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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 25, 1913)
itmm flnl XJiT i fc mPfejJ V MENS CHILDREN JforGLRALMNE BONNER !llustr?iiioDSir$r Copjrrignt !CC8iyTJicB0DDS.MEM!ILL CO. 8YN0P8I8. Bill Cannon, the bonanza klnff, nnil Ills rfauKhter, Hose, who had passed up Mrs. Cornelius Ryan's ball ut Ban Francisco to nccompany her father, arrlvo at Antelope. Domlnlck Ryan calls on his mother to bPK a ball Invltntlon for his wife, nnd Is refused. Tho dotonnlncd old lady refuses 1o recoKnlzo her daughter-in-law. Dom Intrk had been trapped Into a mnrrlRKe with Uernlco lverson, a stenoKrapher. floveral years his senior. She sqanders his money, they have frequent quarrels, and lio slips away, Cannon and his daughter nre snowed In at Antclopo. Domlnlck llyan Is rescued from storm In uncon Hclous condition nnd broURht to Antelope Hotel. Antelopo Is cut oft by storm. CHAPTER V. Continued. "I was tired," ha said slowly. "I'd worked too hard nnd I-thought tho mountains would do mo good. I can got tlmo oft at tho bank when I want nnd I thoiiRht I'd tako a holiday and come up here whero I was last sum mer. I know tho place and liked the hotel I wanted to get a good way off out of the city and away from my work. As for walking up here that afternoon I'm very strong nnd I never thought for n moment such a blizzard was coming down." He lifted his head and turned toward tho window, then raising ono hand rubbed It across his forehead nnd eyes. Thore was something in tho gesture that silenced the young girl. She thought ho felt tired and had been talking too much and alio was guiltily conscious of her laugh tor and loquacity. Thoy sat without sneaking for some moments. Domlnlck made no attempt to break tho silence when she moved noiselessly to tho stovo and pushed in moro wood. Ills face was turned from her and sho thought he had fal len asleep when ho suddenly moved and said: "Isn't it strango that I have never mot you beforo?" Sho was relieved. His tone showed neither feebleness nor fatigue, In fact it had tho fresh alertness of a return to congenial topics. Sho determined, howover, to be less talkative, less on couragtng to the weakening, exertions of general conversation. So she spoko with demuro brevity. "Yes, very. But you were nt col lego for four years, nnd the year you camo bnck I was In Europe" Ho looked at hor rumtnntingly, nnd nodded. "But I'vo seen you," ho said, "at tho theater. I was too sick at first to rcc ogulzo you, but afterward I know I'd Boon you, with your father and your brother Qcno." It wbb her turn to nod. Sho thought It beat to say nothing, nnd waited. Hut his eyes bent Inquiringly upon hor, and tho waiting silonco seemed to demand a comment. Sho made tho first ono that occurred to her: "Whom were you with 7" "My wlfo," said tho young man. Sho murmured a vaguo sentence of comment and this time determined not to speak, no matter how embarrassing tho pause became Sho even thought of taking up hor book and was about to stretch hor hand for It, when ho enld: "Hut It seems so queer when our parents have been friends for years, nnd I know Gene, and you know my Bister Cornelia so well." She drew hor hand back and leaned forward, frowning nnd staring In front of hor, ns sho sent her memory back ward groping for data. "Well, you boo a sort of series of vonts prevented It. When we wore little our parents lived In different places, Ages ago when wo first enmo down from Virginia City you woro liv ing somewhere else, In Sacramento, -wasn't It? Then you woro nt school, and nftcr thnt you went Enst to col- loge for four yenrs, and when you got buck from college I was lu Europo. And when 1 enmo bnck from Europe that's over two years ago now why then" Sho had ngaln brought up against bis marrlngo, this timo with n shock that was uomowhat of a shattering nature. "Why, then," sho repeated faltering- ly, realizing whero sho was "why then lot's Bee T" "Then 1 had married," ho said qui etly. "Oh, yes, of course," sho assented, trylug to Impart a suggestion of sud den innocent romomhranco to her tono. "You had married. Why, of course." An hour lator when tho doctor came back sho was kneeling on tho floor by tho opon stovo door, softly building up tho flro. At tio sound of tho oponlng door sho looked up quickly, and, hor bunds being occupied, gavo a silencing Jerk of her head toward tho sleeping man. Tho doctor looked nt thorn both. Tho scono was like a picture of somo primitive domestic Interior whero youth and beauty