The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1920-05-10
BLIND HUSBANDS.

An6 "lNu WHlSJIcu dIOuHu inc COIICl
If the house and sighed venomously
at being held in lash, biting and strik
ing to the bone with its chilly breath
the poor pedestrian who dared brave
the unfavorable elements Black
menaeing clouds scurried across the
sky and now and then wicked tongue
of flame darted out with its accom-
panying clap of thunder.
In the room of the owner of the
house a death-like stiffness pervaded
with only faint gllmmer from the
fire place and the occasional glare of
the lighting to light its interior. In
a corner of the room on the large,
sanopied, mahogany bed of his father,
John Barrow lay dying. His wife sat
by the bedside and her wan strained
face betokened hours of suffering and
mental anguish. Huddled in another
corner of the room were their two chill
dren who completed the entire family
connection of the Barrows. Not IN
Outstanding but realizing IN some way
that disaster was impending, their
peaked faces and bright eyes followed
every move near the bedside. The
doctor raised up from the bed with
an air of sad finality and gently COW
cred the face with the sheet The ele-
ments seemed to be playing an accom-
paniment to the dirge of the death
angel for the shrieks of the wife were
drowned in the mighty crash of thun-
der which marked the passing of Bar
row to his makers throne.
The ensuing days were full of the
usual sad activities that follow the
death of a much loved one. The fu-
neral was over and the few letters
and kilograms of sympathy and con-
dolement were answered and put away.
Then came the crash. Small wonder
indeed that the ruler of the elements
saw fit to be displeased at the death
Of John Barrow and accompany his
death with an outburst from the sky.
When the administrator of the estate
of the deceased had stral ghtened out
the tangled affairs, it was found tnat
she wife and children had been left
absolutely pennlless and a mortgage
On the home they lived in. 1t seems
scarcely possible that man of aver
age intelligence could be so blind to
the future and put such an unwieldy
handicap on an innocent mother and
children. Barrow had always seemed
10 be well fixed and spent great deal
Of money on his family but what had
It amounted to. In the day of their
greatest need he had left them moth
ing to keep the wolf away from the
door. God pity those who are de-
pendent on the bounty of an unseeing
man who will not guard against the
uncertainties of the future.
The twilight of another day was
giving way to long shadows of night
and in the same room woman sat
huddled over the few remaining Goals
IN the fireplace. The children had
long since been put to bed but no
dou-lt of sleep had entered Eve Bar
COWS mind. She was facing one of
she greatest crises of her life and
she cards were all against her. One
by one she had parted with the things
she had held so dear, her jewels, fur
allure and even her fine clothing and
again her larder was bare There
was nothing left to sell except her
chest of silver, one of her wedding
presents, and large lfe-size por-
trait of her husband for which she
had been offered a good sum on ac-
aOgnt of its beautiful inlaid gold
srame. Her soul cried out in anguish
at the weighty problem she was forced
70 cope with and tears streamed down
fDPn nc ho cnnt aryaal 70
che high heavens for relief. She
glanced at the portrait which was fas-
sened to the wal directly over the fire
place and an expression of sad re
proach crossed her face.
"Oh, John" she cried in a voice
broken with great sobs." if you Knew
what you had caused me and your chill
iren, you would have prepared against
such an emergency as this. That
who have always been sheltered from
the cold mercenary side of the world
should be thrust upon my own re-
sources and with two small children
20 rear The task is too great, how
| am to accomplish it only God knows.
Tomorrow the interest on the mort
gage is due and I must sell the silver
ware to pay it, and when that is gone
| am at the end of my rope"
Slowly she rose from her chair and
started to her room to try to sleep.
One could hardly recognize the Eve
Barrow of four months ago when she
was the carefree, happy wife Of a
seemingly prosperous man, well on the
rosy side of maturity, with health and
everything else she wished But now,
ler emanciated face was lined with
cares and the deep blue hollows under
her eyes caused them to burn with an
unnatural light. Her brain was numb
ed for want of sleep and she seemed
TO be wandering around in a continual
state Of mental apathy, oblivious to
her surroundings unless with her chill
dren and forever wearing the hunted
look Of the deer that has run an un-
even race and now stands with his