El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-29

L wife's mother. He found her a
| quiet, self-effacing. subdued little
woman, who seldom opposed her wish
| es or ideas to those of her masterfuI
! sOninlaw. Only once did their wills
! clash. and that was when, one evening
! several months before the Fletcher
baby was born. Mrs. Danforth suggest
! ed with much embarrassment and suf-
| fering modesty that 1T might be well
if just now Mary need not do any more
heavy work. Perhaps she said, still
more diffidentIy, for the next two
months Mrs. Dennis from the village
! could come here for three days a week
! instead of two"
The master of the house turned on
| her abruptly See here. Mrs. D. he
| declared. Mamie and arerunning this
| JOINT II she had married a rich man,
/ or II she had money of her own she
l might hire extra help every time she
7 feels bit under the weather. But she
dldn marry money, and she's not got
a cent of her own, so she needn't put
on any airs I've told her to engage a
woman to nurse her when she's sick.
And that's all L can afford to do
At this Juncture Mary entered and
Mrs Danforth hurried away to her
own room, but not before her daugh-
ter had caught glimpse Of her agi-
tated face.
What's the matter with mother.
BertE' she asked anxiously, as the door
closed behind the widow. What has
she Deen talking to you abOut?'
ON. Just about having some one look
aIter you when you're laid up. that's
all She might know I would think of
that for myself" he added
The wife looked panied "I am sor-
~" she said regretfully, that mother
mas lnterfered with your plans, Bert I
could have told her that you had al
ready suggested my getting a nurse.
Tgr ink inc r,Fr ~
good registry for one"
"A reg1stry?' queried her husband,
puzzled, What kind of a registry2''
"A nurses registry" replied his wife
-Ihere are many such places in New
York from which one can engage a
trained nurse. I doubt if the local doc
tor here has trained nurses at his beck
Her husband looked at her in IN
1elgned amazement. then spoke
For heavens sake. Mamie. what ara
you've married a Carnegie or Rookie
teller that you plan to have a trained
nurse at Is PERI A trained nurse in
deed! bet something pretty that your
own mother never had such a luxury
and expense when you were born"
But faltered the wife. It thought
you said I was to engage a nurse"
SO did And if I told you to hire
a house, you'd you sign a lease for a
Fifth avenue palace? See here, girl,
your ideas are too big for my purse,
and the sooner you change them the
better. Of course you'll get some one
to take care of you Ask DR.. Davis
here in Middlebrook If he knows Of a
decent woman who can look after you
ana your baby until you're up and
about again. If he don't know of such
a person out here. I'll ask ma to look
one up in town"
Mary had already proved the futility
OF argument with her husband, yet now
she made one more effort to convince
him that she had right on her side.
Bert, she said quietly, do not
be angry with me. please, but let US
talk this matter over calmly. In the
long run, a trained nurse is cheaper
than IS the Old-fashiOned unframed at
tendant, for she gives her patient intel )
ngent care, so that the recovery is
not tedious Don't you think that. per
hapS. a real nurse for two weeks would 1
De, IN the end more economical than
does not know her business thorough !
She looked at Fletcher frankly, re- |
solved to be patient and reasonable.
You don't know what you're talk !
Ing abOutr' he returned. ANY one
would think to hear you argue that you |
mad lots OF money Of your own No, I /
don't agree with you at all in this mat
ter What was good enough for my |
mother, is good enough for my wife.
So don't want to hear any more about /
It If your mother wants professional |
nurses to wait upon you, let her pay
for them-that's an"
He got up and began walking about !
the room, his hands in his pockets /
Pretty soon he began to whistle. and !
mary knew that for the time his dis
agreeable mood had passed. He had I
carried his point and could afford to /
be cheerful She did not lift her eyes |
up at the beginning of her talk. and !
presently he spoke in a conciliatory j
tone.
See here. my girl he said. you |
ind Of L.
you stop that sewing and go to bed2 !
/ dom want you to wear yourself out /
AND don't you bother about talking to 1
the doctor about the nurse. I'll see him /
about that. and if he don't know of a |
reliable person. I'll get ma to engage |
for you woman she knows
Thank you" said his wife. But stfH /
she did not look up.
The man stirred uneasi1y. why /
DON'T you go to bed?" he urged Evil !
IDENTIFY her silence made him more IN /
comfortable than her speech.
I can't go just YETI she demurred, |
must see to the furnace. and I sup
pose there is not enough water in the |
tank to last until morning so I must /
pump for a little while"
She rOse' YEARLY laying aside her
sewing. To her surprise her husband /
stopped her as she started toward the 1
door.
You go to bed. Mamie he said. lay
ing his hand on her shoulder Shaking |
down the furnace and putting coal on |
II Ism I Work Tor YOU Just now; neither |
IS working that big pump good for you. !
I'll attend to both these matters myself |
tonight"
Thank you" she said again. She |
felt suddenly like crying, and her voice |
trembled She forced herself to raise /
her face to her husbands lips as he /
bent to kiss her, but she shuddered as |
the fumes of whisky assailed her nos |
trils. She had suspected when Bert |
had spoken so violently just now that |
he had been drinking in town that af-
ternoOn- Now. she knew it. and the |
knowledge made her soul sick within /
her.
ITO Be Continued)
IL F II