Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-04-12

I've stood about all of your nonsense
I'm able to stand. I've had to fight a
pack of business wolves to keep them
from picking my carcasS, and, what's
more important to me, to keep them
from handing a raw deal to five men
who wallowed through snow and frost
and all kinds of hardship to make
these sharks a fortune. I've got down
to their level and fought them with
their own weapons-and the thing is
settled. l said last night I'd be
through here inside a week. I'm
through now-through here. l have
business in the Klappan; to complete
this thing I've set my hand to. Then
I'm going to the ranch and try to get
the bad taste out of my mouth. I'm
going tomorrow. I've no desire or in
tentlon to coerce you. You're my wife,
and your place is with me, if you care
anything about me. And l want you.
You know that, don't you? 1 wouldn't
be begging you like this if 1 didn't.
1 haven't changed, o had my eyes
daZzlcd by any false gods. But it's
up to you. / don't bluff. I'm going,
and if l have TO go without you 1
just ask yourself honestly if it's worth
while"
He drew her up close to him and
kissed her on n anger-flushcd cheek,
and then, as he had done the night be-
fore, walked straight away to the bed
.~or, o-I oIncnI fIo laar hOhin1 hin,
Hazel slept little that night. A hor-
rid weight seemed to rest ~SuffOcating-
ly upon her. More than once she had
an impulse to creep in there where
Bill lay and forget it all in the sweep
of that strong arm. But she choked
back the impulse angrily. She would
not forgive him. He had made her
suffer. For his high-handedness she
would make him suffer in kind. At
least, she would not crawl TO him beg
ging forgiveness.
When sunrise laid a yellow beam,
all full of dancing notes, across her
bed, she heard Bill stir, heard him
moving about the apartment with rest
less steps. After a time she also
heard the unmistakable sound of a
trunk lid thrown back. and the move
ments of him as he gathered his
clothes-so she surmised. But she did
not rise till the maid raped on ner
door with the eight o'clock salutation
Breakfast, ma'am."
They made a pretense of eating.
Hazel sought a chair in the living
room. A book lay open in her lap
But the print ran into blurred lines
She could not follow the sense of the
words. An incessant turmoil OF
thought harassed her. Bill passed
through the room once or twice. De
terminedly she ignored him. The fina
snap of the lock on his trunk CAM
to her at last, the humping sounds OF
its passage to the hall. Then a burly
expressman shouldered it into hi:
wagon and drove away.
A few minutes after that Bill cam
in and took a seat facing her.
what are you going to do, Hazel?'
he asked sOberly.
Nothing" she CURLY replied.
"Are you going to sit down and folC
your hands and let our air castles com,
tumbling about our ears, without max
ing the least effort to PREVENT" h
continued gently. Seems to me that
not like you at all. l never though
you were a gutter"
"Tm not a GUTTER" she flung bacl
resentfully. 81 refuse to be brow
beaten, that's all. There appears t
be only one choice-to follow you lik
q lamb. And I'm not lamblike. L,
say that you are the gutter. Yor
have stirred up all this trouble her
between us Now you're running ava
from it. That's how it looks to me
Go on! 1 can get along"
Il dare say you can," he comment
ed YEARLY. Most of us can muddl
along somehow, no matter what haL
pens. But it seems a pity, little pei
son. We had all the chance in tn
world. You've developed an abnormf
streak lately. If you'd just brea
away and come hack with me. 70
don't know what good medicine thos
old woods are. Won't you try it
while?"
/, II am not by nature fitted to lea
the hermit existence" she returne
sarcastically.
And even while her lips were ute
ing these various unworthy little bi
ternesses she inwardly wondered
her own words. 1t was not what ST
would have said, not at all what 81
was half minded to say. But a dev
of perverseness spurred her. She ws
full of protest against everything.
. II wish we'd had a baby" Bill mu
INJURED softly. You'd be differen
You'd have something to live for b
sides this frothy, neurotic existen'
that has poisoned you against Il
good, clean, healthy way of life.
wish we'd had a kiddie. We'd ha'
Il fighting chance for happiness nov
something to keep us sane, somethil
outside of our own ego to influen
= u.s."
Thank God there isn't one!" s.
muttered.
ALL WE'LL, bll SlSntu, cue
there is no use. l guess we can't g
together on anything. There doesl
seem to be any give-and-take betwe
us any longer"
He rose and walked to the do
Ia With his hand on the knob, he turne
~ have fixed things at the bank
you," he said abruptly.
Of Then he walked out, without wa
ing for an answer.
She heard the soft whir of the e
r vator. A minute later she saw him
ne the sidewalk. He had an Overcoat
his arm, II suitcase in his hand. S
saw him lift a finger to halt a pa
IT. ing car
1t seemed incredible that he shOl
go like that. Surely he would co
IT, back at noon or at dinner time. S
er had always felt that under his gent
", ness there was iron. But deep in |
m heart she had never believed him
%implacable of purpose where she "
to concerned.
cd She waited YEARLY, stirring W