El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-25
= One WOman's Story =
BY Virginia Terhune Van de Water
CHAPTER XVI

/ room house, and Bert insisted that he
/ wanted something newer than the old
! pieces that had been part of his wife's
| mothers wedding outfit He and his
/ mother evidently succeeded in driving a
/ satisfactory bargain, for they secured
the bright blue sofa for which the
man yearned. From the Fourteenth
| street shop were also selected two up
/ hOlstered chairs ito match the sofa"
} After these had been put in place in
| her new home. Mary would half close
her eyes in passing through the par
| lor." But she uttered no word OF
I distaste.
She also denied herself the intro.
( spectiOn that would be fatal II she
would live calmly the life she had
| chosen on an hours impulse. Although
/ she closed the eyes of her mind to the
glarlng details-as she closed her &C
tual eyes to the blue furniture-the
truth that she mad married In p1ques
because the man she loved had Tilted
her stood there an unalte-able fact
She had taken the step hastily, yet de-
| terminedly, telling herself that Her
bert FLETCHER loved her and that she
; could change his language and man
ners to suit her taste, When she had
| first met his mother she had apDre-
ciated with a shock that, TO change
Bert, she would have to overcome the
effects Of heredity and early training
and Mrs. Fletcher, senior, soon showed
l her shrinking daughterinlaW that she
disapprOved Of her sons choice of a
( wife. The girl regretted this and sug-
gested to her husband that she was
! afraid that his mother did not ap-
prove Of his marriage"
4 am sorry" she confessed FOR
I would be glad 10 have her like ne"
The big man laughed Never you
mind. little girl" he said, IF you
wasn't so unsuspicious you'd have
cd a r-erlr Z.
care for you is because she's found
1t pretty nice to be the only person
TO share any money made. Not but
what she's got enough Of her own to
live on comfortably, but shed like all
she can get besides Moreover, she
thinks might better have married a
girl with some cash Of her own and
no relative for me to look after Moth
er IS a good woman and has been a
KIND mother TO me, as I've often told
you, but she's got a long head and has
tried 10 manage me for so long that
sne cant understand that any one
else has a right 70 have a finger IN
her job But pounding the table
with his big fist, I'm a man who does
as he pleases. and I guess I had a
Elght 10 choose my own wife-and I
did Just wait till I complain before
you commence TO worry"
He rose and going over TO his wife,
gave her resounding kiss on the
cheek, that Redeemed under the salute
The brisIles on his chin scratched the
wOman's soft skin, for Bert did not
shave Oftener than once a week now
that he was married His wife tried
not TO remember that his shave and
bath came on the same day each week .
and were omitted on all the other
Gays OF the seven. and she did not
shrink under the noisy OSCILLATION with
which her husband now emphasized
his remarks He loved her, she re-
minded herself, and she was his wife
and the thought made her act the
-r--
could summon to her aid.
/ eL IN spite Of the fact that Her
bert Fletcher had proclaimed indie
pendence Of his mother, her views OF
housekeeping and economy were also
MS His wife had been prepared for
suggestions that she should cook GER
tam dishes according to his mothers
recipes, and even laughed SWeet-teu-
peredly over the tine-Woru Joke with
regard to his like mother used TO
make But she found il hard to hold
her peace when her husband told her
tnat his mother thought IT extrava-
gance for her to pay more than So
month for a servant
Twelve dollarsr' Mary exclaimed.
Why Bert, that is absolutely ridicu-
lous- For years maids wages have
been higher than that. 7 know that
in my own home
Her husband interrupted her.
Don't talk to me about your own
home. Mamie" he protested. Your
IaUner spent money like water and
lost all he had besides. Ma reminded
me Of that when I told her you
wanted girl Stin, what she said
0on't carry any weight except when
know its horse sense, andI do know
she's right when she says that strong
houseWorker ought to be hired for So
q month If not, why, she lust won't
be hired-that's alIP'
Mary started to speak. then checked
nerselI she would not resent this
siur upon her fathers management Of
sacred for her to be willing to discuss
him with this man who was so unlike
MIN Yet she remembered, this was
the man whom she had defrauded OF
the love that some woman might have
gwen him-the man she had married
through spite against another man and
through the desire to make a comfor-
ape PIE nome FOR her nother- She GER
ana protection through any desire to
make him happy, She must submit to
whatever her rash act brought upon
Ter IN the way of suffering She and
me alone, would bear her punishment
rms thought cOmfOrted her No
natter what her husband might lack
n the way of refinement he was kind
% her mother. Indeed. so gentle and
ieprecatOry was Mrs. Danforth that a
nan must be hard hearted who could
'e harsh with her. The widow had a
.omfortable room on the sunny side OF
ne mouse, and on such mornings as
he was not well enough to come
downstairs to the early breakfast
Vhlch her soninlaW must take to catch
us train to the city he would call
ut CHEEKY good morning to her
rom the foot of the stairs before start
ng for the train.
She's a mighty nice old lady" he
aid again and again to his wife. 4
uppOse she's not as strong natured
s my own mother is. but she is sure
asy to get along with
Mary watching her parent anxi-
uSly, agreed with him She knew
etter than did her husband that It
7as not natural for the elderly woman
o be so apathetic as she now was
he was not i'll. but had lost the snap
nd vigOr which had once been hers
ad her sorrows broken her spirit
larry wondered. or was it that her
ealth was failing2 If so, how could
he daughter live without her2 And
linking this, the woman found it pos
.ble 10 excuse much in her husband
ecause Of his goodness to the only
erson in all the world now whom she
eally loved.
(TO be eontinued-)
"a cTTT or rtAm11T