Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-03-16

allow II and now Ee had got out OF tha
notion entirely A; woman would make
havoc with his household, especially SUCH
woman as Arzeil. He shuddered when
he thought Of her. Yet, in way, she
was type of alt the women he had
known, even of his: own mother.
Emory's little ho.ase was white as
paint could make IL He kept things very
neat without and within. He never lock
| ed his doors night u: day. He started 10
enter the sitting room. But got no Tar
| Their than the THRESHOLD. For there. IN
| his own rocking Inair. with her arms
| upon the table ana her head upon hec
arms. sat woman:
! Emory stood perfectly still staring at
| her She was asle.:so. Her dress was of
| black. She had taisen off her hat. which
| looked as II it had been worn in all
kinds of weather However. Emory was
| only d!mlS aware & these details. What
| he actually saw was the woman hersef
| her slim pretty, rail young shape: her
hair. brown. as if 4 had been dipped in
| butternut dye. her saure white arms anu
| her hands. which dSi not seem to belong
| to the arms, dis..olored and worn and
| scanned they were by labor OF her facs
he could not judge. for only the turn OF
her soft, pale cheels was visible. but that
looked Young, too: like her arms and
shoulders and WONDERFUL. wavy hair.
| Lord breathee Emory. He had
| never seen any one alike her. She was no
| felt faint. She wass asleep: he dared net
waken her But what was he going To
| do?
| The woman attef.ded to this matter
| herself by drawn G a deep. waking
| breath, stirring her arms and at last
| lifting her head frsun them. Her great
| blue eyes. set aboutsTSith black lashes and
dazed with sleep s1nd WEAKNESS, looked
into Emors's blankiy, then around the
room. and then b.ck at Emory. wher-
| s.1,A I4At- hon md
| her forehead.
= remember coming in here now" she
| said. casually.
Emory cleared hiss throat. yet he could
not speak He was bewitched into
| silence. Z
| Il knocked and tSen l found the door
| was unlocked and Il came right in, she
went on. talking al child might have
| done. 1T was SO Farm and coy that
| thought Id just st; down for minute
and get m. breath: And went to sleep.
What time is il .?
| Emory looked nj. his watch. Its .
| O'Clock What did on come for?" Emory
| asked
| She got Up She was so little and slim
| that she made Emory. though he was not
/ a large men, feel tall Tnconsciously he
Strengthened his SHOULDERS and flung up
| his china. thing ltc never did in ARCH
Maynards presence
cause l heard thatsyou wanted a wife.
| '.A-wife" stamnsred Emory. He felt
as if the breath scre knocked out OF
yves. heard IS roundabout way.
The word came fsom this town from
some one who's ye:.ir neighbor. ] don
know her name. There's a man in Aries
wants wife and his name is Elihu Cole.
| I'd thought I'd try. TO be a wife-for 4
change-anybody's swife'' She sobbed
You see. I've got so tired of scrubbing
and digging for otter folks since Murry
died. It was all ! knew how TO do
WHO was Murr,s. Your brother?'
| My husband At the words Emory
started. it seemed incredible that she
could have been tnarried. Il was mar
ried when ] was :sixteen;; You see:
except hoGsework. :M:,ybe I don't do that
very we'll: Folks find fault, and yester-
day / got: discharged because l broke a
big bowl She tool. it out of my wages
and-and there wasn't any wages left
here.
Emory crossed tee room to the win
dow and stood look lle out stupidity. Sud
denly in the next h.use he saw a curtain
stir and there was ARIEL Maynard peer
| ing out at him. ARIEL Maynard Mrs
| Bramlev's laughing warning came to
him. "Arsclrs goiss to get you sure as
fate Suppose Mrs Bramley was TO
| like her She. too, .oad no use for any
| thing that spelled slaynard.
| Emory tarned fi,,m the window and,
| gonS to the table cooked across into the
girls dowacast fac. Then he reached
! out and took her hand and held it clums-
! ily yet tenierly, ass4 man holds the hand
| of a woman for ths first time.
| Look here, hes said now old are
! you?''
/ I'm twenty-one past
! I'm forty past. I'm too old for YOU
| You don't want me Emory's voice
had great gentlegr ss. DO you.
! Her face quiverS1. Her head SUNK
/ lower. "Mnrry VS. forty and I'd do
| my best she said family
II don't doubt YOU'D do Your best. But
| whether I'd do my s:,est, that's the ques-
| ton. I've never Had wife or known
but one woman intimately, and she was
my mother. I'm fsfraid l don't know
enough to be as se;d to YOU as you de-
| Her lashes swept Up. He got a glimpse
of blue eyes like Sake water showing
through the trees. : I'd trust YOU. She
| whispered
! Emory looked at Ter moment. Then
! he released her hand if it We're 4
thing he must h. Very careful OF.
| Whats your name he asked.
| Its Els. Grant. 1t was Elsie Barnes
| before ! married AI,Irry."
| Emory took deep breath. Its going
| to be Elsie: Cole just as soon we can
walk over 20 the minister's and have it