El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-10-28
THE HUSBAND QUESTION
The Widows Evening Out Is Marred by an Unpleasant message
By VIRGINIA TRIBUNE VAN DE WATER

- EATRICE MINOR was naturally
X in spite Of occasional moods Of
- depression, Of a happy DISPOSE
ton. The only times when she was
really downhearted were those IN
which an appreciation Of her moderate
income was forced upon her, or When'
as last night, she law ahead OF ner no
prospect Of the pleasure when ner sou1
loved. Today, therefore, her spirits
aTose nth a hound as she looked for
ward TO a merry evening at Helen 1'oO-
bins house.
She went about the bungalow sing
ing and even made severaI trips out
into the rain to pick some gorgeous
red phlOx from the flower bed Dorder-
inc the gravel path leading from the
gate On the second Of these eXpeol-
tons she saw man, partlally con
cealed under huge cotton umorella;
turn in at her gate and come toward
her As he tilted the UNI Drella pach
from his face she recognized the rural
mail carrier whom Helen had pointed
out to her the day before
As he was a native Of Pleasanton
where all men feel that they are not
only as good as, but better than, any
citv dweIIer, he did not touch his hat
to the lady, who greeted him with a
CHEEKY good morning But ne noooeu
and drew from his bag two letters ad-
..The city folk up here who don't
want the bother Of goin for their man
pays me 25 cents week to denver II
to their houses. And as you nave no
man to send for it, 1 suppose you want
me to put your name on my Inst
ssYes 1 do replied Mrs MINOR
wei. I make my collections one
week from the time begin deliveries,
he said, as he turned away.
Beatrice went into the house with
her letters. One envelope contained
her telephone bill from town. Inc
second envelope the widow opened
With q slight sinking of heart, for II
US from Henry Blanchard She read
the letter thOughtfully. The writer
supposed that she was in the country
as he had not succeeded In getting her
on her city telephone But ne was
mailing this note to her town address
from which place it would De 1or-
warded to her had she already LETT Tor
New York. He then told her that ne
would be in PIeasantOn on the 1lrst
fine day to see about the room ne na2
"spOlzen for" at the Cedar Cliff motel
He always wanted certain bits OF ms
own furniture wherever he stayed, ne
said. and must have those moved out
before he came for his summer vaca-
sold BIaid.v said She
ssOId unafdr' muttered the widow.
Il can't help thinking" he went on,
/ chow good it would be to have wife
To look after my comfort. often am
lines to care about my welfare.
ssThen he would better hire nurse
instead of marrying one! exclaimed
the reader with a curl OF her Up MS
next sentence made her start
IF I were sure you were IN FleaS-
anton I would be strongly tempted 10
come out at once, no matter what the
weather might be But L suppose
ought to wait" ...,--
Beatrice tossed the letter impatiently
77nc1 her desk Was Blanchard going
to be here so much this summer lnat
he would spoil her fun? Yet she oar
not dismiss him utterly yet She wished
that he would have a sudden business
caU to California and would stay there
for the next three months BY that
time she might decide what TO do with
him. At present there seemed posi-
biIitfes that the summer would DrlnS
into her circle someone whom she
might find more congenial than this
elderly man.
She would keep him at distance as
long as she could by the excuse that
ne Helen was her dear friend, she
could not, while receiving klndneSseS
from her, encourage from the. uncle
attentions of which his niece would
disapprove. If this excuse failed she
must urge upon her sutton the plea
that in a small village his attentions
would excite unpleasant comment
With this resolve the widow put the
bachelor and his devotion from her
mind She yearned to send him away
with the satisfactory explanation that