
and stopped her. Il want to talh
to you, Lessie," stammered he "An
want to hear about the-the baby
When Mrs. Graham handed Lessie
her wages Saturday night the cir
raised her head defiantly. I'm goins
to leave" she said. Ted and I were
| .,,n..,.;.,a nn.,i L., 4l,;. ns+...-l.l..