had made n nest, warmed by that symbol of llfo, a ilro, which ono replenished while tho other lopt. CHAPTER VI. In Which Berny Writes a Letter. Tho morning niter tho quarrel Uer nlco woke Into. Sho bad not fallen asleep till the night wub well spent, tho heated soothing of her rngo keep ing tho peaco of repose far from hor. It waa only as tho dawu paled tho square of tho window that sho fell Into a heavy slumber, disturbed by dreams full of stress and strife. Sho looked up at tho clock; It wns nearly ten. Domlnlck would have left for tho bank beforo this, so tho wretched constraint of a meeting with him wns postponed. Sallow and heavy eyed, her head aching, oppressed by a sense of tho unbearable unpleasant ness of tho situation, sho threw on her wrapper, and going to tho window drew tho curtnln nnd looked out. The bedroom had but one window, wedged Into an angle of wall, and affording a gllmpso of tho green lawn and clipped rose trees of tho house next door. There was a fog this morning and even this curtailed pros pect was obliterated. Sho stood yawn ing drearily, and gazing out with eyes to which her ynwns had brought tears. Her hair mndo a wild brush round hor head, her faco looked pinched nnd old. She wns one of those women whoso good looks nro dependent on animation nnd millinery. In this fix ity of Inward thought, unobserved In unbecoming disarray, ono could real lzo that sho had attained tho thirty four years she could so successfully deny undor tho rejuvenating Influ ences of full dress and high spirits. During hor toilet her thoughts re fused to leavo tho nubjoct of last night's quarrel. Sho and her husband had had disagreements before many in tho last year when thoy had -virtually separated, though tho world did not know it but nothing so lgnomlni oualy repulsive as the scono of last evening had yet degraded their com panionship, nornlco wns ashamed. In the grny light of tho dim, disillusion ing morning sho realized that sho had gono too far. Sho know Doml nlck to bo long-suffering, sho knew that tho hold Sho had upon him wns a powerful one, but tho most patient creaturos sometimes rebel, tho most compelling sonno of honor would sometimes break under too sevcro a strain. As sho trailed down the long passago to tho dining-room she made up her mind that sho would make tho flrBt overture toward recon ciliation that evening. It would be difficult but sho would do It. Sho wns speculating ns to how sho would begin, in what manner sho would greot him when ho came homo, when hor oyes fell on tho folded note ngalnst tho clock Apprehension clutched her as sho oponod It. Tho few lines within frightened her still moro. Ho had gono whero? Sho turned tho nolo over, looking at tho back, In a sudden tromblo of tearful ness. Ho had novor done anything llko this before, left her, suddenly cut looso from hor In proud dlBgust. Sho stood by tho clock, stnrlng nt tho pnper, hor fnco fallen Into senred blankncss, tho artificial hopefulness that sho had been fostering Bince she awoko giving place to a down-drop Into nn abyss of alarm. Tho door Into tho kitchen creaked and tho Chinaman entered with tho second part of tho dainty breakfast cooked especially for hor. "Whnt tlmo did Mr. Ryan leavo this morning?" sho said without turning, throwing tho question over her shoulder. "I dunno," tho man returned, with tho expressionless brevity of his raco particularly accentuated In this cnBo, as ho did not llko Ills mistress. "He no tako bllckfuss horo. Ho no stay hero last night." Sho faced round on him, hor oyes full of a sudden llerco lntontness which maritcil them In momenta of angry surprise. "Wasn't here last night?" she de manded. "What do you mean?" He arranged tho dishes with careful precision, not troubling himself to look up, and speaking with tho Bamo dry Indifference. "Ho not hero for bllckfusB. No ono Hleep In bis bod. I go make bed all mudo. I think ho not horo all night." HIb work being accomplished ho turned without moro words and passed Into tho kitchen. Homy stood for a momont thinking, then, with a shrug of defiance, left her buckwheat cakoa untuBtcd and wnlked Into the hall. Sho wont directly to her husband's room and looked about with sham glances. Sho opened drawers and peered Into tho wardrobes. Sho was a woman who had n curiously keen memory for small domestic details, unci a few momenta' Investigation' proved to hor that he had taken somo of his oldost clothes, but had left be hind all tho better ones, nnd thnt tho silver box of Jowolry on tho burenu filled