Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-07-20
IN the waliet-and taking the other.
she StenDed ont into tha NIGHT

Bursbro, and in two hours she was In
Buffalo. Then on again, without
break, to Cleveland. In two days she
had answered an advertisement and
secured employment as servant to
suburban family
1T was late when the Brute awoke
and struggled to his feet, cursing his
wife for not having called him. He
stumbled out into the kitchen and
noted, with rising rage, the disorder
| of the night before-the uncleared ta-
ble-an overturned chair-the unlight-
ed fire. Then his eye fell upon the
red stain in the floor.
Gone to those ID Watson's
again!" he growled viciously, as he re-
membered her refuge on previous SIM
liar occasions. "Pll teach her afore
night, cuss her!"
But before night, Mr.. Schofield was
under arrest and in Bursbro Jail, on
charge of numbering his wife Her
disappearance and his known abuse of
her led to quick suspicion, and a
| search of the premises easily revealed
the blood-stained floor and apron, and
the damning hatcher. In time, the
grand jury sustained the charge and
he was held for trial at the next SEES
sion-to be held two or three months
later
! An exhaustive search for the body
of his wife revealed nothing. With
| the sharper instinct of woman, she
had evaded detection as effectively aa
the most experienced criminal could
have done
So the Brute, in the seclusion of his
cell, sobered Off AS his mind cleared
| and his hot blood cooled, perhaps his
thoughts ran more on his wifes fate
than on his own Jeopardy In his
dreams and in his waking moments.
he felt an eyer-increasing dread of
hearing of her-fearing the worst
He grew strangely apathetic about
himself, and when, week before his
trial, word was brought to him that
he was free man-that his wife had
made known her existence and where
| abouts, he walked from the Jail with
out COMMENCEMENT to his farm and
picked up the thread of his life, alone
and soon unnoticed.
Over in Cleveland the suburban
| family were congratulating them
selves on the cheerful, never-failing
industry quiet, thoughtful deft-
ness of their servant Often they won
dered at the tincture of sadness which
seemed to overshadow her; and won
by their sympathetic kindness, she
had told her story.
| Then came sickness-severe. but
not lasting and after that letter
from Kitty her bosom friend With
what delight she tore it open! How
hungry she was for news from her old
friends and neighbors-perhaps also.
she was hungry for news of him.
| One paragraph OF the letter read,
He (you know who l mean) is back
on the farm, doing his own house,
work He has sold the COWS, SO he
never comes to the village with milk.
and he keeps out of sight when any
one goes along the road, so you see,
Molly dear. can't tell you much of
anything about him-and you don't
care, guess!"
Then as she read a big, pearly tear
drop rolled down the pretty cheek,
and splashed out the don't care"
Presently came another letter from
Kitty. plentifully embellished az
usual. with parentheses and quotation
marks, and with paragraph which
brought more tears and long period
OF gazing at nothing.
Bob (the goose still comes to sec
mel says that he calls in to see Sim
tyour Jim, | mean) whenever he
passes the farm, (you know they used
to be great chums before) He says
that Jim seems sad and talks very
little. But he works like a TroiaQS
whatever that isl and he haS4
drank anything since they took hin, to
Bursbro'
week later the little wife alighe-
ed from the stage which journeyed
between Bursbro and Denton's Cor
ners. Much to the drivers surprise.
she had insisted upon getting off q
quarter of mile before reaching
the Schofeld farm.
1t was after dark, but she trudge6
along the we'll known road, carrying
her bundle. while the stage disap-
peared in the gloom. When she came
In sight of the house, there was a
light in the kitchen, but around the
dooryard all was quiet and deserted
She crept to the corner window and
peeped beneath the shade. She noted
the CHEEKY fire in the well-cleaned
stove, and the tidiness OF the room.
BY the table sat the man-her Jim
holding a big needle up before the
lamp; and the tears welled in her
eyes and a great sob choked her. as
she saw the big hand clumsily jab-
bling thread at the eye.
Climbing softly onto the porch, she
lifted the latch and stood before him.
The man stood up, amazed and doubt
ing. He stretched out his arms APP
pealingly His eyes were filled with
unspeakable pleading trembling.
expectant joy.
"Mollyt-my little Mollyt 7 knew