The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-08-22
CHAPTER /

gled out by this signfHcaIt sohlilue.
was n subtle psychological problem |
There were other women in Belleport |
and In Wilton, too, who had lost nus
bands. Nevertheless, despite the vari-
GUS homes in which solitary women
reigned, none Of their owners was
designated by the appellation allotted
to Marcia Howe.
Moreover, there seemed In the name
the hamlet had elected to bestow upon
her q ring of satisfaction, even OF re-
ioicing, rather than the note of con
dolence commonly echoing In the term.
Persons rolled 1t on their tongues as
If Haunting 1t trumphantly on the
breeze.
Marcia ought never to have mar
died Jason Howe asserted Abbie
Brewster when one day she remihis-
Gently gossiped with her friend, lie
hecca Gill. "She was head an Shout
ders above him. Whatever coaxed her
into 1t never could understand. she
could have had her pick Of half
dozen husbands
"She was nothin' but a slip OF
thing when she married. Mebbe she
had the notion she could reform him.
Rebecea suggested.
"Mebbe,n agreed Abble. "Still, young
as she was, she might "a known she
couldn't Ten years ago he was the
same. unsteady. drinkin' idler ne
nroved himself to be up to the last
minute of his life. He hadn't changed
hair. Such men seldom do, unless
they set out to, an Jason Howe never
set out to do, or be, anything. lie was
TOO selfish an to lazy. Well, he's gone
an Marca's we'll rid OF him. For
most three years now, she's been her
own mistress an the feelin' that she
is must be highly enjoyable
"s'nose she'll always 20 on Twin
there on that deserted strip OF sandt
sneculated Rebecca why It's mos
an island. In fact. 1t Is an Island
high tide
$50 It's An Zenas Henry says III
getting to be more an more SO ever.
minute" Ahbe replied The tia
rms through that channel swift as
rare horse an each day it cuts wide
path 'twixt Marcia an the shore Be
fore long, she's goln' to be as CON
pletely cut off from the mainland q
low water as at high"
ut must be q terrible lonely place.
II wouldn't want to live there,
shrugged the sociabe AbbIe. "Bu
there's folks that don't seem to min
solitude, an Marcia Howe's one
,em. Mebbe, after the life she led VIII
Jason, she kinder relishes bein' alon
Furthermore, dynamite couldn't bla
her out of that old Daniels HOMESTEAD
Her father an her grandfather wei
horn there an the house ls the a
ME of her eye. 1t Is fine Q
Mace If only 1t stood somewhere
else. OF course, when It was bu1
the ocean hadn't ct away the beac
an who'd "a foreseen the It'd
would wash round 1t til they'd WI
fled 1t down to little moren a sal
bar, an as good as detached II fro
the coast altogether?
"Wen, say what you will agar
the sea an the sand, they did a go
turn for Marcia all them years OF \
married life. At least they helped \
keen track of Jason. Once she got n
on the Point with the tide rum
strong twixt him and the village, sh
paddock the skiff an there he'd
Che had him safe an sound Alb
chucked.
"yes." acquiesced Rebecca. but
scheme worked both ways. Let Jas
walk over to town across the hats
then let the tide rise an there he
tool without a boat there was
earthly way of his gettin' home.
had the best of excuses for lolte
an carousn' ashore
"Wen, he don't loiter and caro-
here no longer. Marcia knows VIII
he Is now" declared Abbie with sn
II reckon she's slept more durin' tt
last three years than ever she slen
tho ten that went before 'em. She
family looks It, All her worries s.
IA. have fallen away from her, lea
her lookin' like girl OF twenty. ,
pretty as a picture
"She must be thirty-five II she
day. Rebecca reflected.
.She amt. She's scarce over tn
But thirty or even more, she
look her age"
.s'pose she'll marry agaln?'
tpred Rebecca, leaning forward
dropping her voice.
"Marry? There you go, 'Becca
mancin' as usual"
II amt romancln'. ! was Just
derin'. An / amt the only perse
town askin the question, neither,
torted Mrs. Gill with a sniif.
scores Of others. In fact, ! hgge
thought Is the uppermost one II
minds OF most everybody"
Abbie laughed.
aMebbe. In fact, ! reckon It's,