The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1912-03-09
Experiment.
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vfted his mother-in-law to live with
him and his wife. She accepted Both
promised to refrain from Quitting in"
When the first born came a hundred
new complications arose. As a young
husband be had never before had an
infant In his arms and had never real
" seen above a dozen of the nuisances
at close range. but be felt that he need
ed no advice from grandma. When
he set out with spoon and castor oil to
doctor the kid for a dozen things at
once the mother-in-law had to make a
few remarks-she just had to.
There were occasions when the IA
Their would carry the squalling young
ster about head up, head down, over
his shoulder and under his arm and
pay no heed to the protests Of his
wife or the looks of the mother-in-law.
There were other occasions when he
would ding it into the lap OF the old
lady and expect her to walk the floor
with 1t for half the night. In return
she would visit the druggist next day.
walking into the store with an iron
Jaw, but somehow she could v ask
for arsenic or strychnine. The words
always stuck, and she ended of by
asking for soda water with sarsapa-
rilla strip. There were happy hours,
however. There were hours when the
mother-in-law and son-in-law sat down
and told each other that 1t surely must
have been the work Of Providence to
bring them together. They almost
held hands over 1t. They felt a just
pride in realizing that they were the
only mother-in-law and son-in-law on
the face of the wide earth that ever
lived In the same house and loved each
other.
A crisis must eventually come In the
happiest family. One came In this.
It came one day after the mother-in-
law had carried In a ton Of coal n
beaten two carpets. On the same day
the son-inlaw had discovered that the
old lady was In the habit Of coming
downstairs at midnight and cooking
herself a late supper. There were no
words over either circumstance. On
the contrary. they sat and smiled at
each other and purred like two kittens.
She was informed that but for her
presence in the house life would have
held little or nothing for the man be-
fore her, and she re%ciprocated by say
ing that she never knew what that
complacency and ~.contentment meant
until she made her home with him.
1t was a feeling hour. The fountains
Of the deep were broken up, and
neither felt ashamed Of the tears in
their eyes nor their quivering lips.
Next morning both were missing. On
a stand in his bedroom and on the
bureau In her bedroom the distracted
wife found epistles. The n from the
husband read:
II invited my motber-ip-law to pass
the rest of her days with me and con-
tribute to our happiness. ! had always
held to the theory that the wife's
mother, particularly II she had an iron
jaw and a mind Of her own, could rem
der the little woodbine cottage Of her
son-in-law a paradise on earth. Men
argued with me In vain. When the
opportunity came l tried it. There
was to be no butting In on the other
side. 1t was to be one long, happy
day. 1t has been. l go to my reward
simply because ! can't send her to
hers. Ever since her first week in the
said woodbine l have never for an
hour been clear of thoughts Of MUIR
der. They have always been thoughts
of numbering a mother-in-law. In i'm
agination l have given her nine diff
ferent poisons; five times l have dis
membered her with the ak; eight times
have l stolen upstairs at midnight to
choke her to death with my strong
fingers. / have hired chauffeurs to
try to run over her, and / have re-
moved the steps from the cellar stairs
In hopes to p~recipitate her to the ce-
ment and break her back.
"In conclusion let me say" the state
ment went on, "as she refuses to die
for me l have decided to die for her.
have grown to be too happy. The
deadly monotony has come, and I
haven't the strength to endure II. My
cold body will be found hanging in the
wood shed. Love to you and the kid
and any number of best regards to the
dear old lady. / know she will mourn
me-"
The letter Of the mother was equally
interesting.
when you read this, my dear daugh-
ter" she began, "the body Of your
mother will be found at the bottom Of
Gray's mill pond. / have been think
ing Of taking this step for a long time.
1 have been too happy with my son-in-
law. That happiness has begun to
pail. Think Of having a son-in-law
and yet be bound by the most solemn
promise not to call him a brute, a VII
lain and a wretch a dozen times a day!
Think of how / have had to keep my
hands on him when I fairly ached to
wash them IN his blood! Think of the
sleepless hours I have spent in Grip
ping and mangling and numbering
him In norfpoffon haIfaua that Y