The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-11-17

complaining. He whistled over his
dressing, read the paper at breakfast,
and was gone. At noon he rushed In,
always late, devoured his lunch ap-
preciatiyely, and was gone again. At
night he was usually tired, inclined to
quarrel about small matters, inclined
to disapproye Of the new positions Of
the bedroom furniture, or the way
cherry's hair was dressed.
He loved to play poker and was hos
pitable to certain extent. He would
whistle and joke over the prepara-
tions for a rarebit after a game, and
would willingly walk five blocks for
beer II Cherry had forgotten to get It.
On Sunday he liked to see her prettily
gowned; now and then they motored
with his friends from the mine; more
often walked, ate hearty chicken
dinner. and went to cold supper in
the neighborhood, with "Five Hun
dred" to follow. At ten their hostess
would flutter into her kitchen; there
would be lemonade and beer and rich
layer cake. Then the men would be-
gin to match poker hands, and the
women to discuss babies in low tones.
Cherry never saw her husband SO
animated or so interested as when
men he had known before CHANGED to
drift into town, mining men from Ne
vada or from III Nido, or men he had
known In college. They would dis
cuss. personalities, would shout over
recollected good times, would slap
each other on the back and laugh
tirelessly.
She thought him an extremely diff
cult man to live with, and was angered
when her hints to this effect led him
to remark that she was the "limit."
They had serious quarrel one day,
when he told her that she was the
most selfish and spoiled woman, he
had ever known. He called her at
tention to the other women Of the
town nrbusy, contented women, sending
children off to school, settling babies
down for maps in sunny dooryards,
cooking and laughing and hurrying to
and fro.
"Yes, and look at them" Cherry
said with ready tears. Shabby, thin,
tired all the timer
"The trouble with you is," Martin
said, departing, you've been told that
you're pretty and sweet all your life
and you're spoiled! You are pretty,
YES" he added, more mildly. "But,
BY George, you sulk so much, and you
crab SO much, that I'm darned if
see it any more All see is troublev'
With this he left her. Left her to
a burst Of angry tears, at first, when
she dropped her lovely little head on
the blue gingham of her apron sleeve
and cried bitterly.
The kettle began to sing on the
stove, bee came in and wandered
about the hot kitchen; the grocer
knocked, and Cherry let the big lout
of boy stare at her red eyes un-
caring.
Then she went swiftly into the bed
room and began to pack and change.
She'd show Martin Lloyd-she'd show
Martin Lloyd! She was going straight
to Dad-she'd take the-take the
She frowned. She had missed the
nine o'clock train; she must wait for
the train at half-past two. Wait
where? Well, she could only wait
here. Very well, she would wait here.
She would not get Martin any lunch,
and when he ragged she would explain. IS
She finished her packing and put the
house In order Then, in unaccustomed
mid-morning leisure, she sank into a
deep rocker and began to read. Quiet
and shade and order reigned in the
little house.
Steps came bounding up to Cherry's
door; her heart began to beat; knock
sounded. She got to her feet, puzzled;
Martin did not knock.
It was Joe Robinson, his closest
friend at the mine.
"Say, listen, Mrs. Lloyd; Mart can't
get home to dinner said Joe. "He
don't feel extra well--he was in the