East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-06-19
THE Neglected Wife was running
away! Running away with the
L. 4 a

romance, full of flowers and sunshine
and all sorts Of other things with
charming names.
Her pretty face was pale, she had
q curious, trembling feeling about the
straight line Of determination, and il
was with determination that she drew
down the blind-shutting out the dy-
ing light of the November afternoon
turned up the gas, and set about max
ing her preparations.
AS she moved round the pretty room
which she and the Neglected Husband
had furnished together hardly year
ago, she told herself that he would thor
oughly deserve what he was going to
get. Would he miss her, she wondered,
pausing an instant in her occupationi
No-her face hardcned-his work was
enough for himl Why, for the last
months she had scarcely seen him.
1t was too badl Not for this had
she married. True, he had warned her
that doctors life was busy and ex-
acting one, but never had she thought
that things could be as they were.
Work, work, work, morning, noon and
night-yes, night, too, for of late he
had even taken TO sleeping downstairs
in the surgery, because he said the night
calls were so frequent and would spoil
her rest Absurd! If he had really
minded he could have made some ar.
rangemcnt, get some one TO help him
or something. And N the rare moments
they spent together he was grave, pre-
occupied, took no interest in the things
that interested her. Oh! it was unbear
ablel
She lashcd herself into fury, still
moving about her task. What did he
care for her worki II was his own tina,
was so important. He hardly knew
that she had any work. What was hel
pretty talent for writing, TO himi H.
seldom had time for more than indul
gently smiling glance over the graceful
trifles of verse which sosne day were
TO make book and their author s name
at the same time-the Other Man hsC
said so.
AS matter of fact, there was moth
ing in them TO read otherwise than will
smiling indulgence, for in all her but
terfly days the poor, pretty little Neg
lected Wife had never once seen life
at it is But this she did not know
And the Other Man was prehaps more
complimentary than truthful.
How about this bracelet! these ear
rings, rings and broochesf She woulC
like to take them with her. They wer,
all gifts from the Neglected Husband
it Is true and--did wives who wer'
"running away take their husabnds
presents with themi She did not know
The bracelet he had bought her in th'
Palais Royal when they were on theil
brief honeymoon in Paris 1t had cos
more than he could afford, but as h'
clasped it on her yrist he had said ten
derly that she was worth the expendi
ture. All! she was, in those days
Those earrings, sparkling on their vel
vet bed, were bought out of the earn
ings Of his first big case after thei
marriage-they had not been cheap
This brooch was birthday present
her birthday; this pendant another
his birthday. These trifles marked othe
days here and there, the last not so yer.
far behind her. She sighed and return
ed the things to the jewel case on th'
table. No. She decided that wives di'
not take their Jewels when they lef
tho giver.
Tucked away among other belonging
she came upon a copy of Tennyson
That, too, had been her husbands gif
during their engagement. She turne'
the pages rapidly. Why, how he ha'
pencil marked lines here and there! Sh
had forgotten that He must have beef
fonder of poetry than she had though
it was loving hand that maze thos
marks. Well, perhaps he was--of othe
people g. Not Of hers! Hers was moth
ing to him. She hardened herself agai'
and put the book back among1 tn
things that must be left behind. Sool
want of appreciation and neglect woul,
be left behind, too. She would be wit
some one who could understand and ad