Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1914-09-18

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III IY IA THIS Is, mas SET me tnlnk-
uf ing of the reason that led to
W, ~ my second marriage. For
this is the anniversary of
iW u my first wedding day. 1t
INN seems strange that |
NNli should remember this,
and that there is nobody
60 whom can talk of the thoughts
that the date brings to me.
Ernest and / were absurdly happy,
orr friends said Maybe they we're
right, but did not see any absurdity
in our bliss. My husbands income
was comfortable one, but not large.
! suppose We could have saved money,
but we did not try to, and lived up
to every cent we had.
why should we bother?" Ernest
would ask merrily. I'm sure Of my
job. and it brings US in enough to give
us good time and to pay as we go.
Since we have each other, why not
make the most OF all the happiness
that comes to us7 When we begin to
grow old we can being to save"
Yes. it was a care-free, happy life.
had left college, expecting to sup
port myself and began by writing an
occasional story to earn little money.
was, In fact. poor girl when ! mar
ried. MY parents we're dead and an
aunt in the West had cared for and
educated me until she died, leaving me
with sufficient money to take me to
New York, where had few friends
and where determined to make my
living BY my pen. How easy 1t sounds,
and how easy thought 1t was before
I knew life!
But did not have to eafn the
precarious living then for, during the
first fortnight in New York, while
was still staying with the friends who
took me In until could look for q
suitable boarding place, met Ernest.
Ours was, / suppose, what people
call case OF love at first sight"
We had a short engagement, and had
the representations of our acquaint-
ances proved true. we would have re-
pented at leisure. But we never did.
For i've perfect years we were the
happiest couple in the world We had
a dainty little apartment and kept one
INNSOAANAt 2@AN AZ 61GAONJ ND ArA
friends who liked us; at home, we
had each other. Our honeymoon
lasted 1--WE times twelve months.
And then Ernest died It was all SO
sudden that felt as IL he had slipped
away Into the Great Unknown without
stopping to wave me a last good-by.
i suppose I was numbed and dazed, for
! did not cry out nor make moan.
remember wondering how Ernest
could do such a thing when he knew
that he was all had He might have
waited long enough, thought. to tell
me that he was going, and what was
to do without him. / almost enyied
him because he was spared the lone
illness to which he had left me.
Anyone who has been through d
crushing sorrow knows the misery of
the obsesaion Of petty thoughts. It is
as II ones true self we're made I'M
conscious by the blow. and only the
small. weak, and trivial side of ones
nature asserted itself.
The night before they buried Ernest
] was left alone with him-except for
the servant asleep In her room. MY
friends had been very kind and had
attended to everything for me. sup
pose they thought that It was all right
30 leave as calm woman as / seemed
alone on this last night have re-
membered that often since then when
have heard people declare that some
one in sorrow sis wonderfully quiet
and brave" How little they know!
But was glad my friends thought this
of me. After they had coaxed me to
go to bed, and all had gone away,
got up, put on slippers and wrapper,
and went into the little .parlor where
Ernest lay. AS gazed at him could
at first only remember how handsome
ne had looked on the last evening we
had spent alone together. He had
taken me out to dinner and | had
:hided him. laughingiy, for ordering SO
many good things, Gust for me-" He
nad insisted that when he dined with
the sweetest woman in the land" he
aiked her to eat the best things he
could afford. He had looked at me
as he said this, lifted his glass of
champagne to his lips, and drank
my health, the smile / loved to see
frightening his face and lighting his
eyes. Now, for an awful moment
looked down ON his closed
eyes. Then the truth came to me.
and felt that he was dead.
Nobody ever knew what that appre.
citation or realization meant to me.
The whole world changed while | was
alone in that little parlor, before |
crept back at daylight to my own
room. God was very far of and did
not seem to hear or care And Err
nest was dead.
BY friends helped me find a four.
room and bath apartment in an I'M
fashionable street. 1t was up four
flights Of stairs, as the higher one
went the cheaper 1t was. Only nat.
houses" were on that block, and the
street swarmed with ehildren-most
OF them the small sons and daughters
of the janitors, The courts were mar
row and l used to hear the neighbors
talking across the air shaft Some
times they daarreIed, and the sounds
of alteration dlsgusted me. 1t was
like another world from that to which
hae been accustomed Ny only life
in an apartment had been III that TO
which Ernest had taken me when we
were marrieda small apartment. to
10 sure but II a handsome house over
looking the river. Now / was a poor
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