Show I rUE SETNESS Of THEODOSIA L K MONTGOMERY > SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN J I II I II I Theodosla Ford married Wes When courtship of three a Icy BrOOke after everybody concerned was wUs years There was nothing particularlY lied courtship or the In either lomanUo well Vcsle was a stead marriage tel1owcomiorta 1ieanIng rath r slow fellow He was not Ilt all handsome bly off girl But The0d0la was a very prctglrl with the mikY colorInG of an rubutn She chinablue cyeg blonde and large china Looked mild and Madonnalike and was known loke to mid be sweet tempered Wesle > solder Brooke had mar older brother Irving lrother him In hot wa who kept J ned L woman a He heron folks time so te aU the tme no rear thercw said but they thought wis th TheodOsla Wesley and Thedosia oL bat with I o WJh along together all riGht would get They Parmelee shook his old Jim head Only and Tm They might and then ln theY mightt he kneW the stocle again they came oC and 1 wzts a kind you predict about could never Theodosia verc third Yesley and Thedosia welC Henry this meant that old cousins thls Ford had been the greatgrentgrand lird a hnn Tm Parmclee 1 < tnc1 UL Ultt v on when wasVS been a mail boy who W fl3 90 had 3 blY still alive this remote Ancestor was stil mind jucestor said old Jim on I wel the morning of Theodoslas weddIng dViv There was n little group about the blacksmiths forge Old Jim was t theceriter blnelsmlhs was a fat wlnMnf ruddy In splto eyed old man fresh and ruehl eve < he of his 90 years And he went on car was about the settost man you d ever I < snb When old Henry sec or want to see Heny Ford fCC made UP his mind on any point I tD a cyclone wouldnt turn him n hairs I 1th nor an eaithquake cither broadth no Didnt < matter a mite how much he suffered I suf-fered for It hed stick to It If It broke his heart Theie was always some story or other going round about old Henry a fptnoss The family woient quite so badonly Tom He was Doslas great grandfather and a regular chip of the Jandather Since then l cropped out now and again all through the different branches of the family I mistrust If Dosia hsLsnt got a spice of It and Wes Brooke too but mebbe not Old Jim was the only I croaker Wesley Wes-ley and Thcodoslu were married In the golden prime of the Indian summer and settled down on their snug little farm Dosia was a beautiful bride and Wesleys pride In her was amusingly apparent He thought nothing too good for her the Heutherton people said I was a sight to make an old heart young to see him march up the aisle of the church on Sunday In1 I the glossy splendor oC his wedding suit his curly black head held high and his round boyish face shining with happiness happi-ness stopping and turning proudly I at his pew to show Theodosla in They always sait alone together In the big pew and Alma Spencer who sat behind them declared that theY held each others hands all through the service ser-vice This lasted until spring then came a sensation and scandal such a decorous Heatherton rad not known since thc time Isaac len got drunk a t Centervllle sla and came home and kicked his wife I One evening In carl April Wesley came bore from the store at the corner cor-ner herc ho had lingered to talk over politics and farming I methods with Ills cronies This 1 evening he was later than usual and Theodosla had his sup sp per kept warm for him She met him on the porch and kissed him He kissed 1 her In return and held her lo him for a minute with her bright head on his shoulder The frogs were singing down in the south meadow swamp and there was asplemlorot silvery inoonrlse over the wooed Hetheron hills Theodosia always remembered that mo meat mentWhen When they went In Wesley full of orfcUenient began to talk of what he had herd at the store Ogden Greene find Tom Cal were going to sell out sel nnd go to Manitoba There were bet I ter chances for a mqn out there he pal in I Heatherton he might sla4 all Ills life and never make more than al bare living Out West he might make a fortune Wesley talked on In this strain for some time rehashing all the < shlnga1 arguments he thearglpent8 had heard Greene and He had Grene Gary use always been rather disposed to Heatherton grumble at his limited chances In and now the great West seemed to stretch before him full of est al luring ul prospects and visions Ogden and Tom wanted him to too laid He gOloohe saId Hcjiad half a notion to noton Heotherton was a RcaihErton anyhow Stcllnthenmd sort of place nyhoqmt What say Dosia 1 He looked acr03S the tabic at eyes brIght and questioning her hIs had lls Hsened in qucstonlng as sHe Theodosfa poured lea and passed him her hot blseuJ se flaky There