Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1913-12-25

Which Of these two alternatives this
'Eife lad il. mind when she went forth
to take her affairs into her own hands
she did NOT say. but she sent note to
Der husband saying that she agreed
with him that the time had come when
they had better act independently of
each other. for Il time at least II she
found 1t possible TO acquire an income
she would write him and they could
come together again. This did not In
terest him. for he was too much of a
man TO accept the earnings of wo-
man.
How Mrs. Hartley managed II her
husband did not know. but he soon
| heard of her as a prominent woman.
She not only became notable in we
mems associations of various kinds.
but took n stand socially that other
women could not achieve without be-
ing backed by fortune. In Il few
| years the name Of Mrs Hartley was
one of the lest known of any woman
/ in the city where she lived, and her
fame extended to other localities.
But misunderstanding fortune-did
not come Yet even this was easy of
achievement if she chose to put off
/ one husband and take another This
she found hard TO do. She wrote
I Hartley to know if be was III condi-
ton to support her. If so she would
return to him. If not she would apply
for divorce to marry one of several
rich men who wanted her. Hartley
wrote back that he was still in the po-
sition of one who was about to make
large fortune. This decided her. She
applied for a divorce, secured it and
married a wealthy banker, becoming
Mrs. Eldridge.
For ten years Mrs. Eldridge led the
social world of her city and was at the
head of numerous women's associa-
tons No womans enterprise was
launched without her approval; no new
family was admitted to tie chief social
circle without her consent She WAS
the most enyied woman III her sphere,
though no one wished to depose her. for
there was no one who could hope to
take her place
But her contract with the world vas
Ike Fausts agreement with Mepiis-
topheles. At the end came the infer
nal pit. One morning the social and
business world was shocked at the an
nouncement that the great banking
house of Eldridge & Co. had failed.
The doors of the office were closed.
and there was tanbark before the pa
latial residence of the head of the
firm. He WAS an old man. and has
physique was crushed under the ruin
of his fortunes.
During the decade of Mrs. Eidriige's
supremacy Fate. who is never content
to let affairs alone. but must needs be
tossing them up just for the fun OF
seeing them come down again. having
left Hartley on the ground for twenty
years, instead of catching the Eldr:dge
bail on its descent for another toss,
let it rel away In the dirt and. pick
ing up Hartley. threw him so far up in
the air HAT he must have got entirely
away from gravity. for he never CAME
down again as long as he lived
Hartley. after years of experiment
ing. evolved a process in metallurgy
that halved the cost of manufacture
Experience had taught him how 10
reap the benefit of an invention. and
he forced Il large manufacturing cor
Germ TO pay Lin half the saving for
made him rich. and every year after
that his fortune increased by arithmet-
ical progression.
Mrs Eldri,lgc retired from the lime
light more rapidly than she had enter
ed it After the failure of the banking
bouse size fond herself with an in
valid husband and no Income. She had
no talent for money making and could
not compete in any of the fields open
to her sex with younger women. With
her husband she sank into oblivion.
How they managed TO live no one
knew. and of all those who had a>-leti
for an approving smile from the wife
during the period OF her glory not one
cared
One day Hartley. sitting in the rear
seat of his $4,000 auto car. coming
1t Il crossing upon hearse followed
1y two or three carriages directed bis
chauffeur to stop till the funeral had
passed In the chief mourner's carr
-iace he saw Il face so PALE so thin
30 sad. that at first he did not recoe-
lize It. nor could be realize that it
was the same face that had looked up
ovinGly nj him on his wedding day
hearty thirty years before.
Her eyes met his and saw in them
he same affection. to which was add
d a world of sympathy that she had
'een in them on that memorable day
There was no other evidence of rec
ignition between them In moment
he little co:tere had passed. Hart
ey's car crossed the street and sped
WAY. not a rerson of those who wait
d 10 pass on recognizing the sad cub
nination of ambition they had wilt
leSsed.
That Same evening when the widow