The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-04-30

her husband saying that she agreed
with him that the time had come when
they had better act independently of
each other, for time at least. If she
found 1t possible to acquire an income
she would write him and they could
come together again. This did not in
terest him, for he was too much of
man to accept the earnings of wo-
man.
How Mrs. Hartley managed it her
husband did not know, but he soon
heard of her as a prominent woman.
She not only became notable in wo-
mems associations of various kinds,
but took a stand socially that other
women could not achieve without be-
ing backed by a fortune. In a few
years the name of Mrs. Hartley was
one of the best known of any woman
in the city where she lived, and her
fame extended to other localities.
But fortune-pecuniary fortune-did
not come. Yet even this was easy of
achievement If she chose to put off
one husband and take another. This
she found hard to do. She wrote
Hartley to know If he was in condi-
ton to support her. If so she would
return to him. If not she would apply
for divorce to marry one of several
rich men who wanted her. Hartley
wrote back that he was still in the po-
sition of one who was about to make
a large fortune. This decided her. She
applied for a divorce, secured it and
married a wealthy banker, becoming
Mrs. Eldridge.
For ten years Mrs. Eldridge led the
social world of her city and was at the
head of numerous women's associa-
lions. No woman's enterprise was
launched without her approval; no new
family was admitted to the chief social
circle without her consent. She was
the most envied woman In her sphere,
though no one wished to depose her, for
there was no one who could hope to
take her place.
But her contract with the world was
like Faust's agreement with Mephis
topheles. At the end came the infer
nal pit One morning the social and
business world was shocked at the an
nouncement that the great banking
house of Eldridge & Co. had failed.
The doors of the office were closet,
and there was tanbark before the pa
latial residence of the head of the
firm. He was an old man, and his
physique was crushed under the ruin
of his fortunes.
During the decade of Mrs. Eldridge's
supremacy Fate, who is never content
to let affairs alone, but must needs be
tossing them up just for the fun of
seeing them come down again, having
left Hartley on the ground for twenty
years, instead of catching the Eldridge
ball on its descent for another toss,
let it roll away in the dirt and, pick
Ing up Hartley, threw him so far up in
the air that he must have got entirely
away from gravity, for he never came
down again as long as he lived.
Hartley, after years of experiment
ing, evolved a process in metallurgy
that halved the cost of manufacture.
Experience had taught him how to
reap the benefit of an invention, and
he forced large manufacturing con-
Germ to pay him half the saving for a
term of years. One years royalty ,,
made him rich, and every year after
that his fortune increased by arithmet-
ical progression.
Mrs. Eldridge retired from the lime
light more rapidly than she had enter
ed It, After the failure of the banking
house she found herself with an In
valid husband and no income. She had |
no talent for money making and could |
not compete In any of the fields open |
to her sex with younger women. With |
her husband she sank into oblivion |
How they managed to live no one |
knew, and of all those who had angled !
for an approving smile from the wife |
during the period of her glory not one |
cared.
One day Hartley, sitting In the rear
seat of his $4,000 auto car. coming |
at crossing upon hearse followed |
by two or three carriages. directed his |
chauffeur to stop till the funeral had
passed. In the chief mourner's car.
riage he saw face so pale, so thin, |
so sad, that at first he did not recog-
nize it, nor could he realize that 1t |
was the same face that had looked up
lovingly at him on his wedding day
nearly thirty years before.
Her eyes met his and saw in them
the same affection, to which was add
ed world of sympathy that she had
seen in them on that memorable day. |
There was no other evidence Of rec
ognition between them. In a moment
the little cortege had passed. Hart
ley's car crossed the street and sped
away not a person of those who wait
ed to pass on recognizing the sad cul-
of ambition they had wit
messed.
That same evening when the widow
was lighting the lamps In her tumble
down cottage there came knock at
the door. She opened it, and there
stood the husband of her youth. Not
a word did she utter but sank into his
arms.
Later, when having dismissed the
past they were looking to the future
the husband said