Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-01-22
Her Faith
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Everybody in Three Pines said 1t was
n good thing when at the close Of the
Spring term OF court Leslie Blngle got
divorce from Tea Bingle:
People said they were surprised that
she showed enough sense to take back
her maiden name. For ever since she
had run away ut the age of 16 with
Ted Bingle, who was not SO very much
older, and married him with future
assured by nothing further than Ted's
contagious laugh and ability to see a
joke. LESSEE had been regarded 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
1t was only a proper judgment upon
her. To some people 1t Is one of the
chief joys Of life to witness retrlbu-
tlon descending where they think 1t is
most needed.
Uncertainty descended on LESSEE The
four years Of her married life had gone
steadily from bad to worse ana ut
last even the two-room cottage, with
the leaky roof and broken window
panes, was no longer possible, because
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
to4-oBe can get used to many things
in four years-but the cold was differ
ent, especially as she had the baby to
consider.
After she had taken the fat and pla-
cid 8-month-old youngster and herself
back to her own people in sheer des-
peratlon the maledlctions which her
relatives poured out on Ted Bingle en-
Outraged her to the point of seeking a
divorce. The current Of bitterness In
Lessie's own heart had only required
accelerating. If Ted had been consis.
tently brutal toward her she could
have hated him with better grace, but
she could not forget the brief Intervals
when he could 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 abb
sence or drunkenness, followed by re
pentance Meanwhile the family ex-
chequer was absolutely empty.
Those had been years of hard tlol for
Leslie over washtub and in other ,wom-
ems homes at housekeeping time. The
townspeople gave her credit Mt least
for bearing her lot uncomplaininely.
But the baby had changed all this.
What she had stood she refused to en-.
dure for the child.
After the decree Lessie left the baby
at home with her mother and sister
and went to work for the Grahams.
The Grahams had the incest house In
town. Lessle's room, which was por-
geousness itself compared with what
she had always had, was not the least
of her good luck. There actually was n
servants bathroom at the Grahams
done in white enamel. Likewise she
had gas stove and Mrs. Graham
rarely came Into the kitchen to inter
fere.
Three Pines, looking over all these
Items Of good fortune, sighed in salts
faction and said it hoped LESSEE APP
preciated what luck she was in. She
was more comfortably housed than
nine-tenths of the population and actu-
ally earned money, though she did not
work as hard as she had done previous
~. Since she had seen the error of
her ways there still might be hope for
her. Ted Bingle was eliminated from
her life and perhaps now she could
gain . little peace and happiaess.