The sun., 1916-11-30
LITTLE SKETCHES OF LIFE AND HUI.
MAN CHARACTER.

Vane's name. She sold 1t and refused
to give her husband the money ia
was alternately hot with wrath And
cold as ice toward her. She bit her Lin
to keep from crying and took him ana
the children a hundred miles from
the city. where she bought a farm.
This farm stretched back from m.
shore Of a pond in a neglected region
away from the principal tow Ms and On
a side road. Mary Vane took with her
n servant. a country girl. She saved
a few pieces Of mahogany. She took
the place with a small mortgage. re.
tanning enough money to buy soma
necessary farm equipment and to SUD.
port them for two years w.thou,
borrowing. Then she set To work Ia
learn the business upon which she had
staked the happiness Of four people.
Her experience in handling the farm
was in nowise different from that n,
hundreds Of others who have made m.
pilgrimage to the land. The difficulty
was with her husband.
In a moment OF passion Gregory
Vane had accused his wife of being
little better than a thief. To he SUI.
the town house had been in her nam.
but that was nothing except III.
usual protective device. on tho mora
a long while silent: but at length sh.
confronted her husband.
II have not done this for my sake"
she told him. but principally for the
sake Of the children. You have tried
and" she did not say failed hu,
finished gently. land done your bes'
Give me my chance"
He thought her outrageous
With the aid Of a farmer whom IN.
employed Mary Nane succeeded lu .ci.
ting through the first two year. with.
out disaster. Her husband, id.c ,ni
angrily Indifferent for long. was first.
moved by the sight OF her sufferngs
One night after a hard days har, g..
ing she broke down. She Vas CRYING
when he came in about supper time.
I've been wrong" she told hun n.
felt this first as an obscure reflection
upon himself; 1t was as good a. say.
ing that he had made a mistake
when he picked her to be his LIES
partner. Then her distress stirred biz,
pity. BY her side he assured her that,
she had done bravely and well. lie
doubted IL he himself could have
done -
As by n great flash Of lightning
playing about the intense irony o. n..
words Ne saw himself clearly revealed
for an instant. And when the no.
mentary illumination had ceased and
left him cropping in mental darkness
he could feel about him the shattered
remnants of the idol the lightning
had riven. We're these poor frag.
ments the splendid ego he had wor.
shipped: For a long time afternarl
he found himself putting tho pieces
together and bowling down before
them. but eve as he made his
~obeisance they fell apart.
Last summe the contractors m tie
State road fenced on a portion ~ N.
highway where they were working
Gregory Nane. driving back with h'
wife from a survey Of a large fruit
orchard which they had decided :,
buy. checked the car abruptly wher
he saw the barrier ahead. They hit
intended To 20 on to the town an.
buy certain articles Of furniture. hU
that could no deferred. The road 'us'
they must take would lead them d.
rectly home. II was carefully mars
by an arrow and the word. "Detour
Not for us said Vane. poir' P .
TO the word. Mary Nane returned .
smile. She needed no longer To- M %.
OF II as such.