The Ordway new era., 1916-11-03

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morphine. She went from the begin
ming to the end in breath. No pro-
test stopped her; nothing stopped her.
You ought to let me die." she
walled What harm have l ever done
to anybody that you want to keep me
alive? just look at my life, l only
married Roscoe to get away from
home. and look what it got me into!
l wanted to have a good time
and how could l? Where's any good
time among these Sheridans? They
never even had wine on the table,
thought l was marrying into rich
family. where I'd meet attractive
people I'd read about, and travel and
go to dances-and. oh. my Lord, all
l got was these Sheridans. l did the
best could; just tried to live. &.
Things were just beginning to look
| brighter. and then / saw how Edith
was getting him away from me. And
what could l do? What can any wom-
an do In my fix? couldn't stand It!
went to that icicle-that Vertrees girl
and she could have helped me
| little. and 1t wouldn't have hurt her.
| from babblinC, became no more than
a husky whisper. though she strove
| to make it louder. She struggled half
| upright. and the nurse restrained her.
I'D get up out of this bed TO show her
she can't do such things to me. l was
absolutely ladylike. and she walked
out and left me there alone, She'll
see, She started after Bibbs before
Jim's casket was fairly underground.
and she thinks she's landed that poor
loon-but she'll see, She'll see. And
Edith needn't have told what she told
Roscoe-it wouldn't have hurt her TO
let me alone And he told her l bored
misunderstanding him l wanted TO see
him. He needn't have done II. He
needn't-needn't-" Her voice grew
fainter. for that while with exhaus-
tion though she would go over It all
again as soon as her strength returned.
She lay painting. Then. seeing her hus-
band standing disheveled in the door
way. Don't come in, Roscoe" she
murmured. Il don't want to see you"
And as he turned away she added.
I'm kind of sorry for you, Roscoe"
Her antagonist, Edith, was not more
coherent in her own wailings, and she
had the advantage Of a mother for
| listener. She had also the dlsadvan-
| tage of mother for duenna, and Mrs
| Sheridan, under her husbands sharp
tutelage. proved an effective one
Edith was reduced to telephoning
I.amhorn from shops whenever she
could juggle her mother into n momen-
tary distraction over counter.
Edith was incomparably more in
love than before Lamhorns expulsion.
Her whole being was nothing but the
determination to hurdle everything
that separated her from him. She was
in a state that could be altered by
only the lghtest and most delicate di-
plomacy of suggestion. but Sheridan,
| like legions of other parents, intens-
fed her passion and fed it hourly fuel
by opposing TO it an intolerable force.
He swore she should cool, and thus set
her on fire.
| Edith planned neatly. She fought
hard, every other evening, with her
father, and kept her bed between times
to let him see what his violence had
done to her. Then, when the mere
sight of her set him to breathing fast.
she said pitiably that she might bear
her trouble if she went away; it was
impossible to be in the same town with
Lamhorn and think always of him.
Perhaps in New York she might forget
a little. She had written to school
friend, established quietly with an
| aunt in apartments-and a month or
so of theaters. and restaurants might
bring peace. Sheridan shouted with
relief; he gave her copious check,
and she left upon Monday morning.
wearing violets with her mourning.
and having kissed everybody goodby
except Sibyl and Bibbs. She might
have kissed Bibbs. but he failed to
realize that the day of her departure
had arrived, and was surprised, on re-
turning from his zinc eater that eve
ming, to find her gone. II suppose
they'll be married there" he said, cas-
ually.
| Sheridan, warming his stockinged
feet at the fire, jumped up, fuming.
Either you go out O. here. or will,
Bibbsv' he snorted II don't want to
be in the same room with the particu-
| lar kind of idiot you arei She's through
with that riffraff: all she needed was
to be kept away from him few
weeks. and 1 kept her away, and It
did the business. For heavens sake,
i go on out o. herev'
Bibbs obeyed the gesture of a hand
still bandaged. And the black silk
sling was still round sheridAH's neck.
4 but no word Of Gurney's ard n6 excru-
ciatine twinse Of pam couid keep Hher-
i Etd4nsS hxnd 81 the sling. The wounds,
Iatlekf ezQ1Sb of1efnally had become
q n Hi4t t1ine ~ had disIodged
n aIsnS ~ loEs