The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1935-09-13
EXTRA MAN
By Wallace Irw;n

/ thing. He might leave her and ride
away with the sporting set. never 70
return. Several times she thought OF
going to the editor-he had rather q
sour looking face, she thought-and
asking him to withdraw that terrible
ad.
But she let the days drift by. She
dreaded to visit the Echo again; there
was something so knowing about that
editor. And a deep, morbid curiosity
forced her to wait and see how Shadow
Rock was taking it.
But they weren't taking it at all, as
far: as she could make out. Two weeks,
three weeks went by, and the total re-
suit was nothing. Just that. No Sally
Fitch, NO Hilda Oglethorpe disturbed
the telephone to ask dear Clyde to re-
vels here and there. Mabel went on
pretending that she despised them. that
she'd be bored to death with them.
But sometimes there came to her the
hankering Of the pariah, an irritable
wish to be in when you r out. Maybe
she hadn't been quite honest with
Clyde when she said that she hated
parties. They had played twosome too
long. Shadow Rock was getting on her
nerves.
A nervous peace had settled IN the
cottage, broken only by a crying baby
and a musical colored gardener. Mabel
began to hope that she didn't talk In
her sleep. Why had she written that
idiotic thingp Instead of telling
Shadow Rock what she wanted to tell
them, she had managed to brand Clyde
as a gate crashing fool, a person to
shun.
Clyde was hard to fathom, too. He
had ceased to fidget over crime stories
and taken out his Roman history.
There was bravado in the way he kept
insisting during their long evenings
together, that he was really resting for
the first time in years. He protested
too much. "This is a fine let-down,'
he'd yawn. Perfectly grand let-down."
Then he'd go to bed and smoke Gig.
monotonous walks up the hill, to see
the sunset. he'd keep repeating maudlin
things about how fine it was to have
a second honeymoon. Like a man
spouting poetry through a force pump.
"Why don't you get a horse and
ride somewhere and pick up some of
your friends?" she'd suggest, almost
scoldingly. But Clyde would merely
yawn and say that the climate was
getting him. He'd rather sleep. Mabel
began to realize how people in quaran-
tine feel about n another.
Because that wicked advertisement
was no longer appearing in the Echo
! she no longer read the sheet. But in
her dreams she cringed away from
funny looking headlines. jumping out
at her like mischievous gnomes. Then
she would console herself with the
sophistry. all's we'll that ends we'll. The
silly G. H. B. notice hadn't done any
harm except to keep Clyde away from
a lot of fluffy ZONE who didn't seem
to interest him any more
Such were Mabel's tangled, reflec-
lions until one morning Clyde, who
had been down for the mail, came
back; even from a distance she saw the
threatening grin on his face. He was
Furnishing a newspaper. Mabels heart
bumped twice, stopped, bumped again.
For it was the Echo he was flourishing.
The publication he had hitherto refus-
ed to read.
will out. You can't hide your sins I'M
der bushel-not in this town."
"Murder? Sins?" She looked wildly
up the road, down the road, seeking
"Didn't you tell me that Shadow
Rock likes lonesome huSbandS?" he
asked accusingly. well, they've got
one now. Look at this"
He thrust the Echo into her hands.
Dizzily she read:
MRS. BYRNE SEEKS DIVORCE.
Then Mabel's shaky eyes took in
scraps of information, written with a
sort of editorial relish, she thought:
'Mrs. Charles Bryne, who is visiting
Reno, has announced through her law
years her intention of bringing suit for
divorce against her husband, the prom.
inent attorney of Pittsburgh and
Shadow Rock . alleges mental
cruelty, consisting of and alleges