Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-09-16
I9Os. By G. W. DaIinshsm Co.

Of available material had been made
than that over which Mrs Emma
Brooks presided as mistress and fac
totum.
And Mrs. Brooks herself-how she
graced it. altogether unconsciously.
AS the elder Of two daughters Of Stan
ley Harris, who. while not RICH had
been well to do. she had been brought
up in the comfort of good home and
had enjoyed the advantage of an edu-
cation at private seminary. Her fa-
fher. whose constant companion she
had been and whose sense of democ-
racy IN the matter Of association she
had inherited. had adored her. and
when she had given her heart to Jo-
seph Brooks. electing him from among
numerous suitors. including James
Smith. he gave his consent to their
union against his own Judgment and
in face of the strenuous opposition Of
his wife, esteeming the girls nappi-
ness superior to all other considera-
tons
Brooks. who had been In the employ
of the latina merican Steamship com
pany for one year and had been
brought into relations with the family
by virtue Of his selection as secretary
to her father. the general manager
had no means whatever of his own.
and his salary, then $50 a month. was
a desperately small income on which TO
begin housekeeping for girl reared as
she had been. But her father helped
them, and the young couple counted
upon his influence to procure the ad-
vancement Of his son-in-law to a more
remunerative post.
Unfortunately for them. however.
Mr.. Harris had died a few weeks after
their wedding, and they found them
selves thrown upon their own re-
sources. Mrs Harris. a selfish. shall
low, unfeeling woman with social pre-
tensions who regarded her daughters
marriage with the young clerk as
mesalliance and Brooks himself with
disdaln. left them to shift for them
selves and with her other daughter.
Beth. who was seven years younger
than Emma and shared her mothers
views. as she initiated her haughti-
ness. settled down to the enjoyment Of
the modest fortune her husband had
left her and the indulgence of the os-
tentation she loved. bur which during
Mr. Harris lifetime she had never
been able to crafty to the top Of her
bent She did not for this. however,
withdraw altogether from association
with Emma and Brooks and continued
on more or less amicable terms with
them. Now and then she condescend-
ed to call upon them with Beth. but
her visits. as a rule. were a good deal
OF trial to the young couple. for she
regarded Brooks failure to get on in
the steamship company as a vindica-
ton of her opinion as to his ability
and the righteousness of their mar
rage and was prone to condone with
her daughter. assume an exasperating
I-told-you-so attitude and lament what
might have been.
Daring the four years Of their mar
ried life Brooks salary had been
raised only $40 a month. although in
addition TO his work as accountant. to
which he had been assigned after Mr..
Harris death. that Of collector had
been thrust upon him. 1t had been a
hard. bitter experience for pretty little
Mrs. Brooks. this unaccustomed drudg-
cry Of Homework. this continuous
securing Of greasy pots and pans and
washing of dishes. which she loathed
this deprivation OF comforts and mxu-
ries thar she had known all her life:
this privation of many personal things
considered Indispensable by the dainty
woman; this necessity Of perpetual
rigid economizing which barely suf-
feed TO make both ends meet. She de-
prived herself OF much needed cloth
ing. TO say nothing Of hnery. that Joe
might go properly clad to his office.
but she never for that reason descend
ed TO slovenliness never "let herself
60" as so many women in their own
households make che mistake of doing.
and never had she allowed one word
Of complaint. one indication of regret.
10 escape her She had married Joe
for love for better or for worse. and
resigned herself bravely and cheerfully
TO the consequences. however hard to
bear, hoping for the better times that
were 50 long In coming and encour-
aging her husband to fight on and
win.
Joe. for his part lacked his wife's
grit and energy. and constant disap-
pointment had undermined his forti-
fude. He loved Emma. He hardly
could have done otherwise. though
calculation had entered largely into
his counting Of her. Chivalrously
while the sweet bliss Of their early
married life held him in its SPELL he
had done as much of the heavier work
Of the menage as be could TO spare
her when time and opportunity afford
ed. bur very naturally be had soon
tired Of this where Is the man who
does not?-and by degrees had left as
much Of 1t as he could to her. except
when bis moods Of optimism and af.
fectionate solicitude impelled him to
L. L