The Colorado statesman., 1913-09-20
WINS AWAKENING.

tyranny they said LAS bossy as Win
Neffens' wife"
Win Neffens' wife had been named
Serena before her characteristics had
chance to develop. She was pretty
in birdlike way. with swapping
black eyes and pert twist of the
neck and a general snug, trim round.
ness of person that reminded one OF
sparrow. When Win first knew her
he was charmed with her little air OF
proprietorship and the way she ruled
him and ordered him around.
1t was pleasing to think that a girl
took enough interest in him to act as
though she owned him. Nobody had
ever interfered with his having his
own way before and it amused him to
let such a scrap of a girl bend him,
six-footer and broad in proportion.
to her will. After the novelty wore
off it was different
Still, being good-natured and
placid fellow, he endured it and was
not particularly unhappy about it till
the question of joining the Antelopes
came up. The Antelopes were primar-
lily a fraternal order but they were
fitting up real club rooms. with a
reading room billiard and card rooms,
and Three Pines had never had any
thing of the sort before.
Up to that time when fell the
shades of night and business men In
Main street shut up shop there was
no place to go but home, and they
went If clustering around the eve.
ming lamp reading the Daily Clarion
and the Farm Journal ever palled
they did not voice their boredom, be.
cause the case was hopeless. With
the advent of the Antelopes a great
light shone out. All the male popula
ton fastened to join the Antelopes.
Then and there Serena Neffens de.
livered her ultimatum.
Don't you let me hear of your go.
ing near those Antelopes, Win Nef-
fens!" she told her husband. IT'S
perfectly scandalous the way the men
are acting about it. for one am go,
ing to keep my husband at home!
Where should married man be but
home, I'd like to know? Pretty idea.
deserting his wife and family just to
waste money on cigars and billiards
and gossip! You don't see me going
out to clubs evenings, do you? Well,
you don't go, either!"
Win Neffens walked out of the
house without word. as was usual
with him when Serena talked, but he
wore a frown, which was unusual.
Every man in town but himself was
going to join the Antelopes and he
wanted to join, also. 1t would be nice
to have a comfortable club to drop
into ccasionally-Serena needn't
have been so peremptory and selfish.
He felt rebellious. 1t was while he
was fuming bitterly that the tempter
in the shape of Ben Sprankle got hold
of him.
"S'pose Serena kicked up row, eh?"
asked that astute elderly parsonage
when Win told him shortly that he
wasn't going to join. Huh! Don't be
an idiot! You join anyhow and she'll
never know it! The boys won't tell
OF yeh!"
In a fit of reckless daring Win Nef-
fens followed Sprankle's advice and
with the freemasonry of small
town all the other members were
aware that they were to keep still
about it at home. Thereupon Win
launched out on his double life.
When he was date to supper he ex-
plained that he had been talking with
travelling man. Besides, his business
increased so that every once in
while he had to go back to the store
after supper to work on the books and
his correspondence.
1t wore on Win and he developed
nerves. Serena was always lecturing
on the sins of the Antelopes. She
called the club a home-breaker and
said she. for one, wouldn't stand 1t the
way the other women did.
Win was always guiltily expecting
the blow to fall. When Serena did not
come home one day till half hour
after he arrived for supper, he took
one look at her face and knew the
blow had fallen. Somebody had told
her. AS he surveyed her standing
gazing at him breathlessly, biting her
lin. collecting her forces for one grand
explosive attack, a curious calm fell
over him, the calm of despair. Then
to MS uLIeT hC hSoi ttA4i
self speaking, or, rather, roaring. he
even pounded the table with his big
fist.
What do you mean," he heard COM
ing from own. lips, "by being away
from your home this time of the day?
What do you mean by keeping me
waiting for my supper? -Gadding
about, gossiping, neglecting your hus-
band and your duty"
"Wh-wh-why. Win!" gasped his
startled wife. He had never in all the
wears even raised his voice before.
81 tell you, l won't stand it," he
concluded at the end of five minutes
heated remarks that seemed to form
themselves This is what drives a
man to clubs You can get your sup
nor and eat il alone-as for me, I'm