The Dermott news., 1914-08-20
Err TX.

Thirty years of one way of living
becomes a habit-so much so that 1t
is almost a human impossibility to
adjust oneself to any other mode OF
life. Mary Slade. living year after
year with Dan Slade, interested in his
work, watching him rise and succeed,
had come to think of the man as only
another part of herself. With him
out of her life she felt az II a part
of her own body had vanished with
out which she was restless and Ill at
ease.
AS she sat In the little old cottage
where with Dan she started out on
married life, she experienced n feel
ing of detachment as II either this
were not the right place. but some
sort OF inferior substitute. or as though
the real and vital part OF herself were
absent
The room WAS Just the same as II
WAS the day she and Dan had walked
out of il to take UP their new life in
the handsome mansion in town. No
a thing had been changed or disturbed.
1 lit EtAAit1 'it0h'd u III ~ 10
old knitted shawl dangling on one
hook. hung behind the door. The same
well worn tides were carefully pinned
on the plush-upholstered chairs. The
same cheap little ornaments that so
delighted Mary's simple heart in the
old days still cluttered the mantel.
The same u~ear-crystal crowded the
ptAah,u ~ Tho ahIa41lth ran,a{aAl
laid from meal to meal after the time
saving custom OF middle-class fami-
lies.
Everything was the same but the
atmosphere of c-onteutment that once
filled the room everything the same
but Mary's happiness in her husbands
love. Outside the window the rose
bush Dan had helped her to plant still
nodded and blossomed in the sunshine
that poured in a flood OF golden JOY
through the windows of the shabby
room and emphasized all the worn
places in the comfortable old chair
where evening after evening bar
Slade had sat reading his newspaper
and dreaming Of the great future he
~ dH NbilAiQtAl we idAtS btlu vi
for him
In spite Of herself Mary,s thoughts
were of her husband the first bitter
thoughts she had ever harbored
against the man. She turned sick at
heart at the thought of 1t. Dan and
herself estranged. hopelessly at odds.
fighting each other in the divorce
-.a,-, 1-I,gHx 80. 49,, 81, ,,..aa
sion OF the little cottage that had
shared In the first happy flush OF their
youthful love and happiness. This, the
only place where she could find peace
in her loneliness. Dan was trying TO
wrest from her. II was too near to
town. too nea to the scene OF his
new activities. he had Sent word TO
her. She must yacate. She must go
so far away that his charge OF de
sertton' would stand fire in a court
OF law.
Face to face with the fact that Dan
was trying 10 drive her even from this
shelter. trying to drive her out into
a strange and alien world. OF which
she knew nothing and which knew
nothing OF her, Mary could scarcely
believe that Dan was SO changed
that even now he would be willing to
snatch away from her the place which
held the memory OF happier days.
She had not seen her husband since
the night in Senator Strickland's
library, when the awful knowledge had
been forced home 10 her that he not
only wanted a permanent separation.
but insisted on having an absolute d.
vorce. Over and over again a thought
came into the woman's mind. II WAS
intuitive. instructive. Try as she
might to silence II. she could o put
II out OF her thoughts. II was that
e~verrecurrent feeling that another
woman had entered Dams mind and
heart Again and again she pushed
II from her. but always and aver the
obsession clung TO her Ike a black
shadow hat haunted her during the
day and persisted even In her dreams
at night.
From the kitchen came the voice OF
her maid -of.all-work singing an old.
fashioned tune.
II was one that In her young days
Dan had loved to hear her sing-one
whose sweet melody and melancholy
sentiment he had loved in the days
before his heart had become hard and
his mind intense on the cold, hard
problaus OF finances and political ad-
vancetnent. II WAS the sons in which
all lovers from the beginning to the
go " IT,. Al
"Nita. Juanita. be my own fair BRIDE
CTO BE CONTINUED)