Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1911-11-09
Written in Pencil
By CLARISSA MACKIE

Somebody told me-waSnt 1t ab- surd? wonder who ate it?" They both laughed.
 She gave it to her laundress, and the woman told our Nora"
 What right has woman to get married if she doesn't know how to take care of house and make her husband comfortable?"
 No more right than man has to marry when he can't support a wife, But Bob Page is certainly holding up his end"
 "She doesn't play fair In the matri- monial game" was the other woman's comment "I suppose she would be thunderstruck to think that he was disillusioned-Pn wager you he's sick and tired of married life already
 Tt will end in divorce" declared the first speaker decidedly. as they arose and went toward the door for just then the train came to a standstlll in the big station.
 Stunned by the realization of her own position in the matter, as re- vealed by the thoughtless chatter or her neighbors, Nellie Page walked out of the train and into another one that was due to leave in five minutes One thought whirled around giddily in her mind. She must hurry home and de- stroy that dreadful note she had writ ten to her husband. She must never let him realize what a selfish. unreas- enable woman he had married. What. she asked herself, over and over again as the train sped toward home. what had she contributed toward the happiness of their home?
 Suppose anything happened to Bob before she had chance to tell him i that now she knew what was wrong she would work hard to make 1t right she would take cooking lessons-she would study the housekeeping maga- zines
 The more she pondered the greater was her wonder that Bob had ever married her; she maryeled that he had been so patient Suppose, after all his love for her was dead-that he was, as the women on the train had suggest ed, disillusioned. What would her life be without Bob's love and devotion?
 Thoroughly frightened and remorse- full and hating herself for her blind ness Nellie Page fairly ran down the street toward home. Her heart almost stopped beating when she saw light in the sitting-room window. Bob must be home He had taken an earlier train and by this time he had found her note and read it and-Nellie did not dare think of the look he would give her.
 The front door was unlocked and she slipped noiselessly in and dropped her tell-tale bag in the hall closet. Then she stood unnoticed in the door, way and looked at her husband with questioning scared eyes.
 Bob was playing with Flinders who frisked heavily around his master. barking sharply as Bob waved crum- pied scrap of paper to and fro over the dogs head.
 It was the note. He had read it. Nellie leaned against the door, a sud den faintness assailing her. Bob must have cared little for her if he could give her note to the dog for a plaything.
 All at once Flinders saw her, her body stiffened and he stood rigidly watching her, his head poised on one side, the little black sheer curling his lip.
 "Woof!" said Flinders and tore across the floor to meet her as he used to do in the days before she re- buffed him.
 What Is it?" and Bob turned quick ly, to see his wife staring dumbly at him. What Is the matter. sweet heart?" he asked gaining her side.
 "The note. did you read it, BobT' she gasped, pointing to the scrap of paper he held and which was now nicked around the edges by the playful teeth of Flinders.
 Was it a note?" asked Bob. sur prised Why. no. When got home I found Flinders chewing this scrap of paper into ball and we've been play ing with it." He smoothed 1t out lit- tie and then shook his head over the half obliterated characters. Tt was written in pencil and l guess Flinders has chewed all the sense out of it," he declared, tossing the paper into the waste basket
 Nellie was down on the floor her arms around Flinders. whom she was hugging. She turned a rosy face up to her husband "Oh, Bobby, dear, if ever you're tempted to write perfect lxy ell ct fn illcf write it in pencil and leave it around for Flinders to destroy!"
 Then Nellie Page crept into her hus- bands loving arms and told him the whole story