The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-04-28


Alaire went ON in lifeless tone that
covered the seething emotions Within
her. Il never inquire into your actions
at San Antonio or other large cities,
although of course l have ears and
can't help hearing about them; but
these border towns are home to US.
and people know me. 1 won't be bumil-
lated more than ! am; public pity is
hard enough to bear. I've about
reached the breaking point"
''Indeed?" Austin leaned forward.
his eyes inf1amed. His tone was raised
needless of possible eavesdroppers.
Then why don't you end it? Why
don't you divorce me? l never see
anything of you. You have your part
of the house and 1 have mine; all we
share in common is meal hours, and
and mail address"
Alaire turned upon him eyes dark
with misery. "You know why 1 don't
divorce you. No, Ed, we're going to
live out our agreement, and these
Brownsville episodes are going to
cease" Her lips whitened. $50 are
your visits to the pumping station"
What do you mean by that?'
you transferred PanfiIo because he
was growing jealous of you and Rosa"
Ed burst into sudden laughter.
There's no harm.in little Irritation.
ROsa's a pretty girl"
His wife uttered a GREATNESS
smOthered exclamation; her hands, as
they lay on the table cloth, were tight
ly clenched. "She's your tenant-aI-
most your servant What kind of a
man are you? Haven't you any de-
cency left?"
Say Go easy! guess I'm no diff
ferent to most men," Austin's unpleas-
ant laughter had been succeeded by a
still more unpleasant scowl. 81 have
to do something. It's dead enough
around here
You must stop going there"
'Humph! I notice you go where
you please. Rosa and I never spent a
night together in the chaparraI-'
Ed" Alaire's exclamation was like
the snap of a whip. She rose and
faced her husband, quivering as if the
lash had stung her flesh.
THAT went home, Ell? Well, I'm no
fool! I've seen something of the world,
and I've found that women are about
like men. I'd like to have a look at this
David Law, this gunman, this Hand
some Harry who waits at water holes
for ladies in distress" Ed ignored his
wife's Outfung hand, and continued,
mockingly: iii bet he's Eli that's
manly and splendid, everything that
I'm not"
''You'd-better STOP" gasped the
woman. 81 can't stand everything"
$50? Well, neither can Z"
"After-this, I think you'd better
go-to San Antonio. Maybe I'll forget
before you come back"
To this young Ed" agreed quickly
enough. Good p. said he. "That suits
me. I'll at least get a little peace at
my club" He glowered after his wife
as she left the room. Then, still scowl-
ing, he Iurched out to the gallery
where the breeze was blowing, and
flung himself into a chair.
Eds marriage to Alaire had been in
evitable. They had been playmates,
and their parents had considered the
union a consummation of their own
lifelong friendship. Upon her mothers
death Alaire had been sent abroad, and
| there she remained while young Ed"
attended an eastern college. For any
child the experience would have been
a lonesome one, and through it the
motherless Texas girl had grown into
an imaginative, sentimental person, liv-
ing in a make-believe world, peopled.
%hn
remembered figures of romance and
fiction. There were, of course, some
few fiesh-and-bIood heroes among the
rest, and of these the finest and the
noblest had been young Ed Austin.
When she came home to marry,
Alaire was still very much of child.
and she still considered Ed her knight.
As for him, he was captivated by this
splendid, handsome girl, whom he re-
membered only as a shy, red-headed
little comrade
As Las Palmas had been the elder
Austin's wedding gift to his son, so
Alaire's dowry from her father had
| been La Feria, a grant of lands across
the Rio Grande beyond the twenty
league belt by which Mexico fatuously
strives to guard her border And to
Las Palmas had come the bride and
groom to live, to love and to rear their
children.
But rarely has there been a shorter
honeymoon, seldom a swifter awaken
ing, Within six months young Ed''
had killed his wife's love and had him.
self become an alcoholic. Other vices
SO multiplied that what few virtues
the young man had inherited were
soon choked. To. the bride the truth
had come as a stunning tragedy. The
wreck of her hopes and glad imagin-
ings left her sick, bewiIdered, in the
face OF '.the thing that couldn't
| Nor had the effect of this transfer
nation In young Ed been any less
painful to his father. When the truth
was borne in upon him Enthusiastically.
and the girl-wife remained firm In her
refusal to divorce her husband. the Nm.
Outstanding had been reached BY
which the management OF Las Paimas
| was placed absolutely In her hands