The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-04-17
The Test of
Patience
BY VICTOR REDCLIFFE


Copyright. 1919. by Western Newspaper UniOn)
Her life was wrecked and, searching
memory for the cause, Aida Reeves
felt that she had unconsciously con-
tributed to that disaster. Now that
the experience of three years lay out
spread before her, and she took a first
calm and coherent survey of its details,
she doubted If the influence of others
had been at all salutary and her own
action wise or even just.
| At fresh, blooming eighteen, Aida
Reeves had married Morton Blake be-
cause she loved him. He was poor and
his prospects lay solely along the line
| of acquiring a prOfessorship In a col
lege where, so far, he had not got be-
yond the salary of a tutor. They could
not start in housekeeping and he de-
cded temporarily to board.
"You made mistake In marrying
poor man." Alice Leigh said. There
was Rodney Thorne, the young lawyer,
with small fortune and deeply in love
with you. l don't say that Morton is
|
and does the best he can, but you silly
two will starve to death waiting for
the prlncely professorship Morton will
never get"
This prediction turned cut true. The
shrewd manipulation of more polite
and planning candidates entirely
swept Blake's chances aside. Aida
became irritated and gloomy at the
outlook ahead. She chafed secretly
He began to think Of striking out into
new fields and one day announced that
| he had been recommended for chair
in new university in Oregon. Blake
greeted the prospective change with
| delight. He was to so alone to his new
post and arrange for her later recep-
| ton. A month later there came de
pressing news. The new college had
| burned down two days after the ar
rival of Blake. Its rebuilding was
| matter Of doubt. The gentle spirit of
| Blake weakened under the strain of
| disappointment and uncertainty, Aida,
| urged on by her sister, wrote some re-
proachful letters. Blake felt that he
was not welcome back at his old home
town. He met with an accident, Grip
| ping one limb his general health
| broke down and, hearing of little re-
mote settlement where a schoOlteacher
was needed, he went thither, planning
to get along on the meager salary I'M
| til he recovered his health.
Mrs. Leigh was convinced that her
| despised brother-in-law would never
amount to anything. She advised Aida
not to waste her life on an unworthy
| object. She called in the young law
yer, Thorne. Between them they poi
| soned Aida's mind. They almost inhu-
enced her TO believe that Blake had
purposely deserted her, anxious to
shirk responsibilities he could not
meet. Step by step Aida was led on to
action she later regretted. 1t came
finally to divorce. Sharp.witted
Rodney Thorne applied for alimony
| and, with breaking heart in PARKWAY
| Idaho, Morton Blake silently accepted
| the verdict of the court and lived out
| his broken life alone.
Regularly the fifty dollars a month
reached Aida. 1t was after she found
herself legally separated from the hus-
band she had loved that she began to
| realize the enormity, the sheer wicked
| ness of her actions. She upbraided
her sister, she wept at the slightest
| provocatiOn and one day a flood of
light came to her mind when Rodney
Thorne asked her to marry him. She
rebuffed him almost harshly.
~ see 1t ALI cried the distracted
| Aida to her sister, later. ut is all
plot-you never liked Morton and you
have conspired with Thorne to influ-
| ence me to break the heart of the tru-
est man in the world. Oh, why did l
desert him in his time of sore trou
| blew
Alice Leigh was sullenly discomfit-
| ed Mr.. Thorne became uneasy and
conscience-stricken. Poor Aida broke
| down utterly. She became almost a
nervous wreck. The report of the ply
| stefan alarmed Alice. Change of scene
was urged and Mrs. Leigh, going to
California, took Aida with her on the
| trip.
The train halted for two hours to
| make connections at a junction point.
| While her sister was seated in the OBJ
servation car Aida hastily indited
note, placed it on the seat in the sec
ton and left the train. The note in
| formed Mrs. Leigh that she would re-
| join or telegraph her later at the ter
| minus.
| Time tables she consulted had in
| formed Aida that Oelwein was only
| twenty miles away, from which town
| had come the remttances from Blake.
| II must see him; my heart is hun
| gerlng for him." was the burden OF
| Aida's soul That afternoon she stole
| glance through an open window.
where Morton Blake was patiently, low
| ingly teaching little class of children,
| and later Aida located the little cot
| tage where he lived
She learned of the wretched pay he
received, and then how, submissive
to the DEGREES of fate, he must have
well-nigh gone without the bare com
forts OF life in order that she might
receive the money the law had award
ed her.
She fell upon her knees before him
as he entered the rude cabin where
she was awaiting him. She sobbed out
| II ri