The Wahpeton times., 1913-09-18
BROKEN TO HARNESS
sy ELIZABETH SHEAR.

In q moment OF observation-disclosures
BE got married.
<nust have been absentminded
- or sheer mental alteration, fol
u Burke had stopped to think he
Nould have realized that he Of all
nen was cut out for bachelor. Hs
bad been . bachelor for over forty
years and the habit was ingrained in
him. When you have had nobody to
consider oil your life but yourself II
strikes you - IN imposition and Z
hardship to have another human b.
ing thrust upon you. especially IL the
human being in question has appeal.
aag eyes and coaxing ways and gen.
eral effect Of Generalization upon you.
Burkle was much in love, but the
joys Of this state were counterbal.
o0ced By the annoyance Of being
dragged out Of accustomed ways. The
9ye months wedding tip wss . sue-
59ksion Of tssTs and fofgivingS, b:
cause Burke was constantly forget
eing that hs had . bride and the bride
Aaturally objected to that. Burke
oetsn pondered on the inscrutabls
Ways Of women. who. It seemed, a.
ways wanted 10 b in the center Of
he Mmelight.
!. He really could not blame Marie.
however. because she certainly was
worthy Of being shone upon. Often
when he found himself still bewildered
over the fact that he was married one
glance at Marie would be Q sufficient
explanation.
Yet in spite Of this dim comprshen-
sion Burke was far from being COM
pletely broken to harness. That was
Why the first day the Burkles got back
hom their trip Burke accepted Joy.
pusly the invitation Of the bunch" a.
represented by Jones and Larkins.
The two fell upon him at luncheon
lime, and. after much handshaking
and congratulating. proposed dinner
downtown at the same old place where
six or eight congenial souls had been
accustomed to gather in the years
that were gone by.
Burke was hungry for a sight of
the boys and 80 he pronounced the
Idea bully. That afternoon he was
extremely busy, and it was after six
o'clock when he closed his roll top
1esk.
"Gee!" murmured Burke, a. he
hastily smoothed his hair and other
wise made an Office toilet, ut certain.
y will seem good to see the old crowd
again and taste one Of Franconi's din.
ners!"
In a pleasant dream Burkle locked
bis Office and departed without not
Ing the telephone staring him in the
face or recalling his brand new fiat
and his bride waiting with a brand
new dinner for his homecoming. That
dinner had cost her a world of pains.
: Na9coni's dinner was a very good
one. Then the crowd proposed the
theater and after that somebody pro.
posed supper and there were stories
2 be told and cigars to be smoked,
and when Jones said az he had always
baid before on these occasions: Its
late, Burkle-you'd better stop ct my
diggings Just around the corner in.
stead Of going out to your station"
Burke. being sleepy, assented. Yea
he stopped at Jones' "diggings."
In the morning when he wakened
the sun was high and with q glance
ut the clock Burke bounded up and
into his clothes. He recalled an i'm
Dortant appointment at the ONCE fol
nine o'clock, and he made q rush to
get there on time.
Now, when Burke 10 engrossed in
business he gives q remarkably good
Imitation Of Q man deaf dumb and
blind to every other consideration. No
thought but that Of business on hand
entered his mind. That was why when
. couple Of persons wearing square
toed shoes and mysterious expressions
sntered his ONCE and after staring at
him suspiciously demanded his name
Burke was not agitated. He told
them absentmindedly that his name
vas Burke and continued laborins
vith his papers.
One Of the square toed men tapped
him on the shoulder. Maybe you're
6ufkle." said the square toed man,
but you've got to prove it. Burkls's
got . wife back home in Mysteries
With two doctors and . trained nurse
working over her, because she says
her husband 10 murdered and thrown
Into the lake-and you see you are
not h the lake. Come on, now, and
tell us about It."
Some time later when the doctors
and the nurse had departed Burke
surveyed his wife thoughtfully. There
was . new expression on his face. the
chief ingredient Of which was still
bewtlderment.
Marie" he sid. Imply. Il don't
zee how I did 1t, really, don't-you
Just go ahead and say everything to
me that's in your mind and you1l feel
better. But. darling-I'll never do Il
again!"
And. all unknown to himself, tho
utterance Of this promise marked the
complete subjugation Of Burke. The