Pocahontas star herald., 1914-08-14

4
some simple hack astronomical writ.
ing TO do which will bring In Ave
or six dollars a week and enable me
TO give all my time"
He ended suddenly. for Lefty was
crying as though her heart would
break. And George was upon his
knees beside her. trying To comfort
her.
Lefty | am a brute" he said.
Il didn't mean that, dear No. It was
as much with the thought OF your fu-
ture as Of my own. love you. Lefty.
Stay with me and try TO bear with
me and l viii do the work In my spare
/ time"
Lefty grew eomforted at last. but
after that there was a subtle differ.
enee In their relationship, The fact
was that Lefty was becoming seri-
ously alarmed for her husbands san
ity. She had no conception Of tho
magnitude Of his WORK. She thought
he had created a monster which was
10 destroy both himself and her.
About a month after this occurrence
i her uncle spoke TO her again
Lefty" he said. 1T has come to
this can't stand those figures any
longer. Why. he Oils a whole waste
basket full every day, and what is
on the paper he uses-my paper? Just
figures. rows and rows OF them7 It's
driving me out Of my mind Now II
comes TO this: either he gives up
finding planets or he gives NJ selling
dry goods. Which is IL to be-"
Lefty went home crushed. The blow
was about 10 fall at last And there
was a more urgent reason than ever
now why George should be in posi-
tion 10 take care OF her and keep up
the home. She had not told him yet;
she meant Il to be a surprise for him.
But he seemed TO care for nothing but
his astronomy.
III / had not spent three years on
this perhaps | might give II up he
had said.
She watched him that night, filling
sheet after sheet Of paper with his I'm
tricate calculations. How she hated
those iguresl There were rows and
rows OF them. They meant nothing
to her. She often wondered whether
they meant anything to George, OF
whether this was not some mania
born OF diseased mind.
He threw away dozens Of sheets
daily. and he had at least four thou
sand stacked up in his desk and tied
together with string.
When at last he had gone 10 bed
she oropt 20 his desk and took them
apart and looked at them. There
they were. Just sheets Of common
writing paper. with those dreadful fig'
ures on them. Suppose she threw one
OF them away-would George ever
find out? Anybody could write down
figures!
II had come 70 the issue now the
astronomy against their future. She
carried the bundle over TO the Crate
She hesitated one moment; the next
she had thrust Il deep down beneath
the Goals. The fire licked II up
greedily.
She did not sleep that night. The
next day was Sunday but che knew
that her husband would begin those
eternal computations as soon as
breakfast was done.
She watched him narrowly. He
seemed so happy and contented that
morning. And when the meal was
done he took her in his arms and
kissed her.
Lefty" he said. Il have a great
secret for you Listen, dear! can
finish those calculations in three
months more. have got so near the
discovery now that ] can AFFORD to
ignore certain mathematical posslbili-
ties which thought would have TO be
worked out. Lefty! Why do you
look at me SO Strangely"
81 threw your papers into the grate
last night she answered stonily.
He stared at her speechlessly. Let
tyi" he cried. You are joking!"
Then he read the look on her face
and sank back in his chair like a man
stunned He hid his face in his hands
and his shoulders shook convulsively.
Lefty, you have ruined our lives" !"
he muttered "A little longer and
what triumph would have been oursi
And now
Lefty flung herself down at his
feet.
George! Listen! have some
thing to tell youl" she said. And
she told him. But even the joy OF
that could not console him
Uncle Tom said that II was either
your work or HIS" Lefty pleaded.
"Oh, George ! thought your brain was
giving way. didn't believe that the
discovery really amounted TO any
thing George! For the sake OF the
future, won't you forget your hobby
and try to make uncle satisfied with
your"
His hands fell to his sides. He un-
derstood now that Lefty would never
have understood. She was the home
keeper and his task was TO make the
| bouna-tka nrfmitiva task of man over