The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-03-14

bilious young man such as Bob Page
was. ever fastened himself to such
ball-and-chain affair as his wife hal
turned out to be. She's pretty girl
too, in way" w..
"Discontented looking. She ought tc
be thankful to have gotten such 8
clean, whole. souled husband as Bot
Page. He's one in thousand"
Looks awfully seedy and down
nowadays"
What man wouldn't when he has
to help with the housework every
night. Did you hear that she made
a soup out of smoked beef-the
shaved sort, you know"
"Somebody told me-wasn't 1t alb
surd? I wonder who ate it?" They
both laughed.
"She gave it to her laundress, and
the woman told our Nora"
What right has a woman to get
married if she doesn't know how to
take care of a house and make her
husband comfortable"
mo more right than man has to
marry when he can't support wife.
But Bob Page is certainly holding up
his end"
"She doesn't play fair in the matri-
monial game" was the other woman's
comment. Il suppose she would be
thunderstruck to think that he was
disillusioned-Ill wager you he's sick
and tired of married life already"
1T will end in divorce" declared the
first speaker decidedly, as they arose
and went toward the door for just then
the train came to standstill In the
| big station.
Stunned by the realization Of her
| own position in the matter, as re-
vealed by the thoughtless chatter OF
her neighbors, Nellie Page walked out
of the train and into another one that
thought whirled around giddily In her
mind. She must hurry home and de-
stroy that dreadful note she had writ
ten to her husband. She must never
let him realize what selfish, unreas-
enable woman he had married. What,
she asked herself, over and over
again as the train sped toward home,
what had she contributed toward the
happiness of their home?
Suppose anything happened to Bob
before she had a chance to tell him
that now she knew what was wrong
she would work hard to make 1t right
she would take cooking RESPONSIBLE
would study the housekeeping maya
zines.
The more she pondered the greater
was her wonder that Bob had ever
married her; she marveled that he had
been so patient. Suppose, after all his
love for her was dead-that he was. as
the women on the train had suggest
ed, disillusioned. What would her life
be without Bob's love and devotion?
Thoroughly frightened and remorse-
full and hating herself for her blind
ness Nellie Page fairly ran down the
street toward home. Her heart almost
stopped beating when she saw light
in the sitting-room window. Bob must
be home. He had taken an earlier
train and by this time he had found
her note and read it and-Nellie did
not, dare think of the look he would
give her.
The front door was unlocked and
she slipped noiselessly in and dropped
her tell-tale bag in the hall closet.
Then she stood unnoticed in the door,
way and looked at her husband with
questioning scared eyes.
Bob was playing with Flinders who
frisked heavily around his master.
barking sharply as Bob waved a crum-
pied scrap of paper to and fro over
the dogs head.
1t was the note. He had read it.
Nellie leaned against the door, sud-
den faintness assailing her. Bob
must have cared little for her If he
could give her note to the dog for a
plaything.
All at once Flinders saw her, her
body stiffened and he stood rigidly
watching her, his head poised on one
side, the little black sheer curling his
lip.
Wool" said Flinders and tore
across the floor to meet her as he
used to do in the days before she re-
buffed him.
What Is it," and Bob turned quick
ly, to see his wife staring dumbly at
him. What is the matter, sweet
hearth" he asked, gaining her side.
THE note, did you read it, Bob?"
she gasped, pointing to the scrap, OF
paper he held and which was now
nicked around the edges by the playful
teeth of Flinders.
WAS it note?" asked Bob, sur
prised. why, no. When got home
found Flinders chewing this scrap OF
paper into a ball and we've been play
ing with It," He smoothed 1t out IT.
tie and then shook his head over the
half obliterated characters. 1T was
written in pencil and guess Flinders
has chewed all the sense out Of It," he
declared, tossing the paper into the
waste basket. "2
Nellie was down on the. floor her
~,k Oh