The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-01-24
The Kiss
By EVELYN MAY
1877, Western Sewspa per Union }

If her husband had struck her in
the face Margaret Blake could not
have been more startled, amazed and
spellbound. For q moment she fairly
crumbled back. Then it seemed as il
a sudden glory pervaded the little mar
row hallway. For the first time In
thirty years John Blake had kissed
her.
"Oh, joint" she fluttered and the
faded cheeks, yet soft as velvet,
flushed pink and the lips quivered,
and she felt as if she could die con-
tent, and then she seemed to grOpe
her way blindly into the little pafIor
and sank to her knees, collapsing be-
side chair and burst into tears.
"What a fuss a woman makes" she
caught the tones Of her husband out
side, and then, soft and tenderlike-
"All the same, Margaret, you're tho
best wife a man ever had. Hello! l
forgot my cane"
He turned back into the hall and
secured the article required. For a
moment he halted His glance was
fixed upon the half-prostrate woman.
Her hands We're clasped above her
head, the tears We're raining down her
cheeks, her soul seemed soaring heav-
EDWARDS as she uttered the words:
at is worth all the longing and wait
ing Of thirty years-oh: my one only
love. Oh! life is sweet"
"H'm!" John Blake tried to mutter
in his practical phlesmatic way, but
the strong man was shaken. 1t was
the first day in two weeks that John
had been out of the house. He had
recently overdone himself, was laid up
with a bad attack Of rheumatism and
Margaret had nursed him.
a sense of her tireless attention,
sleepless nights, poignant anxieties
had overcome him as he left the house.
A flash of the true worth Of this de-
serving woman had caused that erratic
impulse of sentiment.
How glorious it was to again battle
How neat, and prosperous the farm
looked. Margaret had done double
service as nurse, housekeeper and out
door manager.
Margaret won a furtive. but half
gratiied glance from John as he noted
at supper time that she wore one Of
the tidy white aprons, that had seemed
so dainty and becoming in the earlier
days of their married career.
You mustn't overdO yourself, John,
remember" she said the next morning,
and accompanied him again to the
lOorsT Therefwas something longing
and wistful in her eyes.
"You aren't thinking of yesterdays
nonsense, are you, Margaret" he half
laughed.
yesterdays nonsense kept me hap
py all day long, John,' she said, her
lips trembling.
ITS cheap and handy, anyway"
said he, and went over and gave her
q hearty smack.
CLAW, Aaw!" greeted John outside,
! In the yard, in his gig, was his portly
neishbor Joshua Griggs. He waved
his whip boisterously.
Il say Blake" he hailed, whats
the occasion? Old sparkling days over
aea;nY
John was deeply chagrined. A
frown came to his face.
"No harm done, is there?" he cha!-
lenged angrily.
whats the good, though? Why, I
haven't kissed my wife in ten years.
That soon wears out with the sex,
Blake. Women get man and for
get everything except that he is pro-
WIDER. Your wife drudges, mine GAL
livants-change. change, cnange.
Never satisfied. Bah! the honeymoon
over and they're practical critters"
Perhaps If you kissed your wife
once in a while she would drop SO
much gallivanting."
Don't you criticize my wifel" blurt-
ed Grfggs. 5---' --f-::,,:@.
II amt. You did. Yes, I've made
Margaret drudge"
And she's happy in 1t. Don't dis
turb her way"
But I'm going to mend things,
Joshua. I'm beginning to wonder If
the humdrum way we sink into mere
providers doesn't chill all that is love.
" and natural in women folks"
Margaret" said John the next day,
you're. going to make a two-weeks'
visit to your sister and her two little
kids. You're going to bring them back
here, for good. Miranda is having a
hard time of it, and l see my duty
plain to- make it easier for the poor
widow. With her help you won't be
drudging your life out"
ooh, John! the added burden for
you, their care"
"A blessing, girl" declared John.
"Those two little ones will make music
In the house. There's going to be a
change in affairs around here-phono.
graph, movies, new furniture. maybe
an automobile. you're going to get
something ont of life. if it takes all
I've got. Good-by. Two weeks, take
n good rest and come back ready to
, enjoy the new life" was what John
said when the next day Margaret was
seated in the wagon bound for the