The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-02-07
THE sTRATEeIST
BY MARY T. NOLAN


her cheeks were no longer there
In the old. duh, UneSmPlImentary
burezu-nirrOr she thus saN herself
She had often told her husband thzi
q new mirror WIS needed for the
bureau
-WaIt till l get to work. WAS the
answer most often given; and meekIy
and sllentiy received
Sam Judson vas downright lazy
He vas q InIIiBrighf. Now and thea.
as the spirit moved him. he worked at
his trade for a cotton mill. a mile from
his house.
No man-mHch less a tOo-consider-
ate sife-couId get Sam Judson to
work steadily, day In and day out.
for any length of time He read a
lot and smoked a lot and jawed q lot
all at his Own sweet pleasure; and
thus idIed away his tirn-and kept
his meek, thrifty little wife worrying
about what was to become of them
One day Mrs Judson received a let
ter from her married daughter, Katie,
who lived in a distant city. She read
this letter to her husband. and he
wasn't at all pleased at Katie's sug-
gestion that Ma JudsOn spend the
next six months with her
This letter of Katie's now gave the
mother an Inspiration
She had been sweeping the upstairs
room, In which the bureau with the
hazy mirror stood Putting aside the
broom, Mrs. Judson opened 4 clothes
closet door
From a hook she took a black
cloak with shiny Jet beadwork of a
pretty and quaint design She put the
cloak on, and tied the wide strings be-
hand went aioft to the closet shelf,
and came down with an article
wrapped In paper. Removing a num-
Der of pins from the wrapper. she
brought to light, and he'd out at arms
length before her, dark blue vel
vet hat with dIminutiye forget-me-nots
tracing a light blue circle above the
brim.
II was the hat that she loved-the
most becoming and genteel hat she
ever had since her marriage day. And
Sam always liked her In that hat, too.
she reflected, as she adjusted 1t. be-
fore the mirror, to her shapeiy head
You look like you was a million
aires wife-yes, you do. honeyI" the
pleased little lady whispered in conf
dence to her reflection
The very idea Of Iikening herself to a
wealthy mans wife caused her to
laugh as at a huge joke. for upon
peering into her pocketbook. she saw
there. one J0-cent piece.
1t was about time. she thought. to
start something-Or starve
With the unconquernbie courage of
one going forth to fight for a just
cause against strongiy-entrenched
adversary, she marched down the
stairs to where the Indolent man of
the house could usually be located.
''Samueli''
There was something startling in
that sharply y-spoken name to the col
larless, slippered Individual seated in
a wide-armed rocker by the kitchen
stove. No one had ever before called
him Samuel. that he knew Of Twas
always sam.
MumbIIng to himself at being thus
rudely disturbed in his cogitations,
Sam slowly arose. and, Strengthening
up with an effort, saw determined
looking little lady gazing scornfully
upon him.
Then he let out roar. BLOW me, IL
I amt my own little Janey. Ma. you
!.
Might as well be scared L death
az starved L DEATH" proclaimed the
metamorphosed Mrs Judson- Sam
ueI Judson. you've not earned a red
cent for month. and there's just fifty
cents between us and tn poorhouse !.
VIII you--or will you not-go right
down TO tn mill. and git to work.
1t was a vulnerable attack. this on
slaught by ma on his lifelong, per-
sonal prerogative. 1t actually made
him feel sick and weak.
TN go-now-right on" said Sam.
meek as a lamb. I'm tired Of Ioafing
round here. anyway"
Then a look OF fright stole over his
face, for he became possessed of an
idea that ma would never have shown
such an independent spirit IL some
body wasn't backing her up. Katie's
Invitation to maj All, there he had
the solution.
The troubled man took his wlfe's
two hands in his. and tremblingly held
them, while his eyes. near to tears,
looked pleadlngly. lovingly. into those
of his wife.
"You were goln'-goln' to Katle's?"
she heard him say.
"Some other time" was her gentle
answer; and, as an after-thought: ut
all depends. on you. Sam. from now
on"
'Tn do right by you. for the future,
ma" promised Sam Judson. clumsily
endeavoring to tuck under her hat a
wisp Of grayish hair that had strayed
down onto mothers cheek.
A short while thereafter, he was