Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1918-02-01

kinds of measles" Van Tyne said. "But
there are -four kinds-red, black, Span
ish and German. I do hope that all
the children, will have the last kind
this winter, then we will be through"
"Then Minnie will invent a new kind
herself. She won't ever be satisfied if
she doesn't have some kind of a rash,"
Van Tyne answered. Between the
children being sick and our servants
my life isn't worth living any more"
But for a time all went well again.
Then a month later Mrs. Van Tyne
met her husband at the front door as
he came home to dinner. She made a
tragic gesture. "She is going to leave
us, Arthur" "She" in the Van Tyne
house always meant the ~reigning cook.
"She has given me a weeks notice.
With so many children We'll never get
another"
1--WE might murder the children and
hide the bodies down cellar" Van
Tyne suggested. eve could tell the
neighbors that we had sent 'em out to-
the country"
arthur, how can you joke on such
a subject? What can we do?"
"We might try boarding." he saids
rafting some loose change in his pock-
ct.
Mrs. Van Tyne frowned. eff we
board, the children will get pert and
horrid. 1 hate boarding house chill
dren. We shan't board"
"Then we might get a divorce and
then I could marry the cook and make
a home for the children. How does
that strike your"
"Arthur, I think you are horrid to-
night. I'm sure we've always been
happy together even If we have had
stroubles with the servants" his wife
said. you might think of some plan,
I think"
"That's the only one / can think of
now" he answered, as he went up
stairs.
Mrs. Van Tyne went into the library
and laid down on the couch. She cried
a little for she found that even Arthur
was rather %unfeeling, too, today. Her
head ached and her thoughts seemed
to waver.
RlC SOol0 hCNCA ACuuCAuDCl CAoNbAJ
how the divorce was gotten, for her
head seemed to ache always now, but
she knew that she suffered horribly
when she had to leave her children
and her ex-husband. She kissed the
children all around twice and told
them never to forget her. The baby
cried to go with her, but she unwound
his little arms from about her neck
and turned to Arthur. She only gave
him a slight pressure of the hand for
the cook was watching them from the
dining room door. Arthur had never
looked more dear to her than at this
moment, but he only said carelessly:
"Come and take dinner with us some
day-any day after tomorrow. You
know tomorrow is our wedding day."
and he smiled at the cook.
The cook was dressed in a gown Of
blue and red plaid and she carried her
accordion under one arm.
In some way poor Mrs. Van Tyne
stumbled out to her cab. It was very
bitter giving up husband and children,
so they could have a home and some
one to cook for them. But the hardest
trial was yet to come. After some
time had passed, she met Arthur me
day coming out of an employment
agency. He looked careworn and seedy
and tried to avoid his ex-wife. But she
caught his arm. "Why have you been
in there?" she cried, pointing at the
agency.
ITO get a cook" he stammered, look
ing down at his rusty shoes.
"To get a cook-you married the
cook %
"Yes, I know" he answered. "But
after we were married she said h
was a lady because she had married a
gentleman, and so of course She
couldn't keep on cooking. 1 couldn't
deny that / was a gentleman, so you
see she had me. Logical, wasn't she?"
He smiled drearily. Besides, she is
learning the banjo now, and that takes
up a good deal of her time"
"How do you live them"
"We are 'mealers' at the restaurant
on Chestnut street"
"Has the baby cut any more teeth2
Does he chew on his rubber ring?" she
asked.
ST saw him chewing at the poker yes
terday," Van Tyne answered, as he
walked away.
She looked after him. He stopped q
bit as he walked and had quite lost
his alert, prosperous air. She felt that
all her sacrifices had been in vain.
"And I don't suppose any of the chill
dren have on their winter fiannels yet
or"
awake up-dinner is ready!" Some
body was shaking her shoulder. ibid
1 act like a brute?" somebody was say
ing. She opened her eyes. It was
Arthur.
"Aren't we divorced?' she asked.
"Don't think so. oh, I know what