Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-09-17

suits OF trifies. IL took the merest
incident to crystalline SHADES thought
into action. Mary had picked MP a
portion OF the paper after il had
dropped from her husbands hands
She started to read the printed page
with all the serious Importance OF a
little child trying to do something
very big and grown.up.
Suddenly her eyes lighted with
pleasure ard q tender smile OF pride
and delight illuminated her features,
In turning the pages she had sud.
denly discovered picture OF her has-
band, under which she read simple
but significant line:
Daniel S. Slade, q Possible Cover.
nor"
"oh, DAN" she cried. happily. isn't
this a fine picture of you. I could
almost imagine it was going to speak
to me-"
Then she paused a little wistfully
and doubtfully before she asked:
But do you really want to be gov.
ernor?"
Want to bef" III ~
y Slade caught his breath as hs re-
peated her question.
Want to be--when every aim and
ambition the last few years had been
made in the one direction. toward
the one longed.for goai--politicaI
power! Want to he--when years be.
fore he had turned hts eyes ON the
governors chair and had been bat
Ting grimly. silently, PERSISTENT
toward that end ever sinceI Want to
be--when that was his one ambition,
the one thing he had yet 70 achieved
He sighed YEARLY to himself. That
Mary could ask that question was the
best proof of how irrevoeahly they
had drifted apart Living in the same
house with him, eating at the same
table, day after day at his side, the
little woman knew no more OF his
real self or his ambitions than the
merest stranger
Its q nice story about yer, Dan, "
Mary went on, al unconscious OF the
struggle going on just few feet away
from her--the struggle between the
heart OF man that calls out to the
companion of his youth. the sharer OF
his joys and struggles and the brain
OF man that demands the glory of
power and the fuIfilment OF ambition.
But. DAM" questioned Mary's
gentle little voice, who's The Cover,
nor's Lady?"
His wife, OF course" snapped Shade.
What does Il say about your"
He reached over and took the paper
from her hands, leaned forward ca.
gerry toward the light and frowned
as he read:
should Daniel 8. Slade, the ex
miner, ex-town marshal, ex-sheriff, ex.
United States marshal, ex-land boomer
and multimilliona.re, arrive. Ii will be
interesting to see the governors lady
busting the gubernatorial chair---prcb
ably the only occupation congeniai to
this kfnd-hearted and plain little
woman"
busting the gubernatorial chair.
Slade repeated mockingly, cut to the
quick by this public allusion to his
wife's plainness and lack Of social
graces.
That simple little phrase, stingiHs
as 1t was brief, was az match fame
to dry timber. II was all that was
necessary to bring the hot rage surg
ing through him to the boiling point
The sweetness of the little woman's
expression. the tenderness Of her eyes
whenever they rested upon him, the
plaintive softness of her voice meant
nothing to him then. Through angry
eyes he saw only the lack OF smart
ness In her somber brown dress, only
the note of absurdity she struck amid
the exquisite surroundings OF the
room he had furnished for her. He
thought of nothing but the sorry spec
tacle she would make at a briliian,
dinner or smart function where beau
tiful women in fashionable chiffons
! chatted freely and easily OF men and
| things In the progress Of the nation
! This Is some OF Wesley Merritt's
| tin-horn footing writing" growled
| Slade. Dbl his dirty work."
AS her husband muttered to him
self. Mary had calmly resumed he,
! endless mending Of socks. long years
of thrift and saving making it irnpos
sibls for her to throw away even q
weilworn pair in spite of the fact
that the need for repairing had Ions
j, since passed.
Slade found himself looking at the
| little woman who had been his wife
| for twenty years, through lean years
and hard years, as faithful and pa
tient then as iatsr, when success firs,
began to come his way. very much az
he might have scrutinized an entirs
| stranger. For moment the tragedy
Of their present state caught at his
| soul. and he felt the infinite pathos
| Of the womanis predicament. A softer
note came into his voice as he asked
slowly:
SAY, haven't you got any clothes
afaTyf Haven't you any Of the things
| other women wear ut night--siJk OF
lace or rufies or--vhateyar theJ
/ areT.
| Eyes. i've got EN-" Mary replied
indInesentIy. "bns is too cold Il
wear 'en, and thoss silk stocking:
you told ne 10 buy--I can't wea'