Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-07-15
A LOYAL
GUARDIAN
BY EVELYN LEE
Observation-Disclosures
Copyright. 1920, Western Newspaner Unto

-'r''N'e t'A'i ototi WIN lhS ClilLS VI
the morning over-stately trees to b,
under, soft turf to repose on. This
Last load of hay was In loft or stack
Marston lazily stretched himself ant
rest seemed sweet. Then he AROSE
and advanced toward the broad opet
doorway of the barn, attracted b,
the tiutter Of dress and the echo OF
silvery laughing tones.
There hung near an unused stall, {
double yoke. Robert Burton had fash
toned it himself nearly half a century
previous. but oxen had given place t.
less clumsy and slow going stock, ant
the old yoke remained in view as re
hinder and relic. Madge Burton rar
toward it and poked her sunny face
and head through it.
"BooY" she cried out, playfully Il
her adopted father, who was filling s
measure with corn for the chickens.
you need mate to make the pic
ture complete" declared Burton
"Reckon I'll have to find you one'
and the girl flushed, embarrassed al
TsDbTl Culllt IicuItI.
"a yoke fellow" he rallied. "Wht
wouldn't be glad to the task" he wa:
going TO say. for they all worked or
the farm, AIadge as well as the rest
and he supplemented the word priv
ilege,' and then added, with an ad
miring glance at Madge, "and honor
Robert Burton left the twain tc
themselves with a chuckle as sud.
den idea flashed into his mind. 81
wonder now" he soliloquized, "if
needn't worry any more about Madge
being left alone in the world after J
am gomez"
Meantime the couple he discussed
came out into the yard, strolled in
desutory way and carried on casual
conversation under some restraint
That fash of admiration from Egbert's
eyes as she made pretty picture
framed by the yoke had instantaneous
~ enllehtened Madge. The responsive
glow in her face had, too, enlightened
him. I1gbert did not keep up his
strain of gentle bantering, however,
1t was just a month later that
Robert Burton died. he had adopted
Madgc, little girl, when his wife
died, and an own daughter could not
have been more loving, grateful and
loyal She had indeed been to him a
helpful, cheerful "yoke fellow" To her
work had become pleasure and she
never shirked the severest toll.
1t was the dead mans lawyer who
unfolded the contents of will recent.
ly made by the decedent. 1t was brief,
simple and plain. Jointly all that Bur.
ton had to leave was to be Inherited
by Madge and Egbert, provided they
married. Otherwise the main part OF
it was to 20 to charity.
'He would have it thus, Madge,"
spoke Egbert. Gam I to go away, or
are we to be the yoke fellows your
father hoped we would be?"
Madge said "Stay," and there was
futtering joy in her tones as she did
so. They had a quiet wedding, set
tied down readily and naturally into
the new life, and happiness seemed
assured.
At the end of month Madge began
to change. 1t puzzled and then
grieved Eghert to note that her entire
character seemed to undergo de-
velopment that he could not analyze
She was as kindly as ever and as to
work bore more than her full share
of It, She did not encourage the Wis.
! Its of neighltors. especially of her OWL
sex. She rid the house of liquor, OF
which Mr.. Burton had always carried
stock for harvest use and sickness
Egbert never went to town but she
begged TO go with him. She became
economical to the point of penurious
ness, and on an occasion when she
and her husband visited the circus, In
| a sudden ana almost frcnZied manner
hurried Egbert away from stant
where games of chance We're going on
! Egbert Marston felt an invisible, but
| oppressive yoke restraining all the free
and varied workings of his mind. He
| could not account for Madge's ever
present watchfulness and her attempts
| to shut him out from the most ordi
| nary independence of action.
One day Madge had gone over IL
+ nurse sick neighbor for the after
4 noon and Egbert ransacking the room
/ for razor he hnd mislaid, Glanced t.
1 open the drawer of a desk that hat
4 always been Madge's own property
I He did not locate the sought-for arti
/ a1n +O
/ loose papers which he discerned at ,
/ glance had belonged to Mr.. Burton.
One showed q crumpled soiled con
dition. as if it had been read a grea
! many times. 1t was in Mr.. Burton
own handwriting and it told of an in
vestigation he had made Its subjec
was a person he had thought of EN-
ploying, but the reports he had re
ceived made out the applicant as
drinker, a gamester and undesirable
generally
1--WE solved It'll" almost shouted Ee
bert in n transport of glad enlighten
ment and so satisfied was he that h
had discovered clew to Madge'
strange action that he at once wen
over to the neighbors to see her.
"Madge," he spoke, when she joine
him outside, 'has that paper anything
to do with the way you have acted?
Eyes, everything came the truthful
reply. my hearts one thought ha
been to keep you from becoming wha
you once We're"
"Oh, you foolish, mistaken little fai
ry!" cried Egbert. "Mr. Burton rea
that paper to me once and told me
concerned man he came near hiring