The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-11-19
She Backed
Out
By EUNlCE BLAKE.

ham used a. call him the salt OF the
earth" There were no frills about
Abraham. Indeed, u would have been
impossible for him 10 pretend to be
anything but plain merchant whose
word was Ms good as his bond and
whose note had never been protested
Abraham was well enough born and
had been educated. His plainness con.
sisted In not putting on any airs and In
a sort Of stolidity that made him re.
spccted. II not admired. | was going
10 say not beloved, but there were per.
sons before whom this stolidity. this
matter-of-factness. had suddenly drop
ped like mask and revealed re-
markable tender heartedness.
When Abraham turned forty he had
become very well OF. aud II seemed to
him that he could afford to bring
wife into his house as well as into his
heart. and he looked for one. Forty
Is about the age when a man takes
leave OF his youth. but not willingly.
He Is not likely TO take a wife near
his own age. but must needs reach
down for some young thing with
whom he might have mated twenty
years before. He fixed his eyes on a
girl OF eighteen. Anne Hastings. who
was much In love with n young scape
grace who had Just returned FROM
the Spanish. American war. Hen Bon
bright was as dazzling In outward ap-
pearnnce as his name. with q rough
rider uniform and rough rider modesty.
So far as attrnctlveness TO young
girl II concerned. Abraham had no
more show with him than a private In
the rear rank would have had with
drum major
But Abraham knew nothing about
his rival. aud Anne's mother. who knew
q good deal about Ben. didn't propose
that Abraham should ever hear of him.
She knew that Abraham was q man
OF sterling worth aud would give her
daughter good home.
SO Anne was led like a lamb to the
slaughter. though In reality the man
she married was the one 10 be pitled.
for he was selling his love for a mess
Of pottage His heart was not yet old
enough 10 CONCEAL or young enough
not 90 make much of the fact that he
was cor supposed he was, beloved by q
girl OF eighteen
He had been married three years
when suddenly an old friend OF his
wife OF whom be had never heard
appeared. aud the two seemed TO DC
much Interested In each other This
old friend was none other than Ben
Bonbright. who had gone west the day
Anne was married and had stumbled
by sheer good luck into fat mine.
which enabled him TO return rich.
One day when Anne was hystericai
through some temporary ailing and
consequently had got out Of patience
with her husband she out with the
whole story about how she had loved
Bonbright and had married Abraham
instead because her mother wished her
TO do SO She had no sooner spoken
the words than she regretted than. tirst.
because she knew they would cause
her husband infinite pain. and. second
because after three years absence
from Hen she was not quite sure that
her heart gushed for him the same as
II had gushed when she was girl
With Infinite melancholy Abraham
told her that he would not have been
u party TO such n transaction had he
known II. and since she loved BonbrIght
II not only became him to give her up
10 the man ~ her choice. but he loved
her So well that he could not stand IN
the way Of her happiness
Abraham went away aud hired "A
smart lawyer. who made quick work
Of getting n divorce. All the while
Anne went about wishing To tell Der
husband that she had not meant all
she had said. but she didn't think he
would believe her denial. aud she was
too proud to make IL. No one eau ex
pect another e. believe two sides IT
story coming from single PERSON So
Ann. made no opposition to the di-
vorce. trying to- make herself think
that she loved Be2 the same NJ she
had once loved him and that happi
ness with him would h. hers nfter all
But she had lived hong enough with
worthy and refined man to am
clate the difference between him aid
an unworthy and n coarse one She
stayed right In the same house with
her husband to the Inst minute Il.
suggested thai she 10 tn her mother.
but her mother wouldn't receive her.
and her husband told her 10 stay right
where she was.
II was all arranged that she should
marry Ben the day the decree OF al.
vorce was obtained. and Abraham
helped her all he was able with the
preparations and regretting that he
was not u woman so that he could do
more. for her mother would have moth
ing TO do with her or her preInT lions.
and she had only Abraham TO rely on
When all was ready Abraham slip
ped check for Si0.OO In her porte
monnale About that time carriage
that had been ordered for her drove
up 10 the door. aud Abraham made a
motion 10 show her 10 the door.
But she threw both arms around Ills
neck and burst into passionate sob
hing
He tried TO soothe her and asked her
what troubled her. bat neither sue
ceeded In the one nor got an answer
10 the other She ilIst went on with n