Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1920-08-12
A LOYAL
GUARDIAN
BY EVELYN LEE

NSopyIlE mt. l9ZV, western Newspaper Union.
Life seemed good all afternoon tt
Egbert Marston, with the strife o.
the morning over-Stately trees to b,
under, soft turf to repose on. TIL,
Last load of hay waes ip lot OF stack
Maiston la2ily stretched himself ant
rest seemed sweet. Then he ARCS,
and advanced toward the broad oper
doorway of the barn, attracted b,
the iiutter of dress and the echo o
silvery laughing tones.
There hung near an unused STALL s
double yoke. Robert Burton had fash
toned ii himself nearly half a centur!
previous but oxen had given place t.
less clumsy and slow going stock. an(
the old yoke remained In view as re
minder and relic. Madge Burton rar
toward ii and poked her sunny fact
and head through it.
Boo" She cried out, playfully IL
her adopted father. who was filling ,
measure with corn for the chickens.
You need mate to make the pic
turc complete" declared Burton
Reckon I'll have to find you one,'
and the girl flushed, embarrassed u,
Fghprt came nearer
"A yoke relow?" he rallied. "Wh,
wouldn't be glad to the task" he wal
going TO say, for they all worked or
the farm Madge as well as the rest
and he supplemented the word priv
ilege." and then added, with an adj
mirins glance at Madge, "and honor
Robert Burton left the twain te
themselves with 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 Sorit after
am gomez"
Meantime the couple he discussed
came out into the yard, strolled in o
desultory way and carried on a casual
conversation under some restraint
That fash Of admiration from Egbert's
eyes as She made pretty picture
framed by the yoke had instantaneous
ly enlightened Madge The responsive
glow in her face had, too, enlightened
him. Egbert did not keep up hi,
strain of gentle bantering. however
1t was Just month later thai
Robert Burton died He had adopted
Madgc, little girl. when his wife
died, and an p,sn daughter could moi
have been more loving, grateful anG
loyal She had indeed been to him 8
helpful, cheerful yoke fellow" To hel
work had become pleasure and she
never shrEed the severest toll.
IT WAS The dead mans lawyer who
unfoldcd the contents of will recent
ly made by the decedent. 1t was brief
simple sud plain Jointly all that Bur
ton had TO leave was to be inherited
by Madge and Egbert, provided the,
married. Otherwise the main part Of
II was to 20 to charity.
"Ilc would have it thus, Madge,'
spoke lEgbert. Gam I to 90 away, OF
are we 10 he the yoke fellows YOU
father hoped we would be?"
Madge said, "Stay," and there was
futtering JOY in her tones as she die
so. They had quiet wedding. set
tied down readily and naturally into
the new life, and happiness seemed
assured.
AT the end of a month Madge begar
to change. 1t puzzled and ther
grieved Egbert to note that her entire
character seemed to undergo a de
velopmcnt that he could not analyze
She was as kindly as ever and as t.
work bore more than her full share
of 1t. She did not encourage the Wis
Its of ncighbors, especially of her owl
sex. She rid the house of liquor OF
which Mr.. Burton had always carried
a stock for harvest use and sickness
Egbert never went TO town but sht
begged to 30 with him. She became
economical to the point of penurious
ness, and on an occasion when Sne
and her husband visa circus, lr
a sudden and almost rren2ied manner
hurried Fgbert away from a stan
where games of chance were going on
Egbert Marston felt an invisible, hui
oppressive yoke restraining all the free
and varied workings of his mind He
could not account for Madge's evel
present watchfulneSs ard her attempts
to shut him ont from the most ordi
nary independence OF action.
One day Madge had gone over IL
nurse a sick neighbor for the after
noon and Egbcrt ransacking the room
hn a lo; al, +f
open the drawer of desk that haG
always been Madge's own property
He did not locate the sought-for artl
Gle, but Glanced to come across some
loose papers which he discerned at 6
glance had belonged TO Mr.. Burton.
One showed a crumpled soiled con
dition. as if it had been read a great
many times. 1t was In Mr.. Burton's
own handwriting and it told of an in
vestigation he had made Its subject
was a person he had thought of EN-
ploying, but the reports he had re
ceived made out the applicant as g
drinker. a gainester and undesirable
generally.
1--WE solved it'll" almost shouted Egg
bert in transport of glad enlighten
ment, and so satisfied was he that he
had discovered clew to Madge's
strange action that he at once went
over to the neighbors to see her.
"NIadge," he spoke, when she Joined
him outside, has that paper anything
to do with the way you have acted?'
Eyes, everything" came the truthful
reply. my hearts one thought has