The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-12-19


main just as she had been twenty
years ago, hopelessly behind the
times?
And If she wouldn't advance-why
should he consent to be held back by
her? If she wouldn't go on with him
he would leave her behind. The
thought and the resultant decision
had their birth suddenly but positively
IN the mans mind. He would make
one more argument, one last appeal.
II Mary wouldn't meet him half way.
Mary could stay behind with her ever.
lasting darning and her eternal knit
ting. She could wash and cook and
stew and sew, If she liked. but she
couldn't do 1t in his mansion.
But Daniel Slade was no more un-
comfortable at having her there than
Mary Slade was at being obliged to
live in this great. elegant house, with
its crowds Of servants and its routine.
absolutely foreign and well-nigh hate
full to her. She knew she didn't fit
into her surroundings. She realized
her own inharmony. Her attempts to
look natural and feel comfortable
were pathetic. She felt lost without
the task of overseeing the Mondays
washing. She was heart-broken be-
cause she couldn't personally superin-
tend the making Of Dams coffee. Her
life was incomplete because a hired
cook made the bread that was served
on the table and because Dan never
seemed to miss the evenly brown
loaves that had been her especial
pride in the old days.
Mary Slade was as commonplace as
a cup Of boiled tea. She was a plain,
ordinary, everyday woman, who loved
a simple. unpretent1ous life, with the
neighbors dropping in for q word or
two. exchanging recipes for muflns
and debating the proper way to sea-
son q stew.
There was neither charm nor COM
fort for her in the vista of rooms open
ing out from the spacious library. The
brocaded chairs were straight and
didn't rock. They were high-posted
and stilted compared to her own low
seated little rocker in the cottage.
When she sat back in them. stif1y
and awkwardly, her feet didn't even
reach the floor, but dangled restlessly
above the priceless rug that was one
Of her husbands newest purchases.
All big crises in life are the re-
suits Of trif1es. 1t took the merest
incident to crystalline SHADES thought
into action. Mary had picked up
portion Of the paper after it had
dropped from her husbands hands,
She started to read the printed page
with all the serious importance of
little child trying to do something
very big and grown-up.
Suddenly her eyes lighted with
pleasure and a tender smile OF pride
and delight Illuminated her features
In turning the pages she had sud-
denly discovered picture of her hus-
band. under which she read a simple
but significant line:
Daniel s. Slade, q Possible Cover
nor"
"Oh, Dan." she cried, happily. isn't
this a fine picture of you. l could
almost imagine 1t 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 be-"
Slade caught his breath as he 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 goal-political
power! Want to be-when years be-
fore he had turned his eyes on the
governors chair and had been bat
ting grimly, silently. persistently
toward that end ever since! Want to
that was his one ambition,
the one thing he had yet to achieve!
He sighed YEARLY to himself That
Mary could ask that question was the
best proof Of how irrevocably 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.
TITS nice story about yer. Dan."
Mary went on. all unconscious of the |
struggle going on Just a few feet away |
from her-the struggle between the |
heart OF a man that calls out to the |
of his youth, the sharer of |
his joys and struggles and the brain |
Of a man that demands the glory Of |
power and the fulflment of ambition. |
But, Dan," questioned Mary's |
gentle little voice, who's The Cover
nor's Lady?"
His wife, Of course" snapped Slade.