Free press., 1908-03-21

a ~ sic B1ngle got
divorce from Ted
Bingle.
sasl1< People said they
N. <ZS were surprised
Us tas' enough she .esss ss:"ss ss
@I3fiI take back her
.oYT1HIS!pIH maiden name. For
eN1Np0 ever since she
w had run away at
the age of 16 with
Ted Bing1e, who was not so very
much older, and married him with a
future assured by nothing further
than Ted's contagious laugh and abil-
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
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 a 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 Lessie's 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 alb
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 housecleaning time.
The townspeOple gave her credit at
least for bearing her lot uncomplain-
ingly. But the baby had changed all
oh hoH Sf0 1ha 81
to endure for the child.
After the decree Lessie left the
baby at home with her mother and
sister and went to work fo1 the Gra-
hams. The Grahams had the incest
house in town. I~essie's room, which
| was gorgeousness itself compared
with what she had always had, was
not the least of her good luck. There
actually was a servants bathroom at
the Grahams' done in white enamel
Likewise she had a 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 a little peace and hap
| piness. Three Pines was disposed to
mitigate its opinion of Lessie's intel
1ect 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.
| "Lessie," she ssid, ''Ted Bingle Is IN
town. Mr.. Graham saw him on tht
street yesterday. I thought you might
| like to know"
Lessie tightened her lips and the
cake spoon bent in her hand. sT don't
care" she said in hard little voice
What difference does Ted Bingle
make to me?"
| "Lessie has got all over her infatu
] alton for that worthless fellow" Mrs
Graham explained to her husband
with a satisfied sigh that evening.
Lessie was just going In at the
kitchen door at dusk a few days later
! when Ted put out a OBTAINING hand
ana stopped her. I'll want to tall
| to you, Lessie," stammered he. IAN
| want to hear about the-the baby
When Mrs. Graham handed Lessie
her wages Saturday night the cir
raised her head defiantly- ''Tm goint
! to leave" she said. Ted and / were
married again this afternoon. We
I the baby an E-are goin' back to him
He says he's had his lesson. Mrs. Ora
ham. He says he'll work steady"
i Three Pines has NO words to ex