Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1909-12-31
that H n BRUTAL |''! !. 4. ].
{. HUSBAND,
BY II HOWARD OTIS II

d. 5S. - :;sS2SSz;.
. BY HOWARD Otis. n.
Copyright. laos. by American Press Asso-
: ciation.l ..ss,|s. :. :IS,E{ 5Sss,&.
She and her husband lived In the
next fiat above mine. and pitied her.
How she could endure to.live with a
man who Kept such irregular hours
could not Imagine. T., should rather
say regular hours, for he seldom came
In till morning. 1t would be 3 O'Clock
and sometimes o'clock when he
passed my floor. Il would hear i, door
open above, and at times when my
own door stood ajar could hear
kiss of welcome. After that there
would be moving about above. and
sometimes ripple Of feminine laugh
ter. never a scolding word. escaped
from their apartments. -. - -.
Often In summer. when doors and
windows were left open to admit air,
could hear the rattle Of dishes, the
drawing of cork. the clink Of glasses,
and knew the couple were, having u
supper together. remember one
night when could smell the odor of
some. savory dish. / got up. dressed
myself, went out to a restaurant and
got a. dozen oysters. with bottle of
ale. But 1t was only my stomach that
was appe',sed. not my heart. and
yeArned for such an angel as lived in
the fiat above me and thought what a
different husband ! would make her.
Surely she must have had something
Of the bohemian in her nature. and
above all. l wanted for a wife wo
man of that kind. | pitied those men
whose wives must always remain at
home and make their husbands misera.
Bile unless they are always at home
too. What a jewel a woman must lie
who could receive her husband at all
hours of the morning after he had
spent nearly the whole night carous-
ing or playing poker at his club. give
him loving kiss and cook supper
for him.. And when this Is kept up
night after night what must the en-
during amiability of that woman be!
One day left my room just in time
to meet her on the landing. | lifted
my hat and: moved aside for her to
pass, taking at the same time a good
long look, at%her face. 1t was as fresh
as If she were not awakened every
morning by her brutal husband. = 1t
was not such face as / had expected
to see. | had funcied it would con-.
tain devil.may-care expression. COM
mon with bohemian women. Her fea-
lures. ol1>the contrary. were yintellectu-f
al, with a trace Of seriousness insthem.
Then 1t occurred 10 me that with
such husband how could she help
being serious. 1t was wonder that
she did not show traces OF suffering.
She was gi.ng upstairs; wis going
down., Th;t was the first and: CIV
glimpse got of her. .',Sa%= .,.,s:: l.,4j7,-
One sl,prlling did not hear the hus-
band come$ at the usual hour. and
the next day:.a dortor's buggy drove
up to the front door: The doctor went
up to their fiat. He came every day
for awhile: then d hearse stopped at
the door. and 4 knew that the poor
woman would not have longer to suffer
the Irregularities of a, brutal husband.
She never returned to the fat. 10. +
Some eighteen months 2afterward,
while ut an evening party. / saw her
standing emitting with the hostess.
l recognized her ut once. How could
i help recognizing her since ! had car,
ried tha. one brief glimpse I had got
Of her in my heart ever since!% In d
moment ! was Siding up to the hostess
and received the coveted Introduction.
i refr:,illed from telling the widow
that lnhad lived beneath her and was
aware of how SHE had been Obliged to
sit up night after night waiting for
that husband. I didn't wish to fawak-
en- painful memories. 1 infinitely pre-
ferrPd that sue should think she was
meeting lie for tile first time: IF
l The lItistpss arranged for, more
than casual acquaintance between int
and the widow. / saw much Of her.
There was. ,uOlhing sof the bohemian
about her. Indeed. she seemed to have
domestic tastes Nevertheless | want
ed her. and l did my best rs win her.
All this while j Kept. In the bnck.
ground my knowledge Of her past and
my surmi*p:; concerning her III time
she consented ~, heroine my Wife. I I
..5zli ! hud put tid so long telling her that
II had knoWn.nf her former domestic
life ttE,t4 Il resolved TO defer doing So
till Immediately after our marringe. In.
deed. I wished 10 Ike .an:experiment.
/ Would she endure lis much from. ms
as from her first husband 2? proposed
TO put her to / the test. On our return.
q from, the honeymoon | told her TINT i
desired to visit q, former bachelor
chum. She asserted. At 8 I'm The
morning opened my front door and
went upstairs.@I expected to see my.
wife's bedroom door open and feel her
arms a bout my neck. What WAS my
5disan p0intnlent 10 find 1 hat. the door
remained closed opened it and en-
tered ~ w!f e$ was sound asleep, !: s.s
& I should have consid cred myself for, for
7. = not to receive dressing. But