with rellcB of tho days when ho had been tho Idolized son of his par outB Incited none of Its contents. Moro nlarmed than she had been In tho courso of hor married life Bho left tho room and passed up tho hall to tho pnrlor. Tho brllllnnt, over-fur-nlsled apartmont In which sho had crowded every faBhlon In Interior dec oration that had pleased her fnnnv and boon within the compass of her purso, looked slovenly and unattract ive In tho gray light of the morning. Tho smoll of amoke was Btrong In it and tho butlB and ashes of cigars Domlnlck had been smoking tho eve ning beforo lay in a tray on tho center table. She noticed nono of theso things, which under ordinary circumstances would have been ground for scolding, for sho was a woman of fastidious per sonal daintiness. A cushioned scat was built round tho curvo of tho bay window, and on this sho sat down, drawing back tho fall of thick ecru laco that veiled tho pane. Hor eyes woro fastened with nn unwinking fix ity on tho fog-drenched street with out; her flguro motionless. Her outward rigidity of body con cealed an intense lnwnrd energy of thought. It auddonly appeared to hr us If hor hold on Domlnlck, which till yesterday had seemed so strong thnt nothing but death could break It, was weak, was nothing. It had boen rooted In his senso of honor, tho senso that she fostered In him and by means of which she had been ablo to mako him marry her. Was this senBo not so powerful ns sho believed, or dreadful thought! was It weakening under tho friction of their llfo to gether? Had sho played on It too much and worn It out? Sho had been so sure of Domlnlck, so securo In his blind, plodding devotion to bis dutyl Sho had secretly wondered at It, as a queor characteristic that It was for tunnto ho possessed. Deep in her heart slio had a slight, amused con tempt for it, a contempt that had ex tended to other things. She had felt It for him In thoso early days of their marriage when ho hnd looked forward to children nnd wanted to live quietly, without society, in his own home. It grew stronger Inter when sho realized ho had accepted his exclusion from his world and was too proud to ask his mother for money. And now! Suppose he had gono back to his peoplo? A low ejaculation escaped her, and she dropped the cur tain nnd pressed hor hnnd, clenched to tho hardness of a stone, against her breast. Tho mere thought of such a thing was Intolerable. Sho did not see how Bho could support the Idea of his mother and sister winning him from hor. Sho hated them. They were tho ones who had wronged her, who had excluded her from tho home and tho riches and the position that her mar rlago should have given her. Her re taliation had been her unwavering grip on Domlnlck and the careful dis cretion with which she had comport ed herself as his wife. There was no ground of complaint ngaliiBt her. She had been as quiet, home-keeping and dutiful a woman as any In California. Sho had been a good housekeeper, a skillful manager of hor husband's small means. It was only within tho last year that sho had, In angry spite, run Into tho debts with which sho had taunted him. No wlfo could havo lived moro rigorously up to tho letter of her marriage contract. It was easy for her to do it. Sho was not a wom an whom light living and license at tracted. Sho hnd sncriflced her honor to win Domlnlck, grudgingly, unwil lingly, ns close-fisted men part with money In tho hopo of rich returns. Sho did not want to bo his mistress, but she knew of no other means by tho poor llttlo typewriter, tho honest working girl, who for ono slip, righted by subsequent marriage had boon the object of tholr Implacable antagonism nnd persecution. She said this opposite the mirror, extending her hands as Bhe had seen an actress do in a recent play. As sho saw her pointed, palo face, hor oxpresBlon of worry gave way to ono of pleased complacence. Sho looked pathetic, and her position waB pa thetic. Who would havo tho heart to condemn her when thoy saw hor and heard her side of tho story 7 Her spir its began to rise. With the first gleam of roturnlng confidence sho shook off her apprehensions. A struggle of sunshine plorcod tho fog, nnd going to tho window sho drew tho curtnlns nnd looked out on the veil of mist every' moment growing brighter and thinner. Tho sun finally pierced It, n patch of blue shone above, and drop ping tho curtains she turned and looked at tho clock. It was after clov en. Sho decided she would go out and tako lunch with her sisters, who woro always ready to listen