The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1908-10-17
A Decision
OF Fate.

Kenneth; cannot be your WIFE,"
"Why not?'
Mother. l cannot leave her alone.
Old age is coming upon her; she would
suffer untold misery"
"She can live with US"
Kenneth, do you know what would
be in store for us-for you-under such
circumstances"
"Whatf"
"You don't know women. Mother has
been head Of her house all her life.
She would regulate ours"
Il don't mind who keeps house."
II do-that is, If have one of my
own. prefer to keep it myself But
there are other considerations. Moth
er requires very high temperature.
You, know, like cool house. When
you came home to a hot one you would |
throw open all the doors and windows. |
Mother would retire to her room and |
stay there all the evening. She would |
wish to have me with her. l would |
remain with you. She would call me. |
would say: No, mother; you have |
had me with you all day. My husband
needs me now To which she would |
reply: I shall not live the night
through. Goodby. l die Of cruelty
Then you would say: Go to her. To
morrow we shall be free would 60,
but we would not be free tomorrow
or the next day or the next"
"You mean that in time she would
be free; we would do the dying"
mo; we would drag out miserable
existence"
"The picture interests me. Go on"
"Then occasionally we would have q
little misunderstanding"
Never"
Eyes, we would. All married people
do Mother would be aware Of it. She
would take my part and would treat
you like criminal That would make
you furious, and we would be forever
making up Then she would be con-
tinuously discovering that you had no
respect for the hardships was endur-
ing. She would consider you a model
Of selfishness and treat as SUCH"
"Any more Of it?"
Eyes; you would soon lose your equa-
nimity and treat her harshly. That
would stab me to the quick and would
only irritate her the more against you"
go on"
occasionally we would wish to go
out to theater or to visit our friends.
Mother would make such fuss about
being left alone that we would have
to give up such pleasures. Then you
At. md
take me with you. l couldn't leave
mother. Then you would begin to
curse and to swear and wish her al
the bottom Of bottomless pit or In
the hottest Of fiery furnace. 1t would
be terrible"
There was q long pause. Presently
he said, but with a faint heart:
II love you SO well. sweetheart, tha
would rather stand all this than give
you up"
She wavered and at last said:
"Let fate decide for US. Do you SCI
those two volumes In the library II
red morocco? Well, tomorrow morn
ing when you come downstairs Their
will be a Yes in one volume and NC
In the other. Choose one. We VII
abide by the result Of your choice"
For the rest of the day he though
hard. That night when all were |
bed he slipped downstairs In his stocl
ing feet and went to the library. 81
opened volume one and found Eyes.
then volume two and found also
"Yes." Rubbing out both, he wrote
mo" for each, put them In and sto
upstairs to bed.
The next morning when he heard hs
leave her room he left his. and the
went downstairs together. He went
the library, hesitated long between Il
two volumes, lifted his eyes as If
silent prayer, then took out volun
two. opened 1t, read the word mo ar
sank limp in a chair Then, with
moan, he rushed from the house.
There were complications for q fe
days.
Then he wrote Mother" on a sl
Of paper and Kenneth" on anotht
placing one In each Of the red moro
co volumes, The next morning
was to draw as he had drawn. He
not slip downstairs that night to ma
both Kenneth" Indeed, he fear
that II "Kenneth" were drawn II wou
mean both Kenneth" and "Mothel
a combination he especially wished
avoid. But as the clock struck I
midnight hour there was siik
tread on the stairs. A white ngure
scended and. going to the library, 70
out the slip on which Mother "
written and wrote kenneth" In
stead.
"Fate has decided In your fav
Kenneth" she said after drawing, a
he held her in his arms. But
does not turn out as well as you
pect you mustn't blame me"
There was an interval OF ten years
"Win the old fiend live forever
"Now, Kenneth, will not hear
call poor mother an old hend. .
you when you persisted just what
had to expect. You were willing
leave II to fate"