The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-07-16
Copyright 1916 by the Mcclure Newspaper sy'uca'e'

Yet Mr. COlhurn always SetAl''
Guipt-so much OF a gentleman
He is when he's not drinklng-DuV
alcohol changes his whole nature on
if Won knew" shuddelingly, what We
gone through in the last SIX months
q wouldn't think Of that now gen
/ tly
"Hov can | help it? DO YOU think
can ever get those scenes out OF my
mind? And last nlght--oIl' III
through-rm through. Last night oe-
cided it! When he's over thls-l III
going to leave him. passionateiy.
I'm going to make my own h'ihs
somehow.
"Thats very foolish" Helen stroked
the hand that had claspcd hers. You
know he wouldn't let you go OF ike
that"
what do you think he said last
night?" her eyes ablaze. THAT II
left him-he'd never give me cent.
He SAYS that's his hold over me-that
I'm afraid to leave him because | can't
support myself"
But he never says those things eX-
cept when he's drinking?'
NO, but he must think them Peo'
pie don't say things, even when
they're drunk, that haven't been in
their thoughts Last night he said all
women were parasites-that nine.
tenths of them lived with their hus.
bands because they were too lazy or
too incapable to work. That if l
wanted my pay-l'd have to stick to
my job"
but he wasn't himself" pleaded
Helen. What he did proved that"
Then hesitatingly, "How-how did 1t
happen? Was it right AFTER
| She nodded. "IIe came home In an
! ugly mood. | went to my room and
locked the door-but he banged on it
until let him in. His face was awful.
never saw him so Infatuated. He al
ways keeps a revolver, but it's never
loaded. I didn't think it was last
night. until he showed me the car
tridges. Even then | wasn't afraid
suppose didn't care. Oh. | don't re-
member what he said-but at last he
left me and went back to his room.
| Then | heard the shot"
She shivered and caught her breath
81 found him lying on the floor, the
pistol beside him. Rosa and ] got him
on the bed and phoned for d doctor
it seemed hours before he came Oh,
it was awful, trying to stop the blood!
The doctor stayed with him until the
nurse came, and II haven't seen him
since"
Has he asked for your
She nodded.
and you refused to see him.
Yes" bitterly. Il never want to
see him again"
Don't you think that's rather
hard?'
You wouldn't think so if you
knew"
A tap on the door and the nurse en-
tered.
: Mrs. Colburn. your husband keeps
calling for you. He's exciting himself
and his fever's very high. Won't you
come-just for a moment?"
"Ch. can't recoilingly; I can't
5 Don't ask me-"
t II think you should urged Helen
t A moments silent struggle with hel
: bitterness and outraged pride, ther
with slow reluctance Mrs. Colburr
rose to follow the nurse.
: Don't CO." appealingly to Helen
wait for me-"
/ Drawing a chair to the shaded light
Helen took up book But she coult
= not read; she was picturing the scene
l. in that other room.
Fifteen minutes-a half hour passed
r Then the nurse came in.
He's sleeping now. Mrs. Colburl
|. wants you to come to the door"
y Helen followed her across the hal
F.: to the darkened room Mrs. Colburl
was sitting by the bed. fearing II
f move lest she awaken her husband
e who was now sleeping quietly, one o
t. her hands tightly clasped in his.
# Her whole face had softened. Sh'
e smiled up at Helen. tremulous IN
certain smile, that seemed to acknowl
d edge her weakness, the weakness o
S love-not of dependency.
r Very gently Helen closed the door
- and. knowing that she was now n
longer needed, went down to her owl
apartment.
l. On the hall rack hung one of Wal
e ren's overcoats With a rush of emo
tional tenderness she buried her fac
s in its rough folds. which held the fain
y man odor of tobacco and downtow
SCOT.
l. How fine and strong and dependabl
Warren was! How trivial his fault
t of irritability and temper now seemed
- How much she had-how much NOR
=, than that poor little woman upstairs
d From the wide flap pocket she ha
drawn out heavy gray glove. Sill
e. ping her small hand into it, she writ
8 gled the long untitled fingers with
q feeling If ayultatinn at Warren's siy
Re and strength. He was so big an