The Washington herald., 1908-07-05
ONE Bad HUBBY NOT A CURE
Reforming Woman Ready and Will
ing to Try 1t Again.
Puts Drunken Spouse I'm Grave, and
After n Rest Finds
Another.

Another.
From the Chicago News
Admitting that Stefferson Is dead. for
the fact is altogether beyond dispute,
there is not the least doubt that he was
an out-and-out- scalawag when living
There was not a wet eye at his funeral
It was about the most arid affair within
the officiating clergyman's recollection.
The widows pocket handkerchief was
black bordered. but it was certainly not
moist, and II would have been a wonder
if it had been. She had been afflicted
with Steferson for eleven years.
He the late unlamented. had not en-
joyed the best Of regulations when Mrs.
StefferSon married him. She was warned
how II would be. She might have for
gotten H. but all her friends told her
so. They knew that the kind OF son
Steferson had shown himself 70 be would
not make the best kind Of husband; that
man who had allowed himself TO be
come intoxicated within six weeks Of
mis- wedding would probably be a sot aft
err that kicking the harmless pet dog
OF his betrothed. as Stefferson did. ar
gued a brutal temper and an Indifference
TO the feelings Of the woman he was
about 20 marry thar was altogether in
eXcusable. 1t was pointed out that as
he had never been able TO support him
self, the idea that he would provide for
a family was preposterous; also, that the
worst thing a woman could possibly do
was 10 marry man 10 reform him.
So the wedding took place
Three months after that the prophets
! of both sexes were exulting. II had all
come 10 pass.
| The undutiful son had proved to be o
/ faithless husband. Marriage. so far from
curbing his appetite for strong liquors.
/ seemed 10 have removed any slight re-
straint he might have felt Some men
are incorporate. and still remain low
able. Stenerson drunk was. Il possible.
! uglier than Stefferson sober.
/ He was relieved Of the necessity of
working for a living, because Mrs. Stef-
/ fcrson had money. Luckily It was tied
| up In such a way that she was unable
to touch the principal-or. unluckily. be-
cause If Stefferson could have spent the
/ whole. probably he would have deserted
\ her. But at last he got on one last
! glorious and prolonged spree. and in the
! resulting delirlum tremens. went TO his
/ accounting.
! How Mrs. StefTerson endured il as long
as she did. no one who does not know the
/ heart OF woman can imagine. But he
was dead at last.
! II was nearly two years after that
Mrs. Stefferson had altogether discarded
! her mourning, The rest had done her
/ good. She was getting comfortably
stout. and had regained quite a little OF
/ her youthful good looks.
! She was sitting in her prettily fur
nished little parlor. attired in a particu-
larly becoming house gown. A large An
/ CORA cat was purring in her lap occa-
| sionally turning a lazy yellow eye Up al
the cheerfully trilling canary. The plano
was open and there was music on the
rack. A vase on a bookcase held some
vivid La France roses. and on the sill
Of the sunny bay-window there were en-
brOidery materials and a box Of bonbOns
Mrs. SteffeTson laid down her novel
when her visitor was announced and got
up, to the profound disgust OF the cat
The visitor was an elderly gray-haired
woman with a decided chin Mrs Steffer-
son embraced her quite affectionately
and asked her TO take off her things
NO. thank you. my dear" said the
elderly woman. i've only a very few
minutes 20 stay, No; no tea, thank you
! My. but it's pleasant I'm herei II looks
little different from
Bessie. that's what / called 10 see yor
about 1 heard something to-day thai
shocked me more than I can tell you
I didn't believe it, and I won't believe
il until you tell me it's true. Bessie, dear
you're not going TO get married again
are you?"
Mrs Stefferson smiled. blushed. anC
nodded.
The visitor gasped. But not-not Mr.
Crawley Oh. Bessiei I hope you ar,
not going TO do anything so foolish al
that"
Mrs. Stefferson colored again. but thi!
time with indignation. II think am tn,
best judge OF whether It is foolish o.
not" she said Il don't consider that 1
will be foolish at all expect to be per
fectly happy; and. If I'm happy, 1 dom
think 1t is anybody else's business"
but you can't possibly know what yol
are doing" persisted the elderly woman
Bessie. you know that I am a frient
of yours. and wouldn't have you any
thing but happy. You may not think It
my business: but 1 feel it is my dut,
to tell you that Mr.. Crawley IS a bad
bad man.
] ONt Uol dN near
at heart and all through. Ny dear d.
you know his habits? Do you know hi
character? Neither could be worse. It
my plain duty TO tell you that. and If yOl
have the least doubt of it, I can prove /
to you"
I'm not going to listen to you," SAT-
Mrs. Stefferson. You don't know hin
as I do Nobody does. I've heard al
those tales about him, and don't sa,
that he has been perfect, but what h
needs, and always has needed. Is goo
woman's influence"
'Pah" exclaimed the visitor. Bessie
you must 5e a fool. Is 1t possible tina
after all the misery you experienced 4
your first marriage you can still delud
yourself with that idea? Did your in
fluence help Stefferson?'
Mrs. SteffersOn sighed. You forget, m
dear, that he died." she said. gently. ID
you know. ! often think that II ne ha
lived. 1 might have made him see hi
faults and repent Of them. Who know
but he might have become a thorough
good man?''
t altogether an extraordinary case, WASH
M