and to sympa thize with her. These sisters were tho only Intimate friends nnd companions Dernlce had, their homo tho ono house to which sho wan a constant visitor. With all her peculiarities and faults sho pos sessed a strong sense of kin. In her rise to falror fortuno, if not greater happiness, hor old homo hnd never lost Its hold upon her, nor had she weakened In a sort of cross-grained, patronizing loyalty to her two sisters. This may havo been accounted for by tho fact that they were exceedingly amiable and affectionate, proud to re gard Bernlco aa the flower of the fam ily, whoso dizzy translation to unex pected helghta thoy had watched with unenvlous admiration. Hannah, tho oldest of the family, was tho daughter of a first marriage. Sho was now a spinster of forty-five, and had taught school for twenty years. Hazel was the youngest of tho three, she and Dernlce having been tho offspring of Duiny Iverson's sec ond nlllanco with a woman of roman tic tendencies, which had no way of expressing themselves except In the naming of her children. Hazel, while yet In her teens, had married a clerk in a Jewelry store, called Josh McCrae. It had been a happy marriage. After the birth of a daughter, Hazel had re turned to her work as saleslady In a fashionable millinery. Doth sisters, Josh, nnd tho child, had continued to live together In domestic harmony, in the house which Hannah, with tho savings of a quarter of a century, had finally cleared of all mortgages and now owned. No household v could have been moro Blmply decent and honest; no family moro unaspirlngly content. In such an environment Der nlce, with her daring ambitions and bold unscrupulousneBS, wns llko thnt unnccounted-for blossom which In tho floral world Is known as n "sport." Dut it did not appear that sho re garded herself as such. With tho ex ception of a year spent In Los An geles and Chicago she had been a member of tho household from her childhood till tho day of her marriage Tho year of absence had been tho re- 1 C -5 II X. , W WMmM fl mm' m Immm $ L . If Ji Do You "Wasn't Here Last Night?" Sho Demanded. "What Mean?" which she could reach tho position of his wife. Now suppose ho had gono back to hla peoplo! It wns nn Insupportable, a mnddonlng thought. It plunged her into agitation that mnde hor rise nnd movo nbout tho room with an aimless restlessness, llko some soft-footed fe- Hno animal. Supposo ho had gono homo and told them nbout last night, and thoy hnd provniled upon him not to come back! Well, even If thoy hnd, hers was still tho strong position. Tho sympathy of tho disinterested outsider would always bo with her. If sho had been quarrelsome nnd ugly, thoso woro small mutters. In tho great essentials sho had not failed. Supposo sho and tho Hyans over did como to nn open crossing of BwordB, would not hor story bo tho story of tho two? Tho world's sympathy would certainly not go to tho rich women, trampling on suit of n sudden revolt ngalnst tho monotony of life and surroundings, nn upwelllng of tho testlcss nmbltions thnt preyed upon her. A good position had been offered her In Los Angeles and sho had accepted It with eagor ness, thankful for the opportunity to seo tho world, nnd brenk nwny, bo she said, from tho tameness of her situa tion, tho narrowness of her circle. Tho spirit of adventure carried her farther afield, and sho penetrated na far across tho continent ns Chicago, whero oho wus employed In ono of tho most prosperous business houses, earn ing a largo salary. Dut, llko many Callfornlans, homesickness seized her, and beforo tho year waa out sho waB back, Involghlng ugalnst tho eastern manners, character, and climate, and glad to shake down again into tho family nest Hor sisters woro satis fled with hor account, of hor wander ings, not knowing that Bernlco waa aa much of on adept at telling half a story as sho was at taking down a dictation in typewriting. She was too clever to bo found out In n He; they were altogether too simple to suspect her apparent frankness. After the excursion sho remained at homo until her marriage. Hor liaison with Domlnlck was conducted with tho utmost secrecy. Her sisters had not a suspicion of it. knew nothing but that tho young mnn was attentlvo to hor, till she told them of her ap proaching marriage. Thla took placo In tho parlor of Hannah's house, and tho amazed sisters, bewildered by Ber ny's glories, had waited to sec her burst into the inner glories of fashion and wealth with a tiara of diamonds on her head and ropes of pearls about her