The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-19
The Woman
He Married
BY JANE PHELPS
A DESPERATE MAN.
CHAPTER 7e

were terrible ones. Dick looked wor-
ried all the time, and scarcely spoke
when at home, altho at times he
seemed to make an effort to app ea-
natural. He lost all his old energetic
manner and even forgot to play with
Junior. I, too, was N a condition
bordering on hysteria. I had dis
charged the maid, begrudg.ng the big
slice of Dicks salary it took to pay
her. The month had asked for
when I borrowed the $500 of Mrs.
Gray had come and gone, and hid
neither the money nor the courage to
confess to her that ! had not.
Its gone. Mani I couldn't margin
it any further, and they sold us out
today" Dick said one afternoon when
he came stumbling in. For this first
time saw my husband under the IN
fluence of liquor.
"All gomez" / asked, the serious
ness of what he had told me making
me almost forget that he reeked of
whisky.
All gone." He slumped into a
chair. In a moment he was asleep.
I turned out the light and let him
sleep. I gave Junior dinner, sailing
my own with my tears.
All our money gone. All the little
legacy Dicks father had left him.
And debts-they looked like noun
tains as 1 thought of them while I
busted myself putting Junior to bed,
and clearing away the dinner things.
After a bit I got Dick aroused
enough to undress, with my help, and
he went to bed. For a long time lay
awake. trying to think, to plan what
we would do-what we could do to get
on our feet again. There must be
some way. People didn't lose all
they had without some chance of
winning it back.
Finally. TOO fell asleep. How long
slept I do not know. but L was
awakened suddenly. 1 sat UP in bed,
then put my hand out to waken Dick.
He wasn't beside me. 1t had been his
getting out of bed that had awakened
me. I felt all at once afra;d-of
what? I could not tell. ] got up. put
on my kimona and went down the
hall to the living room. I had only
mules on my feet and SO made no
noise.
Dick sat crouched over the table,
the light from the reading lamp shin,
ing upon a paper upon which he evil
IDENTIFY had been figuring. 1t also
shone on something else that gl;stened.
I moved quietly into the room thru
the half open door. and almost
screamed as 1 saw it was a revolver
Even ash looked Dick raised it in his
With a spring L was upon him, and
knocking his arm, the revolver flew
out of his hand. 1t went off, but
harmlessly. The bullet IMPEDING
itself in the wall.
What did you do that for, Nan?"
Dick turned upon me so fiercely I felt
afraid.
Are you coward, Dick Williams ?"
I asked. What were you going to
do? Leave me to fight all alone for
myself and Junior"
"I am no good, Nan. Everything is
gone. and I owe Burns $1,000"
His last statement had a peculiar
effect upon me.
You borrowed $1,000 of Burns
when?''
He mentioned the time, a day or two
after 1 had repulsed the man.
He offered it to me, told me what
to buy to recoup my losses. 1t went
like that" he snapped his fingers. I
had an instant conviction it had been
done for revenge. It angered me ter
ribly, yet in a way it Gained me.
Come dear. I'll make you q cup of
coffee" My heart yearned over my
big, boyish husband. And never, no
you as a coward. Whatever it is. we
will face it together"
He drank his coffee in great gulps
Then he ate some toast. 1 was sure he
had eaten nothing all day.
You may think I was drunk last
night. Nam" he said finally. perhaps
I was-but not when 1 tried to end it
all. That I determined to do before
1 had a drink. You have prevented
ME, but what are we to de-? How can
We pay that debt? How are we to
live? 1 am sure that unless pay him,
Burns will go to the firm, He has
acted queer ever since he loaned me
that money"
The gray of morning was creeping
in at the window. Suddenly it came
over me- that all this was my fault.
That 7 alone was responsible. 1t had
taken this awful thing, this almost
suicide of my precious husband to
make me get a right perspective upon
my life. my actions, my demands.
What could I do to make up to him
for his ruined faith in himself? In
me? How make good his lost business
integrity which / had practically de-
stroyed?
For all this I must do to keep my
HI,