Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-05-28
HER HUSBAND
By MABEL HERBERT URNER
(Copyright.)

Where was this enstrangement lead
ing them? How would it end? 1t was
nearly dawn when at last she slept.
That morning he went to his office
early. He did not come into her o
until he was leaving; he was carry
ing his hat and coat He came up to
the bed and kissed her quietly good
by.
She had wanted to put up her arms
and draw him down beside her; to tell
him good-by with all her old love and
caresses. But she had not; she had
lain very still, answering quietly that
her head was better. A moment later
she heard the click of the elevator
down the hall. He had gone.
The day dragged painfully, She felt
strangely alone and desolate. Even the
shops failed to interest her. Once she
started to telephone her husband, and
then in quick fear had hung up the
receiver. What was there to say?
When he came home that evening
later than usual, she felt 1t was pur-
posely to avoid their accustomed hat
before dinner. He went Immediately
into his room to dress.
In half an hour they were seated
at their table in the cafe. They a
reached the entree when the woman
whose dress had been torn last night
swept in and was seated by the head
waiter at a table next to theirs. She
saw the color in her husbands face
deepen.
And then-confused and embar-
raised by the sudden appearance OF
this woman, his hand hit against a
slender dish of tartar u near the
edge of the table and sent it splashlng
to the floor.
In one agonized glance she saw the
despatched, ruined gown of the WON.
an and the furious anger in her face.
Then she bowed her head that she
might not see the wretched mortitica'
ton of her husband. She heard his
pitiful attempts at an apology and felt
the frozen silence of the woman. The
waiter came up hurriedly, removed the
broken dish and wiped up the floor.
A scream-shrill, ~piercing-rang
through the room! Another and still
another-screams of agony and terror.
People started to their feet. Through
the swinging doors used by the wait
ers rushed a figure enveloped in
flames.
Some one screamed "Ffre!" There
was a rush for the doors. Then above
the din and confusion rose her hus-
bands voice, clear and stern.
stop! There is no fire! If there is.
you are perfectly safe-on the first
floor, Help me with this girl! Quick!
MISUNDERSTANDING"
There, in a far corner where he had
caught the girl, was her husband
alone, rolling her on the floor, his coat
around her.
With something like shame in their
> faces for their instructive cowardice
{ two or three men TO- rushed to him
l with their coats. There were no rugs
and the strips of carpet between the
{ tables were fastened to the polished
floor.
= Someone tried to pull off a table
cloth, with a loud crashing of china
= and someone jerked down a lace cur
! tain-all the needless, senseless things
that people do in such cases,
y But it was her husband, unheeding
Il their useless efforts, who was still
Z beating the flames that chung to the
. girl. At last he had them smothered
And then, still unmindful of his
hands that were cruelty burned, hel
Il husband carefully un%wrapped the coats
from the poor, blackened creature tina
% lay there. The people stood back
Il watching him br~eathlessly. The!
seemed incapable of action or speech
10 Some one whispered that it was
pantry girl who had overturned an al
" cohol lamp as she was placing it un
~ der a coffee urn.
- A few moments later a doctor mad,
- his way through the crowd and thel
two white-coated ambulance attend
u ants lifted the still unconscious cir
. on a %stretcher and carried her out.
~ The people were now crowdinI
~ around her husband. praising his coul
~, age and bravery and presence of mint
~ They pressed forward to shake hi
~ hand, and were Mortified to find tina
II his hands, his wrists, even his arm:
- were burned.
% Some one touched Elizabeth on tn
=, shoulder. She turned. 1t was tn
" woman who had sat opposite then
y Her eyes were full of tears.
81 haven't the courage to speak t
, your husband, but I want to tell 20
IL how sorry l am for my r%udeness in
l in ignoring his apologies. IL am vel
sorry. | wish you would tell hill
n that
She was gone before Elizabeth,
her embarrassment and agitation
could find any words for a reply.
Later, in their own rooms, after til
doctor had left, and he lay on I'll
~ couch with helpless, bandaged hand
Elizabeth came over and knelt b
~ side him. For a while neither spoke
then he realized that she was sobbir
quietly.
- elizabeth, what is it, dear?"
~ She made no answer, only cree
closer to him.
~ Clumsily he tried to smooth h
hair, but she took the poor hand
10 both of hers, covering it with kiss,
~. and tears. Perhaps he understood, Fl
he only said, tenderly:
"Elizabeth-dear little Elizabeth"
IL Never Quits.