throat. That no tiara was forth coming, no pearls graced her bridal parurc, and no Ryan over crossed tho threshold of her door, seemed to the loyal Hannah and Hazel the most unmerited and Inexplicable Injustice that had over como within their ex perience. It took Bernlco somo timo to dress, for sho attached the greatest Impor tance to all matters of personal adorn ment, and the lunch hour was nt hand when sho alighted from the Hydo Street car and "walked toward tho house. It was on one of those streets which cross Hydo near tho slope of Russian Hill, nnd are devoted .o tho habitats of small, thrifty householders. A staring, bright cleanliness is tho prevailing characteristic of the neigh borhood, tho cement sfdewalks always swept, tho houses standing back In tiny squares of garden, clipped nnd trimmed to a preclso shortness of grass and stralghtnesB of border. Tho sun wns now broadly out ana mo house-fronts engarlanded with vines, their cream-colored faces spotless in fresh coats of paint, presented a lino of uniform bay-windows to Its ingra tiating warmth. Hannah's was tho third, and its gleaming clearness of window-pane and tho Btalnless purity of its front steps were points of do mestic decency that Its proprietor in sisted on as sho did on tho servant girl's apron being clean and tho par lor freo lrom dust. Berny had retained her latch-key, and letting herself In passed into tho dustless parlor which connected by folding doors with tho dining-room be yond. Nothing had been changed in It since tho days of her tenancy. The upright piano, draped with a China silk scarf, stood in the old corner. The solar print of her father hung over tho mantelpiece on which a gilt clock and a pair of china dogs stood at ac curately-measured distances. The, tufted arm-chairs wero placed far from each other, severely Isolated In the corners, as though tho room wero too remote and sacred even to sug gest the cheerful amenities of social Intercourse. A curious, musty smell hung in the air. It recalled tho past in which Domlnlck had figured as her admirer. Tho few times that ho had been to her home she had received him In this solemn, unalred apartment in which the chandelier waa lit for tho occasion, and Hannah and Hazel had sat In the kitchen, breathless with curiosity as to what such a call might portend. She had been married here. In tho bay-window, under a wedding bell of white roses. The musty smell brought It all back, even her senso of almost breathless elation, when the seal was Bet on hor daring schemes. " From beyond the folding doors a sound, of conversation and smitten crockery arose, also a strong odor of cooking. Tho family were already at lunch, and opening the door Berny entored in upon tho midday meal which was being partaken of by her two sisters, Josh, and Hazel's daugh ter, Pearl, a pretty child of eight. Neither of her sisters resembled her In the least. Hannah was a woman who looked more than her age, with a largo, calm face, and gentle, near sighted eyes which blinked at tho world bohlnd a pair of steel-rimmed glasses. Her quarter-century of Bchool teaching had not dried, or Stiffened hor. She was fuller of tho milk of human kindness, of tho Ideals and en thusiasms of youth, than either of her sisters. All the lovo of her kindly, maternal nature was given to Pearl, whom she was bringing up carefully to bo what seemed to Hannah best in woman. Hazel waB very pretty and still young. Sho had the fresh, even bloom of n Callfornlan woman, a round, graceful flguro, nnd glossy brown hair, rippled and arranged in an elaborate colffuro as though done by a hair dresser. She could do this herself as she could mako her own clothes, earn n fair salary at the milliner's, and sing to the guitar in a small, piping voice. Her husband was ravished by her good looks and accomplishments, and thought her tho most wonderful woman in tho world. Ho wns a thin, tall, young mnn with stooping shoul ders, n long, lean neck, and an ami able, Insignificant faco But he seemed to please Hazel, who had mar ried him when sho was nineteen, be ing haunted by tho nightmare thought that If she did not tako what chances offered, sho might become an old maid like Hannah. Berny sat down next to the child, conscious that under the pleasant friendliness of their greetings a vio lent curiosity as to whether sho had boen to tho ball burned In each breast. Sho had talked over her chances of going with them, and Ha zel, whoso tosto In all Buch matters was excellent, had helped her order tho dress. Now, drawing