The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1911-09-16
Her Domestic Tyraz1t
BY CARL JENKINS

the matter was and as he didn't do it
she boldly declared:
stephen, I want to ride out every
afternoon next week."
You know what my salary is at the
bank" he replied
And 1 shall go to the club"
Il hope not"
And I want a new suit at once!"
'Yes?"
81 didn't marry you to be ground
down."
MOP"
Mother said I could come home. to
her any time"
"Yes?"
And if things don't change at once
III go! I want it decided right here
and now"
$50 do Il"
Mrs Roberts left the table and went
over to the east window. She changed
to the west one Then she sat down.
Then she stood up again. Mr.. Rob-
erts refused to be drawn into an ar
gument to spoil his appetite. He re-
fused to say what he would do, and 1t
was for her to give in or carry out her
threats. Give in? Never She walked
upstairs and began to array herself
The distance to her mothers manor
house was a mile and half, and dark
ness was at hand. She would go,
however. She would go If the dis
lance were ten miles. There was a
principle at stake. People were refer
ring to her as a worm Of the dust
They should see!"
All family jars do not bring thunder
storms. This one did, however. The
wife who started for mothers with
naughty step and hard-set face, leav-
ing a husband behind her at his cof-
fee, had not traiIed through the dust
more than half mile when wind.
rain, thunder and lightning were upon
her. She was thoroughly soaked be-
fore she could gain the shelter of an
old tumble-down barn She tried to
remain angry, but she was too wet
She was also frightened. Every time
it Hghtened the red-hot thunderbOlt
made straight trail for the sagging
roof over her head. When nothing
else was doing a hog that had taken
shelter before her moved about and
mathematical things in his own Ian
guage and made out that he was a
two-legged tramp.
Why had not Stephen stopped her
from leaving the house? That was
the question the young wife asked
herself over and over as she stood
there in her sopping shoes Why
hadn't he kissed her and tried tc
make up? She had said she was 60
ing home to mother. but he hadn't
filed one single objection Oh, what
heartless brutei That is, she would
give a year of her life if he was there
with her now! Thunder, lightning,
rain, darkness, and an old tramp get
ting his courage up to attack her!
And even if she lived to reach her
mothers house what sort of story
could she tell? When she first started
out she felt she would be received
with open arms, and that the mother
would say:
so you have left that villain for
good and ALL Good! Come to my
arms, child 1 will see that Stephens
neck is broken within a week."
Now, in that cold rain. with her
shoes a-sop and the rain pelting down
harder and harder, she just cried like
a baby and called out:
Mother, I forbid you to break his
neck! Stephen is the best husband
in all this world"
Then a hand clasped one of hers.
and an arm stole around her waist
She had not heard any one approach
but she was not startled. She was
gently drawn out of the ruin-into the
road-along it to her home and the
hog was left to wonder and puzzle
over the idiosyncrasies of human ma
ture. Not a word was spoken on the
way home-not word for an hour
later. Then the husband quietly OBJ
served:
iii order the carriage for next
week, Clara"
But 1 don't want you to-" she re-
piled. 'I'm coming down to the bank
every evening to walk home with
you'll"