Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1914-07-17
AT THE OLD TAVERN
Rich Married Woman Visits
Country Home and Finds
Former Lover Dead.
BY BlYMER CHAPMAN. q

WOlldh NLS "oiius hhu -
deed she looked it. The wife Of the
wealthiest man In the city, who eager
ly gratified her every whim; beautiful,
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 purpose she de-
sired-what more could any woman
want?
And yet Margaret Manson sat in
her blue and gold boudoir with leaden
mering sunlight and shivered as might
a prisoner in a dungeon who saw the
golden CLEANS of the sun outside, but
knew 1t never could be hers.
II was one OF her blue days-that is
about all there was about it-and yet
she had had so 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 It worth while?"
In vain did she shrug her patrician
shoulders and reply: "Of course it is
nh y.,h nlun nnnlI \ haun
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 things-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 a mighty star
whose name was ideality and over
which towering so 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 so much more splendid than
all the rest that they all looked cheap
beside II. And then-but why pursue
Yain regrets and drag back the skele-
tons OF the past.
Anyway the mind of madame was
thoroughly upon the country-the old
Genesee valley this afternoon and II
seemed to her that II she could not
get a whiff of the sweet, fresh air she
must stife.
OF sudden she arose with deter.
mination and rang for her maid.
Pack one trunk with the simplest
things. ! am going away for few
days. There will be no society, no oc.
casion for any clothes excepting the
most simple-do you understand"
Felice understood-that was why
Felice had lasted 80 long in madame's S
service.
In the meantime Mrs. Manson had
descended to the apartments OF her
liege lord.
IF you have no objections. SIR" she
said, Il think will run down to the
old place for a day or SOL am hun
CRY for a whff Of the old Genesee air.
why. sure" he replied. heartily
turning from his market reports "a
devour his handsome wife with his
syes. Awful sorry can't go along
but that p. c. T. & L. d. deal is com
ing on in the next few days and
daren't take my eye OF the gun. Take
the maid with you?"
mo" she replied. decisively. 81
want to go alone"
"All right" he replied. indulgently
Then puckering his brows: "wherC
you goin'? You know the old place
is-who the thunder owns the old
place. anyway-nobody know"
Il do not intend TO stop at the ole
place" she said. calmly. Il just wan
% go down and see II all again-ant
smell II. | shall stop at the tavern"
lie received this with peal o.
laughter. "oh. get away" he snort
ed between his laughs. Not that OLE
unpainted barn in the town. Why
woman alive. you are not thinking o
going there alone?'
Exactly" she replied. There 4
10 danger nor any disgrace possibl,
lB Il is most respectable place. Tn,
only thing that could possibly happer
to me would be n little discomfort
and that can't hurt me much In fey
days"
"Oh well. rs you please" he replied
turning back 10 his market reports
Then as she swept from the room h
looked up and sighed a puzzled cor
u a sigh.
And she might go TO New York an
stop at the Waldorf and zee the oper
just as well. The women cer,alnl
do beat all time"
Hence II was that Margaret Manso
found herself on the platform OF IN
little red.palnted station. a day late
and negotiating with old Blll slmpso
10 take her TO the tavern. Alread
had she got the fragrance OF the cou
TRY I'm her nostrils and she prolonge
the happy operation ms long as DO
sible because Bin was one OF her ca
lest recollections and she remembers