The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-09-04
BROKEN TO HARNESS
Ry ELIZABETH SHEAR.

Burke got married.
1t must have been absentminded.
ness or sheer mental alteration, for
If Burke had stopped to think he
would have realized that he of all
men was cut out for bachelor. He
had been a bachelor for over forty
years and the habit was ingrained in
him. When you have had nobody to
consider all your life but yourself it
strikes you as an imposition and a
| hardship to have another human be-
ing thrust upon you, especially if the
human being in question has appeal
| ing eyes and coaXing ways and gen.
eral effect of decentralization upon you.
Burke was much In love, but the
! joys of this state were counterbal-
anced by the annoyance of being
dragged out Of accustomed ways. The
two months wedding trip was sue
cession of tears and forgivings, be-
cause Burke was constantly forget
ting that he had bride and the bride
naturally objected to that. Burke
often pondered on the inscrutable
ways of women, who, it seemed, al
ways wanted to be in the center Of
| the limelight
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 a sufficient
explanation.
Yet in spite Of this dim comprehen-
sion Burke was far from being COM
pletely broken to harness. That was
why the first day the Burkles got back
from their trip Burke accepted JOY
Dusty the invitation Of the bunch" as
represented by Jones and Larkins.
The two fell upon him at luncheon
time, 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 sight of
the boys and so he pronounced the
idea bully. That afternoon he was
extremely busy, and it was after six
o'clock when he closed his roll top
desk.
"Gee!' murmured Burke, as he
hastily smoothed his hair and other
wise made an Office toilet, 1T certain
ly will seem good to see the old crowd
again and taste one of Franconi's din
ners!"
In a pleasant dream Burke locked
his Office and departed without not
ing the telephone staring him in the
face or recalling his brand new fiat
and his bride waiting with brand
new dinner for his homecoming. That
dinner had cost her world of pains.
Franconfs dinner was very good
one. Then the crowd proposed the
theater and after that somebody pro-
posed supper and there were stories
to be told and cigars to be smoked,
and when Jones said as he had always
said before on these occasions: 'It's
late, Burkle-you'd better stop at my
diggings just around the corner In
stead of going out to your station
Burke, being sleepy, assented. Yes,
he stopped at Jones "diggings."
In the morning when he wakened
the sun was high and with a glance
at the clock Burke bounded up and
into his clothes. He recalled an i'm
portant appointment at the Office for
nine o'clock, and he made rush to
get there on time.
Now. when Burke is engrossed in
business he gives remarkably good
imitation of 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
entered his Office and after staring at
him suspciously demanded his name
Burke was not agitated. He told
them absentmindedly that his name
was Burke and continued hboring
with his papers.
One Of the square toed men tapped
him on the shoulder. Maybe you're
Burke" said the square toed man,
but you've got to prove 1t. Burkle's
got a wife back home In Mysteries
with two doctors and trained nurse
working over her. because she says
her husband is murdered and thrown
into the Lakeland you see you are
not in 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 a new expression on his face, the
chief ingredient of which was still
bewilderment
Marie" he said, Imply. Il don't
see how I did 1t, really, l don't-you
Just 60 ahead and say everything to
me that's in your mind and you'll feel
better. But, darling-1'I never do it
again." ~.
And all unknown to himself. the