Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1915-02-05
CHAPTER TX.

Thirty years OF one way OF living
becomes a habit--so much so that II
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 as 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 a feel
ing of detachment as If 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 1t
was the day she and Dan had walked
out of 1t to take up their new life In
the handsome mansion in town. Not
a thing had been changed or disturbed.
The same crooked hatrack, with her
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 Marys simple heart in the
old days still cluttered the mantel.
The same near-crystal crowded the
sideboard. The tablecloth remained
| laid from meal to meal after the time
saving custom OF middle-class fami-
lies.
Everything was the same but the
atmosphere of contentment that once
filled the room; everything the same
but Marys 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 food 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 Dan
Slade had sat reading his newspaper
and dreaming of the great future he
was confident the fates held in store
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
court, fighting even over the posses
sion of the little cottage that had
shared in the first happy flush of theiI
youthful love and happiness. This, the
only place where she could find peace
In her loneliness, Dan was trying tC
wrest from her II was too near tC
town, too near to the scene of his
new activities, he had sent word tC
her. She must vacate. She must &c
so far away that his charge of de
sertion" would stand fire in cour
of law.
Face to face with the fact that DaI
was trying to drive her even from this
shelter trying to drive her out int
a strange and alien world, of which
she knew nothing and which knew
nothing of her, Mary could scarcel.
believe that Dan was so changed
that even now he would be willing t,
snatch away from her the place whicl
held the memory of happier days.
She had not seen her husband sine
the night in Senator Strickland
library when the awful knowledge hal
been forced home to her that he no
| only wanted permanent separation
but insisted on having an absolute ID
vorce. over and over again though
came into the woman's mind. II wa
intuitive, instructive. Try as sh
4 might to silence It, she could not pu
a It out Of her thoughts. 1t was tina
T everrecurrent feeling that anothe
! woman had entered Dams mind an
7 heart. Again and again she pushe
0 II from her, but always and ever tn
0 obsession chung to her like a blacl
] shadow that haunted her during tn
Q day and persisted even in her dream
l. at night.
, From the kitchen came the voice Q
her maid-of-all-work singing an ole
fashioned tune.
I II was one that in her young day
I Dan had loved to hear her sing-on
n whose sweet melody and melanchol
sentiment he had loved in the day
,, before his heart had become hard an
, his mind intense on the cold, har
problems of finances and political az
vancement. 1t was theesong in whic
e all lovers from the beginning to th
q end OF time find responsive note
Q ''Nita, Juanita, be my own fair bride
e; To BE CoNTINUED)
n 0~ -@cn q 49,