The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-02-26

DelllS mixed up IN thls-Nell, tneteU
/ be something to settle on that score
too. Hitch up the drivers, Allan, and
he quick about it,"
You're not going 70 leave your
blowing. are yOu?" asked his wife.
The words sprang to her lips without
any miSintent. II was such an unusual
thing for her husband, on any account
TO leave the farm work unfinished
The practice on the Harris homestead
I was work first, all other cOnsdera-
tons second.
That's enough of your sarcasm"
he snapped. 81 would think when our
| name is threatened with a disgrace
like this YOU would he ms anxious to
defend it as | am. How is it you go
| hack on me in n moment like this?
| You're not the woman you once were
Mary"
"And you're not the man You once
were, John" she answered "Oh. can't
| you see that were just reapinG what
has been sOwn-the crop we've been
raising through all these years? Beu-
| lah's very life has been crying out for
| action. for scope. for room. for some
thing that would give her reason for
existence. that would put a purpose
into her life. and we've not tried TO
answer that cry. l blame myself as
| much as YOU. John, perhaps more, be-
cause | should have read her hPart-I
should have seen the danger signals
long ago. But I WAS so busy. didn't
think. That's the trouble, John. we've
been so busy, both of us. we haven't
taken time 10 keep up with her. We've
gathered some property together. and
! our cares have grown I'm proportion.
hut that which was more to us than
all the property in the world We have
lOSt-because we valued il less" The
tears were slowly cOurSing down her
! cheeks and her thin. wOrk-wOrn arms
were stealing about his neck. "Don't
! think. dear" she whispered. "that Tn
Indifferent. or that this hurts me less
than you. or that I would shield my
self from one iOta of my Just blame
| but let US face the fact that it has
been our mistake rather than Beu-
| labs"
He removed her arms. not urgently.
81 never thought II would come TO
| this" he said. 81 thought humored
| her every way | could. AS for our
! hard work-well. work makes money,
and noticed Beulah could spend her
| share"
You don't understand. John. 1t
/ wasn't the work, it was the making a
god of work. and giving II so much Of
our lives that there was none left for
! her. That's why she looked some
where else-if she has looked some
where else"
"Allan works as hard and harder
than ever Beulah did. and Allan
| doesn't feel that way about IT."
That's true" she admitted "but
AlIan's ambition is work. He works
and is satisfied. but Beulah thinks
and is not satisfied. It's the difference
in their nature. and we didn't take II
into consideration" In every phrase
=.
that the burden might unite instead of
separate them.
"If she'd thought a little more be-
fore this mad prank ii would have
been better for everybody" he said.
swell. she'll have plenty of time tC
think yet" He stepped to the kitchen
door. and from the nail above tool
down the repeating rifle.
you're not going TO take that" she
cried. "Don't take that, John. Il
can't possibly do any good, and it may
do a lot of harm"
81 won't do anything foolish" he
answered. >"but I'll take 1t along, just
the same"
Allan, with the drivers harnessed
to the top buggy, was now at the door.
Without saying good-by to his wife
Harris Joined him, and the two set
off on their search. Almost at the
gate they met George Grant, who had
come over to haul water for another
days blowing. He stopped in some
surprise at the turnout.
81 guess we won't be blowing to-
day." said Harris. He hesitated be-
fore Georges questioning look, and
certain sense of family shame came
upon him. But it was evident that he
could hardly search for Beulah with
out mentioning her departure, and he
might as well make clean breast of
the affair.