Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1915-01-01
CHAPTER TX.


Thirty years of one way OF living
becomes a habit-so much SO that 1t
Is almost q 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 III 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 II 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 It
was the day she and Dan had walked
out of 1t to take up their new life In
the handsome mansion In town. Not
thing had been changed or disturbed.
ud bduo CIoOhOu hdtiaShs win
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 80
delighted Mary's simple heart In the
old days still cluttered the mantel.
The same nearcrystal crowded the
/ H. toh "a
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 Mary's 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 . flood 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 It. 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 their
, youthfullove and happiness. This. the
: only place where she could nnd peace
In her loneliness, Dan was trying ia
: wrest from her. 1t was too near to
L town, too near to the scene Of his
new activities. he had sent word tc
= her, She must vacate. She must &c
90 far away that his charge Of "de
sertion" would stand fre In q court
Of law.
3 Face to face with the fact that Dar
was trying to drive her even from this
shelter, trying to drive her out into
a strange and alien world, Of which
3 she knew nothing and which knew
: nothing Of her, Mary could scarcely
J. believe that Dan was SO changed
that even now he would be willing te
snatch away from her the place which
. held the memory Of happier days.
She had not seen her husband since
u the night in Senator Strickland'i
library. when the awful knowledge hat
Is been forced homo to her that he no
only wanted q permanent separation
q but insisted on having an absolute di
vorce. Over and-uver again a though
came into the woman's mind. II wal
I intuitive, instructive. Try as sh,
q might to silence 1t. she could not pu
"a 1t out of her thoughts. 1t was tina
u everrecurrent feeling that anothe
)! woman had entered Dams mind an,
u heart. Again and again she pushe,
% It from her. but always and ever tn
70 obsession clung to her like blacl
IL shadow that haunted her during tn
10 day and persisted even in her dream
H. at night.
O. From the kitchen came the voice o
u her maid-of.all-work singing an old
fashioned tune.
~ 1t was one that in her young day
u Dan had loved to hear her sing-on
IN whose sweet melody and melanchol
sentiment he had loved in the day
o. before his heart had become hard an
% his mind intense on the cold. har
IT. problems Of finances and political az
vancement. II was the song in whic
ae all lovers from the beginning to tn
10 end Of time find responsive note
10 "Nita, Juanita, be my own fair bride.
y:I CTO BE CONTINUED