The Lamar register., 1913-04-16
STORY OF MRS. JONES
BY JOSEPHINE BRANDON.


had to be sold-the last bit of stock
she possessed. 1t was lunch time; and
the Quietness of the narrow streets.
deserted save for belated passerby
or SO, proved conducive to introspec-
ton.
Her thoughts harked back to by
gone days; to the time when her re-
naming parent had died and left her,
with a few thousand dollars, in the
first bright glow of womanhood. Soon
after that she met Jones. Everybody
thought he was such nice young
man.
So, as his calls grew more and more
frequent, she came to rejoice in the
belief that the other girls were secret
ly envying her. He bought violets for
her and brought her candy; he was a
very nice young man indeed. There
were old maids in those days. and she
had the common fear and horror OF
being left single-stranded on the
shores of the ocean of matrimony
One evening he had TREMENDOUSLY asked
her to marry him; and she had as
TREMENDOUSLY answered him, yes.
But that was good many years
ago. Since then several little Joneses
had come into the world to laugh and
cry, and get married. They must be
clothed and fed: when old enough to &C
first bright glow of womanhood. Soon
to school they asked often for pocket
money. the girls especially. The little
boys saved theirs.
On ms king closer acquaintance
with Jones, she had discovered that
the position he held was rather more
respectable than renunerative. In
fact, she d dnt see how he could have
hoped to support wife and family or
his salary. lie must have been look
ing forward to an early promotion
or else he wasn't looking at all.
But with the help OF her little in
come they manag, to get along pref
ty well. at least until the panic of 93
Then many employees were turned out
of a job: and Jones was one of the
number. He comforted her with the
assurance that he had never been duly
appreciated. and 1t wouldn't be long
before his friend. Mr.. White. could get
him a position worth while.
Meantime they lived on her money
She shivered at recollection of the
checks she had written to be cashed
by him in the city. 1t was less pain
full to lend" that way; because he
was enabled to keep tacitly to himself
the money he needed for personal ex
penses.
Bit by bit had her small fortune
dwindled until these few bonds alone
remained. Opportunities for work had
arisen in plenty, but always to be
passed over as too Insignificant. The
places would lower his standing. he
said. hurt his chances for bigger
things. Next week or next month Mr.
Blank OF Mr.. Ray had as good as
promised to procure him this or that
fine position. And the loan. you know.
might 20 through. Then he would pay
her back all he had borrowed" and
they'd be on Easy street for the rest
of their lives He then had limited at
an automobile; for he fully expected
to get several thousand q year.
But since time Jew by and these ex-
pectations were left behind unfulflled
it appeared that he set greater store
by himself than did others. She
thought of how he would look when
she returned home. There he'd be
sitting, with the eternal paper in his
hand, smoking one cigar after another
II only he would learn to like a pipe
Soon after she came In he'd begin to
berate the government for Its being
possible that such q state Of affairs
can exist. when"
She was tired Of his faulty. These
bonds were the last she had. When
the money for them was gone. what
should she do? Go to the poorhouse?
He wouldn't let her work as long as
she stayed with him. because she was
his wife; and yet he didn't do anything
himself She would leave him. Then
she thought of the children-after all.
they belonged to him. too. But. pshaw!
He seemed to regard them as a mat
ter of course, not as a charge Ghost.
ages of fortune" flashed through her
mind.
Was 1t for this she had promised to
love, honor and obey" him? How alb
surd those words sounded in such a
connection! Was she to love a man
she rather despised; to honor one
whom she could not admire; to obey
her husband when she did not love
hint She had been forced by society