The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-05-15
THE WO MAN
OF IT
ey GRACE BURTON.

There are two periods in mans
life" says George Horace Lorrimer,
when he doesn't understand women.
One is before he is married and the
other after"
Dauncey Stanton had often smiled
over this saying, but the truth OF 1t
never really came home to him until
he met Ill fortune, and this was not
until he had been married nearly 20
years.
Then-it was the old story. The
duIlness Of approaching middle age,
the forbidden witchery of an uncon-
ventional charmer, increased desire to
be rich, since now he would spend Ike
water, speculation, disaster. All his
world was swept away in a moment.
He would have shot himself but for
the innate manliness that forbade any.
thing like running away from trouble,
especially trouble of his own causing.
He sat himself down In his lonely, de-
serted ONCE to ponder what should be
done.
From Alice, his wife, he naturally
or SO OF the unconventional cbarmers
reign and sway. The prond, sad wozn-
IN who bore his name had uttered no
word Of reprcach or even knowledge
of his wrongdoing, but he had seen
and noted, even through the veil OF
his growing selfishness, the change
wrought by his cruel GOODNESS. OF
late their intercourse had not been
formal, indeed The other woman,
naturally, had small use for bin now
that his pockets were empty, He had
not really believed in her love, of
course, but the fact that she had gone
out of town without farewell, though
knowing his distress and financial dan
ger, yet gave him bitter pang.
He opened his watch and looked at
the two pictures fastened, respective
~, in the back and front of the case.
The portrait of Alice had been taken
on their wedding tour and had looked,
with grave sweetness, out at him ever
since. The other portrait, gay, in
souciant, smiling, the unconventional
charmer had given him a year ago.
After a moment or two he clicked the
back portrait out Of sight and sat gaz-
ing, with shamed mournfulness. at
that of Alice. He was so engaged
when the door boy. who alone of all
the once large Office force remained
on duty, told him that a woman wait
ed outside.
SHOW her I'M" he commanded, his
heart softening at the thought that
perhaps the other woman had relent
ed, came to offer him sympathy and
aid. But it was Alice, paying her first
Office visit in years, who slipped
through the outer door.
"Dauncey!" she cried. weeping, and
put her arms about him on the in
slant. The man, after a brave effort
at self-control, wept also, wept out the
bitterness of desertion by all-save
one-who had once loved him. And
the woman hushed and soothed him as
she might have done a child.
The latent manliness that had held
back thoughts Of suicide swayed him
at last and he found himself telling
her many things about which he had
intended to keep silent, and the love
and tenderness with which she re-
ceived the lame, hating explanations
further shamed him. By and by, when
his trembling voice sank to silence,
she lifted his chin until the tired eyes
met her own.
"Dauncey, dear" she told him,
you've nearly broken my heart, but it
doesn't matter now that I've got you
were happy enough once as poor peo-
pie, and we can be so again, If need
be. But during the years of our pros
perity l saved quite little from the
money you pressed upon me, and
think that will give you start in a
new business. And il Motif you
can't make enough money to please
you alone, why! I'll go into business
with you, and together know it will
be all right"
She went home soon after to ar
range for the little trip away that was
to celebrate their reunion, to give him
new life and strength for the fresh,
victorious battle with fate and finance
opening out before him, and Stanton,
left alone, looked long at the sweet
face gazing out from the front of his
watch case
: Dear God!" he exclaimed. as he Ia
boriously pried out and destroyed its
unworthy neighbor, ito think that for
20 years I've lived with an angel and
never even dreamed it till now!"