The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
The Release

groan. It was not so much of the burden of going on living while tied to a bed. He could hear Fely in the kitchen, although it was yet scarcely daybreak; he remembered that she had said the evening before that this was her day for going to town. Lucky Fely to be going any place-to be just moving about.
 sShe came in bringing his breakfast of brown fried pork, two fried eggs, fried potatoes, bread, pat of cream colored. homemade butter and glass of red jam. Fely was flat, bronzed lit tie woman with an expressionless face, except for her eyes, which were of a deep, burning blue. She wore a dun colored dress, which gave her the ef- feet of disappearing into her surround ings.. :. she said in low, sweet voice. Its because I'm going. to town"
 "You needn't tell me. I knowed it as soon as heard you hustling around in there long before sunup. What are you going for, Fely?''
 "Oh, I got to take in eggs and but ter and here's things to get"
 "A new dress? You been lotting on new dress this long while, Fely! Get red one! I'm sick to death of seeing dull things. Get in flaming, Fely!'
 T wasn't figuring on a dress this trip, Cy. There's other things. And here's the paper from last night. That'l keep you going a spell. I'll fix up the fire good so's you can sit up and read it."
 Cy heard Fely fix the fire and go outdoors. Soon there was the sound of wheels and he knew that she had started for town in the old creaking buggy drawn by the thin roan mare.
 Although it was still winter there had been a couple of days with touch of spring to them and Fely had opened wide the windows to let in the sounds of spring and the caressing touch of a warm south wind. That had made Cy restless. He wanted more than he had ever wanted it to get up and go out and blow his acres-the land that Fely had been working by herself for ten years. It was that long since Cy had had his "spell' in the field. The "spell'' was a puzzle to himself and to the doc tor. It had come following one sea- son after another of i'll luck and after weeks of Overwork trying to replant for a crop that had failed. The doctor had put him to bed and he had never left it.
 Fely then slight protected girl had taken up the burden where he laid if down, working the place as best she could. For all he could see her best was at least as good as his worst, and for years before he had been laid aside it had been his worst. She did more with her chickens and butter, too, as the demand for earning more money was put upon her. They were not in actual want, nor in debt, but there was no more than enough to get along on. And Fely never bought herself, pretty noth- ings aa she had when they were first married.
 Cy had been emaciated when they put him to bed. He was now very fleshy, and, being a tall man, he made an enormous bulk beneath the blue and white patchwork quilt that covered his bed. But his brown eyes had a dull glaze and his thick black hair was threaded with white. His neighbors audibly wondered among themselves why Cy didn't get up and go to work.
 Cy never saw the dunness of Fely. She was beautiful to him, as she had always been. He loved to watch her deep blue eyes tighten up so unexpected ly. He was eaten with grief because he had become such a burden to her. Being alone and idle so much, he had become morbid. He was sure that he saw through all her kindness to him. He knew that she had always gone out of her way to do little things for a neighbor or a relatives whom she es- pecially disliked. Now, when she did unexpected little things for him he won- dered if she were salving her conscience whether she had not just previously wished deep in her heart that he would die and set her free. He did not see how any woman like Fely could help resenting being tied to a bed-ridden man who looked as though he might outlive her by many years.
 After a while he picked up the paper and learned that Ted Jenkins had a new tractor, and the Burkes a new baby, and that Bert Tompkins was dick eripg for the forty next to his farm. He ate up these items with the avidity of a person shut off from contact with his kind. Perhaps he fell asleep. He never knew. But suddenly he was aware that the room was very warm and smoky. There was a cracking that he was sure did not come from the kitchen stove.
 The house is afire and I'm strapped here like a dog" he moaned.
 He sat up, then dropped back with groan and squeezed his eyelids shut as though thus to shut out the horror of the thought of being burned to death. But what difference would it make to any one but himself? The thought ob- truded itself. A lot of difference-it would free FelyI It would give her a chance at life. For a moment he lay hnthaH irn ra aai.sRi AinIe. a Aiae..nAi.... .A