Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-09-17
The Governors
I = dv A Noveliza zion of
Lazy Alice Bradley's Play
BY GERTRUDE STEVENSON
Illustrations from Photographs Of the Stage Production

BY GERTRUDE STEVENSON

suits Of trifes. II took the merest |
incident to crystallixe SHADES thought |
into action. Mary had picked up 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 and 9 tender smile Of pride
and delight illuminated her features,
In turning the pages she had sud-
denly discovered a picture of her hus-
band, under which she read q simple
but significant line:
Daniel s. Slads, Possible Cover
nor"
"Oh. DAN" she cried. happily. Isn't
this fine picture of you. ! could
almost imagine 1t was going to speak
to me-"
Then she paused a little wistfuliy
and doubtfully before she asked:
But do you really want to be gov
ernor?"
want DSJ
+ Slade caught his breath an 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-poiitical
power! Want to he--whsn years be.
fore he had turned hfs eyes on the
governors chair and had been bat
ting grimly. silently, PERSISTENT
toward that end ever since! Want to
be-when 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 irreyocably 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. y
I Mary went on, all unconscious Of the
struggle going on just q few feet away
from her-the struggle between the
heart of q man that calls out to the
companion of his youth, the sharer oil
his joys and struggles and the brain
OF a man that demands the glory a
power and the fulfilment Of ambition
But, Dan," questioned Mary'i
gentle little voice, who's The Cover
nor's Lady,"
His wife, Of course" snapped slade
What does II say about your"
He reached over and took the papel
from her hands, leaned forward ca
gerry toward the light and frownes
as he read:
Should Daniel 8. Slade, the Ell
miner, ex-town marshal, ex-shertff, ex
United States marshal, ex-land boone
and muitimillionaire, arrive. IL will b.
interesting to see the governors lad.
busting the gubernatorid chair-prot
ably the only occupation congenial +
this kind-hearted and plain Iittl
woman"
busting the gubernatoriai chair,
Slade repeated mockingly. cue TO th
| quick by this public allusicn to hi
wife plainness and lack of socis
> graces.
: That simple little phrase, stingin
} as 1t was brief, was rs a match fam
to dry timber. Ii was all that wa
: necessary to bring the hot rage suri
? | ing through him to the boiling p0in
, The sweetness OF the little woman
> expression, the tenderness of her eye
a whenever they rested upon him. th
y plaintive softness OF her voice meal
D nothing to him then. Through angr
|. | eyes he saw only the lack OF smar
,. ness In her somber brown dress. onl
;. the note of absurdity she struck ami
|. the exquisite surroundings of Ii
4 room he had furnished for her. n
q thought OF nothing but the sorry spe
tacle she would make at brilliaI
= dinner or smart function where bea
n tiful women In fashionable chiffon
O chatted freely and easily OF men an
h things in the progress of the natio
. This Is some OF Wesley Merritt
= tin-horn footing writing" growls
II Slade. "D---n his dirty work."
A AS her husband muttered TO hir
a self, Mary had calmly resumed b,
"a endless mending of socks, long yea
~ OF thrift and saving making 1t impo
n sfhle for her TO throw away even
a well-worn pair In spite OF the ia
n. that the need for repairing had lol
sr since passed.
"a slade found himself looking at u
Nj little woman who had been his wi
.r for twenty years, through lean yea
m and hard years, as faithful and r
al tent then as later. when success flr
began to come his way. very much
M he might have scrutinized an emit
n. stranger. For moment the TRACE
ID OF their present state caught at I
he soul, and he felt the infinite path
CIR of the womans predicament. A soft
m note came into his voice an he ask
'a- slowly: r.. ..... Il.
SAY, haven't you got any cloth
m Mary7 Haven't you any OF the thin
a. other women wear at night--silk
ha lace or ruties or-uhatevar th
nd are7r
ed yes, i've got EN-" Mary repii'
W.. fnaifesently, but It's too cold
re-. wear sem. and those silk stockir
s~ ,,., ,cfs rna IN buy--Y can't we