Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-03-19
ri.llcnlnIIs,v

Herb ,trIightcned up and looked at
her with a puzzled frown Mibb''
eyes were blazing. He lid not com
prchcnd. but he scnScd domestic
breakers ahead And the sea of ma
trimony had been in more or less OF
n turbulent condition ever since he
had pushed his bark from the shore.
He turned back to his horse, scratch
ed over Il space of the glossy black
coat and tapuol out the currycomb on
" dnorpo,t.
"An,wcr nc" And Nib stompcd
her foot.
81 don't know what you're talkin'
about" he replied duly.
"W hat do you mean by going over
there unbeknown to me-thc Purses
OF AL places !-espccially to that little
sentimental chit of Il Mary Purse
and mcwling around about Us not
having Il lot of brats!"
Herb curricd for Il moment in 81
lcncc.
Call 'em children" he suggested.
at sounds better!'
"I'll call 'em what | pleasc.'
81 amt called upon for no explain
atoms. Reckon can go where !
want and say what | please. There
waln't any prohibition o that in the
marriage license"
"Haven't you any sense of prop
priety? Haven't you any family
pridc?"
Family pride? Sure! That's
why I'd like Il few little shavers
round this stiff and stuck-up place
like Thomas Joshua Of the Purses"
But if you and l don't think alike
on that subject doesn't common de-
ccncy and manhood demand that you
keep quiet about it and not adver-
tisc our differences TO the town"
"Ain't advertised Fem to the town.
Amt said word about you to the
pursc's--Mary or anybody. Just been
over there few times and played
with their kid. Where's the harm in
that"
"You must have said something a.
bout X or Mary Purse wouldn't have
known"
"Mary Purse amt nobody's female
fool, I guess. That's more'n / can
say O some people,"
$50 you'd insult met"
81 wish l had the cussedness in me
to insult you. Wish I had it in me
to be damned wifc-beater. Maybe
we'd both be happier"
"If you ever laid a finger on me,
you know what wouldhappen. Id-l'd
leave you, Herb Trumann,-pd leave
you as sure as God made little
apples"
81 believe it," Herb rcjomcd.
"That's why say I wish I had it
in me and that both of us'd be hap
pier"
Mibb bit her lip. The blood ran.
She grew a bit hysterical.
EYES," she cried shrilly, "-you
talked like that to me the night we
rode down to Brattleboro, didn't you?
A pretty way to cheat Culinary
her and take away her liberty so she
can't marry anybody else without a
divorce or a scandal and then"
81 can't see as you're the one that's
cheated. What about me-"
"You. You! What about you!-"
Herb tossed the curIy-comb nom
chalantly into the rack and picking
up the big black brush he began us
ing it on Monday Washing's fine-spun
tail.
eyes, what about me!
"You think more of that mare than
you think of mel"
"Shc's worth more! At least she's
honest and square and don't try to
be what God never made her to be
in the first place. She gives me
square service; she's always glad TO
see me; she loves me-a little bit!-"
Beside herself, the girl raised the
parasol and Hprang at the mares
head.
$50 she loves you! Fiddlesticks"
She struck the sociablc little ami
malone, two, three sharp blows a.
cross the head.
"Stop!" roared Herbert as the mare
reared wildly.
He came around to the horses
head
w'u 49, again and thcre'll be
t"unb!." ~ * hoarsely.
Eh~n'u be- trouble! What kind
1f trouble? What will you do?
u hat?
He quoted his horse, stroking the
silky nose and the quivering nostrils.
"'Mibb," he said hoarsely, you
and me Ju jas" >a!ont hitchrasa,d the soon
er We realize it the better. I've give
you whatever you've wanted in the
way O. money; I've bought this place
aud fixed it up for you just as you
ard that hellon Of II mother O yours
l said I'd be Il sport and
play square and perhaps try to get
you to love me-"
"You talk as though you'd done me
| favor by marrying me-"
(which l did. You never give a
loot for me. 1t was what cash | had
access to, that made you do it. If
ID been poor as Jack Purse you
wouldn't have done it in a thousand
vears. But | was pretty well fixed
md hcart-hungry for woman