El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-25


II ANE REEVES walked rapidly over
the distance separating her hus-
- bands home from her fathers
Ashamed as she was Of her flight.
there was witch her also a sense Of
srstitude for Mary Bairds kindness.
What a change had come over the
woman! And IL was, apparently. all
because of the few words Of sympathy
that Jane had spoken to her on the
day Of the painful scene over the miss
ina dresses.
There must have been little that
was kindly TO Mary's life il a trifle
like James compassionate sentence
Rad moved her to such an extent
Had her husband-who. perhaps, after
all was not dcad-been cruel to herr
At first she had seemed actually to
resent the fact that Augustus had
brought wife home. She may have
TO Danish her from the house that had
been her home for many years. How
had Augustus treated her all this
timeg
If he could be so harsh to his wife.
might he not have been unkind to a
hireling? II so, why had the woman
not left him long ago? Had she
feared that she could not secure an
other position? She might have
known that. with her ability. she could
get place as housekeeper in some
other home.
SO many questions were always
coming uD to puzzle her Jane reflected
now as she sped along the snowy
country road. She unused upon her
girlhoOd days and wondered II she
had ever had n care then eYt in
life as circumscribed as hers was now,
one would suppose there would be only
a monotonous calm.
There was monotony, undoubtedly-
dreary. dreadful monotony. But
there was not calm-that is, no in
ner calm. There was something al
ways brOoding, always treateninE
IN the background, something too
Intangible to be faced, vet powerful
enough to make her afraid Of she
knew not what
She entered her fathers house
without knocking and went right into
the kitchen where her mother was
sitting. Mrs. Hardy exclaimed in sur
prise when she saw her
Surprises Her Mother.
I've come 10 make you a little
visit mother" Jane announced. "Its
good TO get here"
She looked around on the things
that had been a part of her child
hood and girlhood-articles that had
seemed plain and tame once, but that |
now were fun Of beauty for her. The (
westerly sun came in at the windows.
the kett sang on the range: the !
p El am uNlh uloOueQ on the window
stills; the red cloth was laid on the |
table. And, best Of, all, her mother |
was there.
Where's father" Jane questioned
Down at the village, I guess Mrs. I
Hardy replied. PA isn't right well {
these days. He worries a lot. And /
then, jamie, ] think It kinder hurts him
that you don't come over oftener .
When you told me last night that you'd (
see me soon, he said afterward that
1e'd bet you wouldn't come over for a
long while yet He thinks YOU don't J
care much about us, now that you're I
And then-Augustus he don't J
seem 70 care much about us either now
that he's got you"
The voice was piaintive. and Jane /
Knew that many discussions with I
ezra Hardy had made her mother 1
q artsick. She knelt down by the
sloerly wpman's chair and put her
Dear little mother" she pleaded.
lfaWlng the gray head down upon
Ter shoulders, please don't doubt me
love you as much-ves. better than
'Ver. But Augustus has old-fashioned
lotiQns ABOUT a wife's place being in !
yer nome. And he wants me to STAY
here. You see, he doesn't care much
lpout going out, and he thinks I
houldn't Perhaps" with a forced !
augh, he forgets that ] am less (
nan p And Of course ] don't want !
o remind him Of the difference in our I
yes. II would not be kind"