Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-03-05
Thought She Ought
to Know
By EDITH V. ROSS
Copyright by American Press Asso.
citation, 1911.
BY EDITH V. ROSS

! the most important steps without real
izing what she was doing. Decisions
that another would only make after
long deliberation she would make on
| the instant
| Nevertheless Mrs. Hardenburgh was
a dear little woman, kind hearted, low
able and popular with ali who knew
her. The only trait that interfered
with her getting on with all the world
was that if told anything to ones dis
advantage she would not stop to ques-
ton the truth of the information, but
proceed at once to strike the culprit's
name off her list.
Now. there are persons in the world
who think nothing of making trouble
between other persons, even to the
members of families. A woman one
day gave Mrs. Hardenburgh informa,
| ton about her husbands dOings which
| if true would have marked him for a
very dishOnOrable and contemplate
person. The informer had got the
news from another, who had got it
from some one else. Her ground for
telling Mrs. Hardenburgh of it was
that she thought she ought to know
it. 1t did not occur to the tale
bearer that it might not be true, and
If it were true it was just the thing
of all others the guilty mans wife
should not know. Nevertheless the
above named reason is the universal
excuse of those persons who carry
such information.
Mrs. Hardenburgh was thrown into
Mysteries by the story and instead of
giving her husband an opportunity to
defend himself of the charge, ran
away to her mother as fast as she
could go. Being an only child, her
mother was used to humoring her and
on this occasion gave her unbounded
sympathy. Whether the good lady
doubted the truth of the story and in
tended later to pave the way to rec
onciliation does not appear. For the
time being she comfOrted her child as
best she could. When the latter bad
recovered her equanimity her mother
suggested that she send her husband
the reasons for her flight. The young
wife did so, sprinkling her note with
such words as "perfidious," disgrace
full" ubiquitous" and the like.
When Hardenburgh returned home
in the evening and found the letter,
instead of running right around to his
wife to explain matters he sat down
to think. 1t was certainly not pleas
ing that he had married wife who,
when a frebrand was thrown into fhe
family. instead of picking it up aN1
tossing it back at the thrower ha0
proceeded to set the house afire with
it. If he were going to live with his
wife it was certainly necessary that
he eliminate this trait in her, and if
he could not eliminate it it was per
haps better that they should remain
apart.
He had for some time meditated
going to a distant city to settle long
standing matter of business, but had
put the trip off from time to time on
account of having just been married.
Within an hour after his return to
his home he had announced to the sew.
ants that he was going away and start
ed for the railway station.
The young wife meanwhile was pass
ing through the transition common to
all persons who act hastily. When she
had been somewhat Gained her mother
ventured to suggest that the charge
might not be true. To this the daugh-
ter responded that the informer bad
no object in giving false information
and had done it only since she thought
the wife ought to know it. NevertJle
less Mrs. Hardenburgh began to be
worried. She noted the hour that her
husband usually returned home aud
gave him time to come to her. After
several hours had elapsed and Mr.. Har-
denburgh did not appear she could hot
conceal her trepidatiOn. She gave her
mother as a reason for it that she
feared something might have happened
to him.
When 10 o'clock came and there was
no news from the culprit husband the
butler was sent to the house to recon
hotter. He returned reporting that Mr..
Hardenburgh had gone away.
The result of this information which
Mrs. Hardenburghs friend thought
she ought to know" opened with the
most frightful night the young wife
ever spent. From her previous CON
demnatiOn of her husband she swung
to the other extreme, and it rushed
upon her with overpowering force that
the really good man who had mar
ried her could not possibly have been
guilty of any such conduct as had been
imputed to him. After a sleepless night
she went home, hoping to learn some
thing of her husbands movements.
She was disappointed. The servants
only knew that he had gone away the
went to her husbands office, but elicit
ed no information there.
And now Mrs. Hardenburgh be-
thought herself to make inquiries of
the informer as to where she got the
information. The dear woman who had
so great an interest in her friends af'
fairs said that she had heard it as
coming from And Mrs. Harden
burgh's investigations never got any
further than las coming from"
After two weeks absence Mr.. Har-
denburgh returned to find his wife
waiting for him. a very penitent WON
an, not likely to make the same mis-
take again.
Strange to say, the young wife efter
all did not appreciate having heard
what she ought to know and does not