The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1920-10-02
THE HEADOF
THE FAMILY

By oTILLIA F. PFEIFrER

When her only daughter Lucille
married Myron Bradley and went
away to live In rented apartment,
her piotler closed up every room In
the house except two on the ground
aoor. 1t was an old, but pretty place,
, out 1t became lonely and gloomy dis
possessed OF the bright, vivacious girl
who had made 1t home, Indeed. H
sides that, a thrifty. economical won.
an with keen business sense. Mrs.
Clayton reckOned on fuel and general
labor saving. besides having a definite
purpose In view In behalf OF the young
adventurers on the sea Of natrimOny.
The marriage of the twain seemed
ideal. They were deeply In love mutu.
ally. Lucille WAS patient and devoted.
Myron had never paid attention to my
sther girl. They seemed absorbed each
In the other and no token of cloud
threatened the fair sky Of love.
The path Of Mrs. Clayton had not
been one of roses in holding on to her
little home and bringing up and edu
eating her daughter. Her husband had
died when Lucille was only eight years
Of age, leaving little except encum.
percd property. His widow Ind
thought and worked hard TO get rid Of
indebtedness and acquire little sur
p1ls She was sure OF two material
points when Myron Bradley welded
Lucille. These were TINT she had train
ed her daughter to full obedience, to
accept her counsel and that MyrOn
really liked her. The policy adopted
oy the wise mother was to win and
mold the love and respect Of her son.
.n-inw. She realized that. lonely as
she was, denied the constant company
or her only child, she must not betriy
her sentiments nor infringe upon the
lew relationship.
Mrs. Clayton set about eliminating
herself from the life and struggles,
the ups and downs Of the newly wed.
bed couple. She visited them only once
a week. She preached to Lucille fond
-ttcntion to Myron on all occasions
aud treated her sOn-in-lnw NJ II she
trusted him implicitly. Experienced and
observing person that she was. she
secretly followed the course Of the
marital life those two led, but never
mingled In 1t or criticised or advised.
All the time, however, she was placing
secure foundation to be prepared to
win them more fully and assist them
when the hour Of need arrived. Pa
riently and intclligently she awaited
that juncture, and was not surprised
when one day Myron came to her with
a serious face. She welcomed him.
1--WE come to see you about Lucille
and myself, mother" said MyrOn. "She
Is the dearest little wife that ever
lived, and love her more and more
every day Of my life"
"Thnt is MS 1t should be-" encour.
aged Mrs. Clayton. "and with TINT for
the basis YOU cannot fall to gain hap
piness and peace"
"Yes. but. you see, we are young
and inexperienced and make many
mistakes. II would be different II we
had you right at hand to decide for
rs knotty questions rs they come up.
Honestly, mother. l get hOmeslck and
lonesome for you. Can't you arrange
TO come and stay with us permanent
-? Lucille will he happier, ind
would feel as IL there WAS a stnncI.
sensible pilot at the helm who would
steer us clear of the rocks we run up
against every once In while"
"What are the rocks. Myron" In.
CURED Mrs. Clayton gently.
swell, we are both extruvagant."
confessed Myron desperately. Come
to reckon up, We find that we have
lived way beyond our means and are
in a sort Of tangIe. Lucille does her
best in running the house md don't
waste any money outside Of home ex
censes, but somehow We have been
getting behind. In fact. there is-thcre
Is q deficit. In wOrd--cOme and help
us get on the right basis"
Mrs. Clayton was too diplomatic to
assent to the first impulsive notions
af her son-in-law. Dearly as she would
love to be with these, her children,
she realized that 1t would be, ut the
best, an experiment. Myron got down
to details and Mrs. Clayton grasped
them In their full practical sense. Be-
fore he left she had solved the
problem. not offering the suggestion.
o1t leading him to the only Ioint she
would consider MS partaking In their
affairs.
Myron was delighted TO give up their
apartment and come to live at
home The old house was to be open
ID up In Its original CHEEKY hOmelike-
aess and he was to contribute stated
amount for sustaining 1t. A program
was mapped out where Mrs. Clayton
vas to be the directing force, and the
happy husband and wife settled down
into their new career under mothers
fond protecting wing"
Within six months Lucille had been
trained into the cleverest Of house
keepers, and Nyron had retrieved. the
extravaganza of the past under the