Willmar tribune., 1909-06-02

OF sunshine and shadow, it's first
blooming crocuses and bluebells, itf
quick coming rains and as quickly dis.
pelling sunshine.
Then gossips began to say that mat
ters were tuning out just as was tt
have been expected. Herbert Ward
passed most of his time in his class
room or study, and Mabel seemed alb
sorbed in dinner parties, bridge whist
and all kinds Of amusements, making
polite excuses for her husbands alb
sence from functions she attended,
saying, "Mr. Ward is so busy he could
not accompany me-"
and contented-just the same merry.
pleasure loving creature she had al.
ways been-but on one delicious spring
day in April Mabel left early lunch.
con she had been attending, pleading
another engagement.
One Of her friends attempted to rally
her on leaving the party so early, say.
ing, "Now that you are married, Ma
bel, we shall soon find you giving us
up entirely, and you will be taking up
some abstruse study or will become SO
domestic that we shall lose you com.
pletely."
Am l married" Mabel retorted,
with half laughing question, and then
added hastily: "Well, so l am, but it
does not seem to make so very much
difference after all. Do you think it
dOes?"
Not waiting to hear the replies this
query provoked, Mabel, hastily picking
up her gloves and the light feather boa
she wore with her dainty spring cos
tune, started of briskly.
Out of sight of her friends house
her footsteps Jagged, and a serious
look came into her large soft brown
eyes. AS she walked slowly, pensive-
ly along her face would have betrayed
to any one who might have CHANGED
to see her that some serious matters
engrossed her thoughts.
A river flowed through winding,
tree lined banks about the little city,
and Mabel crossed the bridge and soon
found herself gathering handfuls Of
early violets. A group of white birch
trees that grew closely together at
tracted her gaze, and toward them she
made her way.
As she approached the spot she saw
lying stretched out upon the grass q
mans figure, his arms beneath his
head and his face apparently lifted to
ward the blue of the tender sky.
Some sound Of her approach must
have reached the ears Of the man, who
had evidently. like herself, sought a
quiet spot for meditation. Turning his
gaze toward her, he rose and exclaim-
ed:
"Why, Mabel, did you want me?"
And before she had time to reply Her
bert Ward, for it was he whom Mabel
had reused from his reverie, said, half
wistfully. half smilingly: "No; I see
you were not looking for me. You
were just taking walk this lovely
spring day, and the violets on this
rivers bank attracted you"
But Mabel gazed silently at her hus-
band. Seeing him so unexpectedly.
she had looked at him at first as .
stranger might have done, and in her
first surprised gaze she had noticed
how tired he was looking-so weary
or Respondent or disappointed, she
thought to herself.
Without answering his query Mabel
lifted to his face her serious eyes, and,
looking ut him questi0ningly, she said:
Herbert, you are not well. Is any
thing the matterT'
"Not we'll! Nonsense!' he replied
hastily. II am perfectly well. What
put that idea In your head?''
VI don't know" she answered, 'but
seeing you just now SO Unexpectedly
and lying down on the ground, az II