Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-10-13

the matter was and as he didn't do 1t
she boldly declared:
stephen. want to ride out every
! afternoon next week."
"You know what my salary Is at the
bank" he replied.
"And shall go to the club!"
Il hope not" =
"And want a new suit at once!"
"Yes"
81 didn't marry you to be ground
| down."
"No?"
Mother said I could come home to
her any time"
"Yes?"
"And if things don't change at once
I'll go! want it decided right here
and now"
$50 do II"
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 mile and half, and dark
ness was at hand. She would go,
however. She would go If the dis
tance were ten miles. There was a
principle at stake. People were refer
ring to her as 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 husband behind her at his cof-
fee, had not trailed through the dust
more than half a 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
1t lightened the red-hot thunderbolt
made straight trail for the sagging
roof over her head. When nothing
else was doing hog that had taken
shelter before her moved about and
mathematical things in his own Ian
guage and made out that he was 6
two-legged tramp.
Why had not Stephen stopped hel
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 go
Ing home to mother but he hadn'
filed one single objection. Oh, wha
a heartless brute! That is, she woult
give 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 he
mothers house what sort of stor,
could she tell? When she first starte,
out she felt she would be received
with open arms, and that the mothe
would say:
so you have left that villain 10
good and all! Good! Come to m,
arms, child. will see that Stephen
neck Is broken within a week."
Now. in that cold rain, with he
shoes a-sop and the rain pelting dow
harder and harder, she just cried nk
baby and called out:
Mother, / forbid you to break hi
neck! Stephen Is the best husban
; in all this world"
!. Then q hand clasped one of her,
, and an arm stole around her wais
She had not heard any one approach
but she was not startled. She wa
. gently drawn out of the ruin-into tn
road-along 1t to her home and tn
hog was left to wonder and puzzl
!: over the idiosyncrasies Of human nj
3 ture. Not word was spoken on tn
2 way home-not word for an hou
. later. Then the husband quietly oil
2 served:
. "Ill order the carriage for nez
2 week. Clara"
a But l don't want you to-" she r,
piled. I'm coming down to the ban
d every evening to walk home wit
n you'll"