wa a little wa wrinkle between 1Ue perpcmd1cular her UI thInk Ogden straight Ccbrows and Tom she are Cools said farm hel crisply What do They they want have gooel West fo to go fol or you either Dont Silly notions in our lieaJ Wes get Wesley Hushed ear s Wouldnt he saki you 1 wIh me Doria 1l I trying wouldnt to speak Jght sa her call Scet voice sId Her TheodosIa in Serene but face was the 1Ij lfte vrinlc1e bad leaper Old Jim wrinlte grown Jeotn What would have It th whn 1 meant He had same seen Fords face mmu expression a time on old Henry rCSley laughed tme set 5fat on a cnld HIs goodIm heart was umorejly sUddenl as going West and he he Could soon bring Was Sure Theodosia iIe Thedosia did around 1e not say anything just then Wesley more about It thought how to he knew manage women When lie broached le thc two days later sUbject agnln Ialnly that It was TheodosIa ot told him Would never I wa no use She ton and all her consent friends to Jee Heather the prairle The and go out to foolchJH and ho Idea was just rank would jL was In Untie come to see tme All tlmis Tileodosla thi beoosla said Scetiy calmh 8weet Vjthout and any trace 01 hIltaUon or temper that he Vcsley ntill belieye < htcould persuule Stlbelecc I her iled persuade and he the fact Thpodosla end perseerlngl oC that In t law time for a he Brooke a lcovered fortnight that t i i I a Ford She u Was In there MUl was wao wat etl Not thtt no movIng her a I Nelhel did Theodosa Over gotalgr laugh Ihe met at him lquarel his and argume3 serIously and Pleadings She never avered enoush hut he I YOU go Lo Manitoba gO alone Wes there is she said 11 neVer vouI I no r use in any go 60 Wesky more y talking was a henry Ford too a dCseendant Theodosias cit Old Jcted 0ppcjj011 unex OPPoiton rOUsed Btubbornness all the or j al latent Ocr nature to hi 1 ilb 10Centel1Je oftener Hc Went I Jls blood ofener and Greene at leer heat by kept and talkinig gO Cary who to with them and spared wanted hIm 10 inducement no The t Pains at lcntherton was losslped about hat of Course I in I West w2i rn I 3 I3rooic had PeoPle Cf1USht klcn even a fevel and th I and wanted gO to to llanHoba Bel out lii1 L3 whUc ol IP0el TheodoSia to > it a Would < I They have thought have to gIve Dosia salt it In In the a s11 was a pity cnd but COUl hat cnuidt Ply be VC3 ltb rooke W L contelted to o stay Theodoslas ell 0IF Where heW I With h hel ml naturally Bitt and tlied to ural sith l1 Plt he wu dhiade Y tldel irritation1 mn tere by that slw latal rouser In ly man 1esent tnt tn hcrc < by tcr he thinks he bJ OIPosI should OUe day 1 urlve hIm Into an be ama B any he COUr told liUodosla He a9 going lhCdosla that She h I ler Was ne r In hm Working hel itthe but t tic lttc SflOVyclj1 the great wHlo snrJ cean dnll ri ea WlhowM b In Wesl Wns by the Il Standing In well his the alou broadshouldered d001ay < JgUc 01 jjffl ing up the sunlit space He was frowning 1 frown-ing and sullen I I Im going AVest in two weeks time I with the boys Dosia he said stub l bornly You can come with me or Iou I-ou can stay here just exactly as you please But Im going Theodosia went on spatting her balls of golden butter on the print In silence She was looking very neat and pretty In her big white apron her sleeves rolled up high above her plump dimpled elbows and her ruddy hair curling about her face and her whitethroat white-throat She looked a pliable as her butter Her silence angered her husband He shuffled Impatiently Well what have you to say Dosia Nothing said Thcodosla I you have made up your mind to go go you will I suppose But I will not Theres no use talking any more Weve be lover l-over the ground often enough Wes The thing is settled Up to that moment Wesley had always al-ways believed at heart that his wife would yield at last when she saw that he was determined Now he real ised that she never would Under that I exterior of miiKy amipiea nesn ami calm blue eyes was all the Iron will of old dead and forgotten Henry Ford Tills mildest and meekest of girls and wives Was not to be moved a hairsbreadth hairs-breadth by all entreaty or argument or Insistence on a husbands rights A great sudden anger came over the man He lifted his hand and for one moment It seemed to Theodosla that I he meant to strike her Then he dropped his hand with tho first oath I that had ever crossed his lips You listen to me he said thickly J you wont go with me Ill never come back here never When you want to do your duty as awife you cnn come to me But Ill never comeback come-back He turned on his heel and strode away Theodosla kept on spatting her I butter The little perpendicular wrinkle wrin-kle had come between her brows again At that moment an odd almost