El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-12-17
The Husband Question
The Evil After Effects of the Canoe
Excursion Experienced
by Beatrice.
BY Virginia Terhune Van de Water

III
the canoe excursion. Beatrice Minor
had been sleeping and. unfortunate
w dreaming. She thought that she
was lying, bound hand and foot on
the gravel at the lakes edge, and
the waves OF cold water were Wetting
her feet She reached for the down
filled cOVerlet on the foot OF her bed
and drew it up about her shivering
body. She knew just what this discom-
fort meant. She had caught cold out
on the lake last night, and her heart
sank as she wondered If she were going
to be ill
More expenser' was her distressed
thought Then, as always when she
was i'll or weary, she appreciated how
lonely and forlOrn she was, with no
body to share her burden Of financial
responsibility
Fails to Improve.
Several hours later, when Mary came
to her room, Beatrice Minor felt no
better. She had crept, shiVering, into
her bathroom, and, finding to her JOY
that there was hot water left in the
boiler from last night she had taken
the warm bath that she had hoped
would relieve the pain in her head and
the stiffness in her joints but the re-
suit had not been what she expected
Mary looked anxious as she saw her
mistress's condition.
las soon as 1 heard you ring
thought to myself that you must be
sick" she remarked. Sure it's a pity.
but it's gOin' TO be a dull, rainy day
anyhow. It's a fierce cold you've got
and that kind amt to be fooled with.
You'd oughter to see the doctOrl"
7 don't want to-" the sufferer NUT
tered but her manner lacked its &C
custOmed resolution.
But" the maid reminded her, "ain't
Dr.. Haynes Stayin' oyer at Mrs Rob
binSs house for a day or so2 And I'm
sure he'll be able to give you some
thing to make you feel better"
Surely! The widow had not, thought
of him She wondered duly if he
would manage to pay a little more at
tentiOn to her than to her small
daughter, now that she, the mother,
Mary" She said. 'as soon as the
children have had their breakfast,
please come up and straighten my
room for me, and get me that pink bed
jacket that Mrs Robbins gave me on
Christmas. And If you viii hand me
my brush and comb and hand mirror I
VIII get my hair IN better order than
II is In now.
A sick man is willing to remain IN
Thaven and unshorn, in fact objects
strenuousiy If his attendants wish TO
improve his appearance. Not so with
the average woman. When she gets
to the point that she knows and does
not Writhe under the knowledge that
she is unattractiVe or even ugly in
the eyes Of her physician, she is indeed
very ill
But she was too sick to want any
breakfast, and, after she had said
Good morning" TO the children who
tiptoed to her door. she babe them
run away lest they should get moth
er's sore throat" Then, having seen
that Mary had carried out her orders
to set the room TO rights and having
satisfied herself by looking in her mir
ror that her pink jacket was becom-
ing. she closed her eyes with another
little moan.
4 feel as If my head would spliti'
she muttered- please darken the
room, Mary. Perhaps Mrs Robbins
would better tell DR.. Haynes to come
over Suppose you telephone her now
that I am ILL.,
This the maid proceeded to do, and,
after the manner Of her class, made
the most Of the occasion, telling Mrs
Robbins that Mrs. Minor was dread
ful sick" and that she, Mary, thought
she ought to see doctor.
SIZE don't want to see no stranger"
remarked Mary, but / told her per-
haps you'd get Dr. Haynes to come TO
see her. You know she's one Of them
kind that wouldn't send for a doctor
for herself until she was almost dyin'."
Her Fit of Temper.
Beatrice, oYerhearing one side Of the
conversation, was inWardly amused
and gratified. although too uneomfort-
able. physically, to smile.
So when an hour later, the doctor
came into her room, she opened her
eyes and smiled feebIy.
It's too bad to put you to this
trouble, doctor, she said hOarSely.
There is really little the matter with
think you should see me"
-'Oh, that's all right" said the man
bluntly and unsympathetically. Il had
nothing special to do this morning,
and don't mind coming"
He STROBE to the window and threw
open the blinds. The sick woman
WINGED with pain as the light struck
her eyes She felt that. after all the
physician had doubted if she were
actually i'll Now, as he looked at her,
his manner changed and he quickly
laid his fingers on her pulse.
I'm sorry" he said more gently, ito
have to make your head worse with
that light, but I must look at you and
then viii lower the shade. see you
are really suffering, aren't your"
The. wave Of anger that swept over
the i'll woman increased the pain in
her head to an agonizing throb.
Had not been i'll" she said pull
ing her wrist from the doctors light
grasp, Il would not have said so. But,
as there is little the matter with me,
don't let me trouble you further"
Then, to her own intense chagrin,
the tears rushed to her eyes. and she
buried her face in the pillow and
scbbed.