The Harrison times., 1914-06-13
At THE OLD TAVERN
Rich Married Woman Visits
Country Home and Finds
Former Lover Dead.
BY BLYMER CHAPMAN.

possessed of faultless taste and the
means to minister unto It; courted,
admired, acknowledged the social
leader; with every avenue Of pleasure,
travel, dress, society, philanthropy
everything open before the magic
touch of Manson's millions and Man.
son more than willing to use the magic
Of his millions for any pu. pose she de-
sired-what more could any woman
want?
And yet Margaret Manson sat In
her blue and gold boudoir with leaden
heart and looked out into the SHIN
mering sunlight and shivered as might
prisoner in a dungeon who saw the
golden CLEANS Of the sun outside, but
knew It never could be hers,
It was one Of her blue days-that Is
about all there was about it-and yet
she had had 50 many blue days of late
that the sunlight did not appeal to her
as It used to In the old days, The
worst of It was that the luxurious sur
roundings had begun to pail upon her
and she had fallen into a dreadful
habit Of late Of asking herself con
tinually; "Was II worth whie?"
In vain did she shrug her patrician
shoulders and reply: "Of course 1t Is
worth while; what else could ! have
done% Ever and again came back
the question; Was 1t worth while|
This afternoon there was upon her
the smell OF the new mown hay and
the smell Of the new milk In the
clean little dairy and the smell OF the
grass and all the growing thngs-aye,
and the smell Of the barnyard and all
the living things therein, including
Jake, the hired man. And these smells
and the visions they inspired carried
her back to the old place out In the
Genesee valley and to all the happy
days Of her youth when she trailed
ever in the wake OF u mighty star
whose name was" ideality and over
which towering go far into the heavens
as almost to be lost sight Of, rose her
castles in the air,
All, finally these castles had been
reduced to one-but that one castle
had been 80 much more splendid than
all the rest that they all looked cheap
beside II. And then-but why pursue
vain regrets and drag back the skele'
tons Of the past,
Anyway the mind OF madame was
thoroughly upon the country-tho old
Genesee valley this afternoon and It
seemed to her that II she could not
get Whit Of the sweet, fresh air she
must stino,
OF sudden she arose with deter
mInation and rang for her maid,
"pack one trunk with the simplest
things am going away for Il few
days, There will be no society, no oc.
casIon for any clothes excepting the
most sImple-do you understand"
FeIce understood-that was why
FelIee had lasted 80 long in madames
service,
In lhe meantime Mrs Manson had
descended to the apartments Of her
llege lord
III you have no objections, sir" she
said 81 think | viii run down to the
old place for u day or so am hun
cry for Whit Of the old Genesee Olr,'
"Why, sure" no replied heartily
turning from his market reports to
levour his handsome wife with his
eyes, awful sorry ! can't 30 along
but that r. G, 7, a l., u, deal 10 com
Ing Of IN the next few days and !
iarent take my eye Off the gun Take
The maid with your"
mo" she replied, doeislyely, -
want to 80 alone"
"All right" he replied, indugently
Then puokerlng his browsi "Where
YOU goIn'2 You know the old place
Is-who the thunder owns tho old
place, anyway nobody | know"
II do not intend TO stop at tho old
place." she said calmly "l just want
to 90 down and see Il all again=ahd
smell It. | shall stop at the tavern"
llo received this with peal Of
laughter. "oh, get away" he snort
cd between his laughs, mot that old
unpOnted barn In tho town, Why
woman alive, you are not thinking Of
tong there alone7"
Exactly" she replied, "Tbere II
no danger nor any disgrace possible
a8 II In most respectable place, Tho
only thing that could possibly happen
to me would be a little discomfort
and that can't hurt me much In few
days"
"Oh, woll, ae you please" ho replied
turning back 70 his market rcpora
Then Oa she swept from the room ht
looked up Nnd sighed puzzled eor
5f a sigh
"And she might 20 TO New York ant
stop NJ the Waldorf and sec The opert
Just m we'll, Tho women oorlnml,
do beat ull time"
Hence II was that Margaret Manaaf
found herself on the platform Of The
little redBaihted station day latei
and negotiating with old Bill Simpson
to take her to the tavern Alread,
"a .t. ...t IA. F....,.... al a.. .......