hor plate toward her and shaking out hor nap kin, sho began to cat her lunch, at onco too sore and too perverse to be gin tho subject. Tho others endured tholr condition of ignorance for somo minutes, and then Hazel, finding that to wait was useless, approached tho vital topic "Well, Berny, wo'vo been looking over tho list of guests at tho ball lu tho morning papers and your uamo don't seem to bo down." "I don't seo why It Bhould," said Berny without looking up, "consider ing 1 wasn't there." "You weren't thcrol" ejaculated Hannah. "Thoy didn't ask you?" "That's right," said Berny, breaking a piece of bread. "They didn't ask me." "Well, I'll bo Jlggorcdl" exclaimed Josh. "That's beats tho Dutch!" "I didn't believe Mrs. Ryan would do that," said Hannah, so pained that hor generally observant eyo took no note of tho fact that Pearl waa put ting her fingers In her plate. "You're as good as her own flesh and blood, too hor son'B wife. It's not Chris tian, and I don't understand it." "It's tough," said Josh, "that's what it is. tough!" "If I wore you," said Hazol with spirit, "husband or no husband, I'd It Took Dernlce Some Tlmo to Dress. never want to go Inside that house or have any dealings with thnt crowd again. If thoy wero down on their knees to me I'd never go near them. Just think what it would bo if Josh's mother thought herself too good to know me! I'd liko to know what I'd feel about it." "But sho wouldn't, dearie," said Josh placatingly. "Sho'd be proud to have you related to her." "I guess sho'd better bo," said Ha zel, fixing an indignant glare on her spouse. "She'd find she'd barked up the wrong tree If she wasn't." Considering that Josh's mother had been dead for twelve years and in her lifetime had been a meek nnd unas suming woman who let lodgings, Ha zel's proud repudiation at her pos sible scorn seemed a profitless wast ing of fires, and Josh forthwith turned the conversation back to tho ball. "Perhaps they did send you an In vitation," he said to Berny, "and It got lost In the malls. That does happen, you know." Berny's cheeks, under the faint bloom of rouge that covered them, flamed a sudden, dusky red. She had never been open with these simple relatives of hers and she was not go Jng to begin now. But she felt shame as she thought of Domlnlck's humili ating quest for the Invitation that was refused. "Oh, no," she said hurriedly. "II wasn't Bent that's all. Mrs. Ryan won't have me in tho house. That's tho fact and there's no uso trying to get around it. Well, sho can do with out me. I seem ablo to support my exlstonce without her." Her' tone and manner, marked by a sort of hard bravado, did not deceive her sisters, who had that extreme naivete in expressing their intimate feelings which is peculiar to Callfor nlans. They looked at her with com miserating sympathy, not quite com prehending her attitudo of Independ ence, but feeling sorry for her, what ever poso sho adopted. "And your dress," snld Hazel, "what will you do with that? When will you ever wear It a regular ball dress ilka that?" "Oh, I'll wear it," said Berny with an rtir of having quantities of social opportunities not known by hor sis ters. "It won't be a loss." "You could put a guimpe In and havo sleeves to tho elbow and wear It to the theater. With a white hat with plumes it would be a dead swell cos tume. And If you met any of tho Ry ans they'd see you were holding up your end of the lino and not quite ready yet to go to tho almshouse." Hannah shook her head, tTO BE CONTINUED.) Why the Football Squad Laughed Thoso who wero there when this incident hnppened some twelve yenrs ago nevor tiro of telling the following yarn on 1. I. Cammack, assistant su perintendent of schools: Professor Cammack was vice princi pal of tho Central high school In 1900 or thereabouts and tho athletic move ment had led to the formation of a football squad. The .ambitious woro led to ono of the study halls on a Fri day afternoon, whero Professor Cam mack addressed them after this fash-Ion: "I am glad to aee you boya here and pleased to notice that you are taking an Interest In athletics. I think It Is a fine thing to bo Interested In health ful sports. Football will give you confidence. Wo need boys and men of confidence In this country. In fact, I want to mako confidence men out of all of you." Perhaps tho. genial professor is won dering to this day why the football squad broke Into loud laughter, Kan sati City Journal. -.--"Av:it;-w.-m;j,trafwj.w,TT,.u ?'-J'rtl''iS,'3 ffiljiMinnriritiimi)iimhy
