The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1915-07-16
THE TROUBLES
OF BELINDA
Judging by Appearances Led
to False Conclusions.

honeymoon In Washington. We want.
ed to inspect that beautiful city and
see and hear the prominent men as
sembled there. We gave up the first
few days to sightseeing, then spent our
time in the senate chamber and house
OF representatives. was much i'm
pressed with the dignity Of the sena-
tors, and some of the representatives
seemed to me to be very bright men.
The last day we were in Washington
found me quite fatigued. l had been
at the hall of Representatives all day,
where discussion on the tariff was
going on, and was converted from one
side to the other a dozen times. About
o'clock In the afternoon we went to
the hotel, and Frank left me that
might take rest before dinner. In the
evening we were to visit some place of
amusement Frank had scarcely gone
out before / heard a step In the hall
and key turned In the lock next door.
Some one entered the room, and as
there was door between the two
rooms l could hear very plainly. A
mans voice said:
Belinda, get up. Do you propose TO
keep your bed all day? Are you not
aware that in political life a wife has q
part to play as well as the husband?
Here l am pestered all day by constitu-
ents, every one Of whom has an AK to
grind while you are dreaming the hap
py hours away. Get mp, say, and sew
on this button"
Then a woman's voice:
"Jethro, you're a brute. Didn't
slave the life out of me when you were
running for congress, cookin' for the
whole county, Wasn't you always
bringin' folks home to dinner, and
didn't have not only to cook for 'em.
but play sweet on 'emf And what do
get for It? Shet up here In this lone
some hotel while you strut about In
the lobby buttonholed by female con.
sdtuents, who play sweet on you to
get you to introduce bills for their re-
lief. And you fool enough to think
they love you"
There was no reply to this. The man
had evidently been convinced Of his
injustice and kept quiet.
Oh, deari Are Frank and ever
coming to speak to one another like
this? And what fraud political life
must be, after all.
"Bellndap'
1t was the man next door again. I
wished they would go out. had NO
hope OF getting a nap and would be
tired In the evening.
'Shet upp'
Come out OF that closet"
"Tm dressin'."
"Dressin', ole gall Do you mean
you've got to go into a closet to dress
when there's no one present but your
lawful lord and master?''
The woman was evidently in the
closet, for her voice was muffled, but /
could hear it distinctly.
"You my lord and master! You'd
make a beautiful lord, and as for a
master, you're a slave--a slave to your
constituents. You wouldn't dare COM
plain to one of 'em IL he raped you
over the head"
III rap you over the head, you ole
Jezebel, IL you say that again."
YOU'RE no sort OF a lord, and you're
slave -worsen n slave. You're a.
heard one blow and cry and COW
cred my head with the belclothes. 1
lay thinking what horrid couple they
were and what low people represent us
In congress. When took the clothes
away from my ears the man was hum
ming q tune. Every now and again
there came a sob from the woman, but
he paid no attention to It, and she
seemed to be crying herself asleep.
l could not realize that the gentle
men | had seen during the day at the
capitol sitting in their seats and speak
ing. many CT them so learnt'dly, num-
bered among them even one who was a
wife beaten. But here was perfect evil |
denee of 1t.
The brute went out presently and |
when he did so locked his wife In the
room. listened. but heard nothing. |
She was doubtless asleep and had for |
gotten his horrid treatment. Frank |
came In, and when told him about 1t |
he was not surprised. But Frank is |
always talking about the low type of /
people engaged In politics. dressed |
for dinner, and we went downstairs.
In the evening we strolled out to find |
some place OF amusement We passed |
variety hall, and, since as a girl had |
been denied such places l begged
Frank to take me In. We listened to
women sing songs and men sing songs
and people dance and saw trained ami
mails. Then man came out and threw
down some little dummy figures. And
what do you suppose was the first
word he said2
Belinda, get up"
Good graciousl He was the brute /
had been listening to during the after
noon He repeated the conversation l
had overheard. which he had been
doubtless rehearsing. and ended by
jeating one of the dummies, his wife.
who sobbed as naturally as she did
Turing the afternoon.
At the first word Frank and looked
1t each other. Then Frank burst out
And during the rest of the
Tentriloquist's performance we hid our
faces in our handkerchiefs TO conceal
from the nudfanco a y,,tr%l "a .a.,1S = |