The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-22
The Woman
He Married
A DIFFICULT TIME.
BY JANE PHELPS


Chapter IA.
That very afternoon Dick put the
lot into the hands of the agent OF
whom he had bought it.
at must get rid of it at once even IL
get back less than have put in it,
I can pay no more interest" OF course
we had to pay interest until the lot
was all paid for.
piled, but real estate is slow just
now" When Dick told me I felt like
saying: isn't everything in the world
against us?' but 1 would not discour-
| age him by word. encouragement
was what he needed now.
I wrote mother and asked her to
let me have all she could. 1t wouldn't
be much, but perhaps enough to help
a little. I told her eyerything-just
how bad a wife had been from the
very beginning, how had squandered
Dicks money for clothes, had run him
| in debt, and everything.
She sent us SOCIAL she had.
With the money came letter such
as only a loving mother could write.
| Not one word of blame, not a single
| word-just loving advice for the fu-
ture, and belief in both of us. When
I showed the letter to Dick he cried
like a baby. Then wept too. Some
way those tears over mothers letter
GREW US SLlll closer IOSelnGr.
1 paid Mrs. Gray at once, then
gave the other 800 to the tradesmen.
Now we would be paying for all we
| had for the house-and having as lit
| tie as possible.
Invent to the furniture people. This
| was the only thing 1 did without con-
| sulting Dick I told them we couldn't
pay the balance on our furniture for a
| long time. perhaps never. L asked
them to take it back, taking also some
of the paid-for pieces to reimburse
| them for the use of the other.
The manager of the store was aw-
fully nice.
IF all people whom we trust came
| to us as honestly, Mrs. Williams, we
! would have less trouble" He agreed
| to do as I asked after consulting with
another man.
Dick fairly beamed when I told him
| what I had done.
You are great little financier.
Mani" he said. THAT furniture ac-
count looked pretty big
But he was not to be allowed to
| feel happy over anything very long.
| The very next day he lost his position.
| He told me about it in a hopeless sort
| of way that was worse than if he
| had been angry and stormed.
ogden said they had heard spec
ulated, and as it was necessary to re-
| duce expenses because of the condi-
tons in the country, loss of trade, ct
cetera, he thought best to let me go
| instead of one of the others
Had you not specuiated, knowing
| it was against the rules, we would
have kept you on Dick told me Mr..
Ogden had said. but we have positive
proof that you have
I; Its Burns work." Dick said with
conviction.
| I almost gave up under this ealam-
| ity. For that was what it was. His
q Ia Try l-ar 81
lowed us, by the most stringent econ
omy, to pay a little each month on
our debts. But no salary! Perhaps
| it would be months before Dick could
| find anything to do. There was a
good deal of unemployment, many
men waiting for every position.
| But wouldn't let Dick see how ter
r1bly discouraged and frightened
was. I had seen Felice, and she had
been awfully angry, had accused me
of dishonesty, ct cetera- But I would
not let her frighten me.
| I'VE haven't a penny. She had
| threatened to sue me. you will only
waste your money if you do" 1 told
her. zone can't pay what they
| haven't. Some day if 1 live, will pay
you
I think she saw I was trying to be
honest with her, and altho very nasty,
| very threatening, she never did sue
me. 1t had been hard, trying inter-
view, and it was when 1 reached home
| from that, that Dick told me of the
loss of his position.
81 told her the truth. didn't II" I
asked Dick after I had repeated what
F'elice had said. I'VE haven't penny,
have we?"
Not half one.' Then, you're a
brick, Nan! Maybe 1 don't know how
hard it must be for you to do these
things. I told that grasping tailor of
mine the same thing. But until told
/ him had lost my position, he insisted
he would sue. That put a quietus on
him. I shall pay him, every cent we
| owe-if I live long enough"
"Of course you will! Here's a letter
from Mother. Let's see what she
says?" I wanted to cheer him up.
yet I felt SO discouraged myself 1
didn't know what to do. The rest was
bad enough. but the loss of his posi-
tion was worst of all.
Its Burns work." he had said. 81
am convinced of it. altho I probably
would have a hard time proving it. 1
wonder why ne turned against me so
suddenly" he finished musingly.
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