The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1912-02-17
The Voice Of
Mary Eta
h Proves . ssiesaasd h Tns
q Need
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Copyright by American Prsss 49,
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Copyright by Amsrican Frees Asss
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Never mind. Ben" encouraged Mary
Eta A. her husband shrugged into his
overcoat and picked mp biz hat, sev-
erything will come out ali right in the
end. All the other farmers Ia the
county have met with The same fail.
ure that We have. only you've got the
best Of most Of them. You've rot your
trade to fall back on"
The sullen expression deepened on
Ben Nadison's handsome face. ut
isn't 20 easy going back to WORT under
foreman after being my own boss
for I'VE year," be said bitterly.
Mary Eta WINGED. II know II, dear.
But suppose you didn't have trade
and couldn't make up This winter for
your losses Of last summer. Mr.. Fray
has promised you steady work At 1850
that's SIS a week. Why. 1t viii pay
the interest and taxes for q year. be-
sides paying an our living EXPENSES
and giving you splendid start for
the spring. You might be abs to buy
another cow"
~ know all the advantages" said
Ben impatiently. but you don't I'M
derstand how I feel about It, Mary
Ettai It's sort Of admitting I've full
ed ON the farm. inst % your father
said would"
His wife's eyes flashed strangely.
You don't. understand father. dear.
He has already admitted be was mis-
taken in his estimate Of you. for you
have done splendidly- one can deny
that-and who could prevent the long
drought we have sufIeredf know he'd
think 1t was splendid Of you to pitch
In and make the farm pay BY doing
everything you could this winter"
Ben turned away, q discouraged
droop to bis shoulders. OF course Mary
Eta didn't know that he had gone to
her father the night before and asked
him for q soan Of $500 to. tide them
over the winter and spring-in fact,
until his crops would begin to pny
along In Msy and June. for bis mar
ket garden and forcing house had
proved very paying branch OF the
Madison farm.
He REDEEMED resentfully a. b re-
usembersd how old Peter Lloyd's
whitsr eyebrows had lifted inersdnlous-
u when his son-in-law asked fpr the
loan. .No. Bsn,n Pstse I'D ~ slow
". .l'n nj sAying ain't ~ the
| nhcnGY, IL havss bat ae ~
Ekadp Il avtlls lsasnF. II Navy 1ttai
Was Z WIDOW, now, 80 neeesd ~ -
| II weula b diRsrsat. Yoa.fs . strseg
man, Anl you've doue wen 70 far. u
| would only weaken ron to borrow tAis
money Of me. Find way out your
self. You'll be the better OF for 1t In
the end. and I wish you good luck II
you was sick or there was an accident
Of some kind I'd be the first one On
hand to help you ont. As It is. you
and Mary Eta have started out for
yourselves. and you're both capable OF
fighting 1t out to the end-same as the
| rest Of Ms have to do" -
Ben Madison thought Of this con-
versation with increasing anger as he
trudged down the frosty road that led
to Trays planning mill. The only al
Tentative left to him had been to seek
a Job at Trays, where ita owner had
told him there were su1lcient orders
ahead to keep good workman like
Ben busy all winter making sasles and
blinds for the spring building trade.
Now he was going down to tell Fray
he would take the Job. There were
others waiting for the opportunity. but
Fray had promised Ben the drst
chance.
When he reached the road that turn
ed down to the mill he hesitated and
then walked slowly on, head down,
modify thinking At last he came to
the railroad station. where few
Ioungers awaited the passing of the
noon train. Ben looked down the shin
Ing length Of track that led to the city
beyond. There might be opportunities
for other work than that he had left
behind when he married Mary Etta
Ave years ago. He had hated the
bench work, the long hours and the
carrying Of the dinner pail. They
chafed his Madison pride. Ben was
the last of his family. and all the pride
of the Madisons seemed concentrated
in this young man with the strong.
broad shoulders and the bitterly droOp-
ing mouth, who imagined he had made
a failure of life.
Az the whistle of the approaching
train shrieked from some distant cross
ing Ben Madison seemed to make up
his mind to some course Of action. He
glanced quickly at the loungers con
gregated about the station stove and
stepped out Of the station house and
walked up the track to the raised plat
form where there was little heap Of
baggage. He pulled bis hat down over
bis eyes and muttered under his
breath: 'T just can't 80 back to the
bench again. I'll get something to do
in the city and send for Mary Eta to
ZONE. can write to her when 7 get
there and tell her how 1t is. She'll un-
aerstand."
When he was in the train he tried to
| persuade himself that Mary Etta
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