Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1919-07-11
THE BETTER PART
BY VICTOR REDcLlFFE.

BrInT
Il am happy and fortunate In saying
YES"
Cora is a fine girl" declared Myron
Blair. I'D ought to know, for she is
my sister-in-law. She will make You
q good wife. only-one piece of advice.
cut out the mother.in-aw."
II hardly understand you" spoke
Wallace Brill, with manifest resent
ment.
"You will when you get farther
along in your experience. See here
as relatives prospective by courtesy, l
can be plain with you. II one princl-
pie was instllled into my nature by
prejudice and observation it was the
mother-in-law problem. When | mar
ried Bella Mayne | made up my mind
to run no risks of having a fussy, med
dlesome old lady on my hands. OF
course | said nothing to Bella. OF
course | treated Mrs. Wayne with all
due respect. Firmly, persistently,
| though, | adopted a policy of proceed
urc that set up the bars against any
mother-in-law INVASION settled down
in house Mt the farther end of the
! village on purpose, so Mrs. Mayne
wouldn't find 1t convenient to run in
on us every day. When the two chill
dren came along I saw to it that they
| didn't come under her rule and nflu-
! ence in any way. No. sir! tell you,
! Brill, the man who wants a wel-or-
| dercd household must keep the mother
! n-law at n distance. Hello. There's
man want to see ON business" and
the yoluble speaker darted off
Wallace was glad, In another mo-
| ment he would have been unable to
| control his Indignation To him the
! mother of his bride expectant was al.
| most q part of herself. and person
| for whom he felt dutlful and respect
| full consideration. Then, again. Wal
! lace knew something of ''the system"
Of Myr0n Blair and lis results. 1t had
| not worked. except for the selfish bene-
! fit of shallow, self-opinIonated Blair.
| As Wallace was we'll aware 1t had
| brought misery and unhappiness to
| otherS-victims who made no com
| plant, but silently experienced their
| wretchedness because they were of
noble self-sacrticing nature When
Blair installed the daughter In q home
two miles away, Mrs. Mayne expert
enced loneliness that might have been
easily avoided. When Blair jealousy
restricted the children to only occa-
sional formal visits to their grand
mother, it almost broke her heart The
absence of her mother at critical juno
lures in her life meant suffering and
! a broken constitution for Bella, and
| the boastful, insenSate Blair fancied
| that as model disciplinarlan he was
a decided success
Wallace Brill had not known Il
mothers care from early childhood
When he began to pay attention to
Cora Mayne it seemed as though her
mother came to fill a precious place in
his life.
Very careful was Mrs. Wayne
to refrain from intruding her per
sOnality or her views upon this
new prospective Son-in-law, but she
bestowed many grateful look upon
i''iii anu ilNl tA'lt Ntdl1tl lltdIl NdIlll-
| ed toward him. as he clearly
showed that he not only desired, but
cherished her interest and counsel in
the problems that confronted Cora and
himself on the threshold of their mat
rimonial venture.
Wallace was doing well in n bust
ness way. He had been thrifty and
ho1
him TO start out In life with home
of his own. When he first spoke to
Cora of this 1t was In the presence of
her mother.
We'll, | settled about n lot today"
ne announced in his brisk, pleasant
way. II say, mother, there's one dis
appointment. l have tried to get as
near as possible to the old homestead
here. but the only vacant lot that fitted
to my money requirements was two
squares down the street."
"That-that is not far, Is it, Wal
lace1" spoke the Old lady Her tones
| were tremulous
IF you will put on your spectacles,
mother" went on Wallace, "we'll all
| draw up to the table and look over
some plans for a new house got from
the architect today. "There," as he
settled her In the most comfortable
chair and~ylirectly at his side with
such counsellOrs as you precious two,
I'll warrant Wen have regular little
! palace"
With his pencil Wallace went over
| the plans-parlor, dining room, kitch-
en-, bedrooms, closets. and then he in
dicated IA special apartment.
TIN throwing myself on that ROOM"
emphasized Wallace with a token OF
rare pride in his tones. Sunlight on
three sides, ventilation perfect, con-
venient TO all the other rooms In the
house What do you think of 1t,
;nother?"
"Your den, l suppose?" said Mrs.
Mayne.
ooh, no." replied Wallace promptly.
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