Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-03
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE:

ed to start it but who might care now
to take it up. The story is proving
immensely popular with those who
began it with the first chapter. The
daily installments of complete chap
ter each are brief enough to be read
in a few minutes, and so full of ac-
ton and stripped of tiresome detail
and description that it is much more
enjoyable than the average continued
story. THE Promoters Wife" will
run for many weeks, and will continue
in interest to the end. There are
many surprises to come. Start it to-
day, if you failed last week
IN THE BEGINNING.
CHAPTER l.
WAS born in a little midwestern
/ town, and had lived there all my
life. My home was a long, narrow.
white building shaped good deal like
the toy Noah's Arks theq sell to amuse
children. There was a small unpre-
tending entrance, which opened into a
shallow hall. The interior was as I'M
pretentious as the entrance. yet it was
in every way comfortable.
The house was set clmost in the CEN
ter of large lawn C'yard," we called
it, In the season it was filled with
flowers of all kinds, in not very SYM
metrical beds, and in borders along
the walks that led both to the front
and back door. Then there were flow
ering shrubs and bushes set down hap
hazard, and several large trees. When
everything was in bloom it was a very
attractive looking place. But in the
late fall and winter when the wind
whistled through the shrub sand rock
ed the giant branches of the trees,
stripped naked of their summer dress,
the long low white house had rather
pathetic look. | hated the winter. 1t
was always so unattractive in Hunt
ington, where many of the houses were
almost replica of the one in which
we lived land where the streets so
beautifully shaded in summer by the
interlaced shade trees, were bleak and
unattractive. because of the bare
trunks and branches of those same
trees
| used to think that there could be
no other place in the world where the
wind howled and groaned, as if in ag-
ony, as it did in Huntington. But as
my experiences afield had been only
to neighboring towns, I was, perhaps,
incapable of Judging Yet, now, after
years of city living, l still shudder
when l think of the way the wind
whistled and moaned through the
trees and shrubs in my old home.
Father kept a small store. We
never knew what it was to really want
for anything; yet mother counted ev-
cry penny. l never had an allowance
because there was only just so much,
and nothing must be wasted. Yet as 1
look back it is the only criticism l
would make of my father and mother.
They brought me UP without allowing
me to handle a penny, or to use my
judgment in spending. Mother bought
my clothes, and we made them to-
gether. If l had any little extras, as
l grew older, she always got them for
me.
I sometimes read stories of girls
who had an allowance that they were
permitted to spend exactly as they
chose. These stories always made me
envious. and would wish I too, might
have money of my own to spend Then
would weave dreams of time when
l would be married, and l, like mother
would buy for the family But
strangely | never dreamed of any of
the town boys as a possible husband.
had played and danced-gone to school
and Sunday school with them, and in a
way was very fond of them, as one is
in small town where the boys and
girls grow up together. But whenever
thought of marriage it was not with
one of them.
/ was just twenty-five the summer
that Neil Forbes came to visit his
aunt She lived next door to us. and
met Neil almost Immediately There
is very little ceremony in a place like
Huntington.
l was coming home from the store
carrying parcel for mother when as
l passed Mrs. Carriers gate she called
to me:
Come in Bah. l want you to meet
my nephew" My real name was
Barbara, Barbara Hill; but everyone