Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1911-02-16
CHAPTER ll.-continued.

said earnestly Not one second have
ever regretted marrying you-that |
honest to God
faint flush of pleasure lit mp the
young wife's face. For all her as
sumed lghtheartedness She WAS badly
in need of this reinsurance If she
thought Howard nourishcd secret re-
grets it would break her heart She
could stand anything. any hardship, !
bat not that, She would leave him at
once
In a way she held herself respon.
sible for his present predicamen'i She
had felt deep sense OF guilt ever
since that afternoon in New Haven
when, listening To Towards impor-
tllni1ics and ubeying an impulse she
was powelless to resist she had flung
aside her waitress apron. furtively
left the restaurant and hurried with
him to the minister who declared
them man and wife.
Their marriage was a mistake, OF
course Howard was in no position
to marry They should have waited
They both realized their folly now
i'nt what was done could not be UNI
done She realized too, that it was
worse for Howard than it was for
her. II had ruined his prospects at
the outset of his career and threat
encd to be an irreparable blight on
his entire life She realized that she
4 was largely to blame. She had done
+ wrong In marry him and at times she
reproached herself bitterly. There
We're days when their union assumed
i'm her eyes the enormity of a crime
/ She should have seen what a social
gulf lay between them, All these
taunts and insults from his family
which she now endured she had fool
ishly brought upon her own head. But
She had not been able to resist the
temptation Howard came into her
life when the outlook was dreary and
4 hopeless. He had offered to her what
seemed a haven against the cruelty
and selfishness of the world. llappi-
ness for the first time in her life
seemed within reach and she had not
he moral courage to say No.
Ii Annie had no education she was
not without brains. She had sense
enough to realize that her bringing up
or the lack of it was an unsurmount-
able barrier To her ever being ad-
1 mitted TO the inner circle of Howard S
family III her husbands father had
not married again the breach might
have been crossed in time, but his
new wife was a prominent member OF
J, the smart set. d woman full of aristo
cratic notions, who recoiled with hor
ror at having anything to do with d
girl guilty of the enormity of earning
, her own living Individual merit, in
herent nobility of character, amiabili
ty of disposition. and a personal repu
, tation untouched by scandal all this
went for nothing unaccom
I panied by wealth or social position
Annie had neither wealth nor position
She had not even education. The,
consideyed her common. impossible
They We're ever ready to lend an ea
, to certain ugly stories regarding he
!, past none OF which were true Afte
their marriage, Mr. Jeffries. Sr., ant
his wife absolutely refused to receiv,
her or have amy communication will
her whatsoever. AS long. therefore
r as Howard remained faithful to hel
, the breach with his family could neve
be healed
: Have some more stew. dear" sh
said extending her hand for her nus
, bands plate.
Howard shook his head and thre,
down his knife and fork.
I've had enough. he said despont
$ emily. Il haven't much appetite
She looked at him with concern.
Poor boy you're tired OUT"
AS she noted how pale and deiecte
! he appeared, her eyes filled wit
! sympathetic tears She forgot tn
appalling number of cigarettes h
smoked day nor did She reali2
!, how abuse OF alcohol had spoiled h
: stomach for solid food
II wish knew where to go and &,
that $1,000, muttered Howard. h
. mind still preoccupicd with Coke
II proposition. Lss..:tins another Gig
!, rette. ne leaned back in his chair al
lapsed into silence.
Annie sat and watched him. wis
3 inn She could suggest some way
solve the problem that troubled hii
h She loved her husband With all h
heart and soul His very weakne
OF character endcared him the mo
10 her She was not blind to h
: faults but she excused them II
vices, his drinking, cigarette smoki
9 ard general shiitlessness We're $
lraued. the result oil bad associate
- Nc Vas selfsindulgent He made ma
good resolutions and broke them Il
he was no, really vicious He had
good heart With some one TO vat
him and keep him in the straight pr
= he would still give a good account
> himself to the world. She Was q
- fident OF that. She recognized ma
:. excellent qualities in him They o
wanted fostering and bringing 9
y That was why she married him. )
was a few years his senior. she
la that she vas the stronger menta
Ike She considered it was her duty
= devote her life to him. TO protect
g from himself and make a man OF Il
or II was not her fault She unused