El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-27
= One WOman's Story =
By virginia Terhune Van de Water
CHAPTER xviii

] autumn faded into winter, and the
- life in the Middlebrook cottage con-
! tinued on its somewhat monotOnous
I way Mary Fletcher knew few Of her
/ neighbors, for, although several Of the
J Villagers called to see her, she did not
I return their visits. She found them to
/ be kind, good natured people, but those
with whom she was brought into con-
/ tact had tastes and manners entirely
different from hers
1t was now that she appreciated for
I the first time that in marrying man
Z on 4 lower plane of education, breed
I ing and refinement from herself, she
was cutting herself off from the class
/ to which she belonged There were in
/ MiddlebrOOk fapilieS Of culture, but
none of these came to see her The
Z men of such families. meeting Bert
/ Fletcher on the train, found him coarse
| and common and took It for granted
/ that his wife was like him, therefore
never suggested that their wives and
daughters should call on her and her
mother. The people Of whom Bert
I Fletcher would have made friends con-
/ sidered his wife stiff and naughty.
I Mary went. out little. for her household
duties kept her at home much of the
time and she did not like to leave her
mother alone Moreover, she, herself.
was not well and shrank from making
/ new acquaintance
So one day was much like another to
the young wife Each morning she
7 prepared her husbands early breakfast,
then cooked her mothers breakfast,
taking her own morning repast after
Bert had started for his train He was
a heavy sleeper. and awakening him at
o'clock on a winters morning was not
an easy task He usually lay abed ~
late that he had time to gulp down only
a hasty breakfast before leaving the
house Under these conditions the wife
could not eat with him, and he did not
suggest that she do so, but seemed very
willing to have her wait upon him.
( bringing him his cereal, eggs. breac
and coffee he ready them
When the furnace fire was started at
( the beginning of the cold weather, Bert
had attended to 1t morning and night
soon, however, he detailed the morning
shaking down of the furnace to his
wife, and, as she did not demur, he got
into the habit of letting her perform
this work Several times lately he had
come home at night with his breath
smelling Of liquor, and on these Occas-
ions Mary had advised him timidly to
go to bed early" and she had banked
Cne fires for the night and, when neo
eSsary, pumped the water into the tank
for use in the kitchen and bath room.
In the hours between her husbands
leaving and returning home, Mary
tOiled. not only because in a country
house there IS much actual toll to be
performed. but to keep herself from
thinking. Sometimes Bert remained in
town all night and she was conscious
or sense OF relief when he did this.
even while she was afraid to wonder
what he was doing and if his breath
never cared for liquor in any form and
she had the horror of drunkenness felt
by women who have known only tenn
perate men. It seemed to her as if a
dark shadow were creeping steaIthiIv
into her life, but she feared to face it
There were days when Bert would
appear as his good natured. clear head
ed self. and then his wife tried TO love
him She made herself consider his
good traits and to talk of them to her
mother When her mOtherinlaw came
= ri eT 70 Ia
played her part so well that the preju-
diced matron remarked to Bert that
perhaps, after all, he had picked a bet
ter wife" than she had at first feared
But she amt very strong. Bert" she
warned him. IF YOU don't want
sickly woman on your hands, make her
take care of herself
Herbert Fletcher laughed conforta-
bly, oh, don't you bother about her.
ma he said She never COMPLAINS
and she would if she was sick Be
sides. she don't work near as hard as
she did before married her. Then she
was IN Parsons all day and doing
housework at home morning and night
as we'll"
Only once did Mary venture to speak
to her husband of the efar that
gnawed at her heart It was the day
after New Years. Mrs Fletcher. senior,
returned TO town on January first, de-
clarinS she had stood the lonesome
ness or the country" as long as she
could. Bert had escorted her back to
~hCN VI ~ S~dLluS Ills intention OF
staying in town that night. Mary took
1t for granted that he would dine with
his mother, but when, the next day
Sunday-he came out on the morning
train, she saw by his heavy eyes that
he had been up late the night before,
and noted that there were still the
fumes of stale tobacco on his breath.
She said nothing about the matter
however, until. the noon meal dis
patched, he threw himself on the parlor
sofa to read the Sunday papers. Then
he held out his hand to her.
''Sit down here by me, why don't YOU.
Mamie? Perhaps the smell of my pipe
makes you sick, does it2' he asked.
Solicitude for her welfare was not
frequent with him these days and his
kindly INQUIRY touched the unhappy
woman She came to him swiftly, and.
drawing chair up TO the edge Of the
SOFA, spoke eagerly, yet embarrassedly.
touching his huge hand lightly with
trembling fingers
Bert" she began gently 81 don't |
mind the smell of tobacco. But lately
| have been wOrried-Bert-worr !
dear-because your breath smells often /
Of whisky, and I have been afraid"
Her husband threw back his head /
with bOisterOus laugh Little gooser' /
he exclaimed Have you let a silly /
thing like that worry yOu2 Look here, !
Mamie, do take a glass of liquor with /
2 friend sometimes, but it don't hurt 4
me I've been doing it for years and I 1
don't propose to stop it now. seer
His wife did not answer, and he /
went on:
You don't know life and you don't /
know men. If you did you would IN /
derStand that business demands that I :
treat a chap now and then, and drink /
with him, too. If I would not seem like
a cheap skate And child" becoming
serious as he saw her anxious face |
I never take drop too much. so don't \
let's talk about the matter again I'm
free, white and a good ways past 21
and 1 don't need management, even BY
you Moreover setting his square Jaw
stubbOrnly, 4 don't mean to stand il
from any woman Don't forget that
won't be bOssedI"
There was no danger Of her forget
ting that 1act, the wife unused bitterly.
(To be cOntinuedO