uncanny un-canny resemblance to the oldportrait of lied greatgreatgrandfather which hung on the parlor wall at home came out on her girlish face A fortnight passed by Wesley was silent and sullen never speaking to his wife when he could avoid It Thco dosla was as sweet and serene as over She made an extra supply of shirts and socks for him and put up his lunch basket and packed his trunk carefully But she never spoke of his journey He did not sell his farm Irving Brooke took it on shares Theo dosla was to live In the house rhe business arrangements were simple and soon concluded Heatherton folks gossiped n good deal They all condemned Theodosla Even her own people sided against her now They hated to be mixed up In a local scandal and since Wes was bound to go they told Theodosla that It was her duty to go wIth him no matter how much she disliked It I would be disgraceful not to They might as well have talked to the foul winds Theodosla was Immovable They coaxed and argued and blamed It all came to the same thing Even those of them who could be set enough on the occasion could not un derstand TheodosIa who had always been so tractable They finally gavew up as Wesley had done baffled Time would bring her to her senses they said you just had to leave that still stl stubborn kind alone On the morning of Wesleys departure de-parture rheodosla arose at sunrise and prepare a tempting breakfast Icv Ing l Brookes oldest oldet son Stanley who was to drive Wesley to the station came over early with his express wagon Wesleys trunk corded and labeled l stood on the back platform anp The breakfast was a very silent meal When it was over Wesley put I on his hat and overcoat and went to the door around which Theodoslas morning glory vines were beginning to wine The sun was not yet above the trees and tho long shadows lay on the dewy grass The wet leaves were flick ring on the old maples that 1cl grew along the fence between the yard and the clover field beyond The skies were all nearly blue al nealI cleanswept of clouds From the little farmhouse the mead owe green and dusk sloped rcad tel racellke to the valley where a blue haze wound In and out like a gllsten l ng ribbon lke glsten Theodosla went out and stood look l ng inscrutably on while Wesley and Uh nephew hoisted the trunk into the wagon and tied IL Then Wesley came up I the porch step and looked at her Dosia he said a little huskily I ltte huskl said I wouldnt ask you again to go yet but 7No I win wm you come with me No said Theodosla firmly He held out his hand He did not oer to kiss her Goodbye Dosia Goodbye Wes There Was no tremor of an eyelash wIth her Wesley smiled bitterly and smied blterb t iirnca away When the wagon cached the end of the little lane he t urned and looked back ltte the last lowed t l ime Through all the years that fol S he carried with him the PIcture JL hIs wIfe a he saw her then stand l ng amid tho airy shadows and strLd waver Ing I gOlden lights of the morning the wind blowing the skirt of her pale blue wrapper about her feet and ruffling the locks of her bright hair Into a del cate golden cloud del Then the llsappeared cou wagon I sppeared around a curve Jn the clrve road and Theodosla turned and went back Into her desolate house For a time there was a great buzz of gossip Jcie over over it the Old afLair Jim Parmelee People von un derstood better than others perhaps When he > met perhapf Tlicoflosla her IM he looked at with a curious twinkle In his n keen old oideyes Looks as if a man could bend her any way heel a mind to doesnt she he said Looks Is deceiving Itll I come out in her face by an by shes too young yet but Its there It does I eenrunnatteral to see a woman so 3tUbbOifloUd kinder look for It I more In n man Wesley wrote a brief letter to Theo dosla whcH he reached his HQ leachec destination L said he WD8 well and was wel lookini about for the best place to 1001tlnS ilked settle He lked the country fine He fne was at a hed place stay called there Red Butte and SueB ed Two weeks later he wrote had taken gain He up a claim of 300 acres Greene and Cary had done the sam They were his nearest neighbors mme were nearest and 1 three miles away He had knocked up a little shack Ite was learn I Inf to cook his own meals and was very busy 1HP thought the country good was n gnnd one and the prospecls Thcodofla answered his letter and told him all the how the al Heatherton news and 1 Irv Theodosia hiSe ands farm < Was She getting signed along herself h I Brooke but otherwise IC dIcate there was nothing in the Holer to in n that It was writteni by a wife her hUHband wrIten to I t the end of a year Wesley nmi a esley wrote and iii once mOle asked item to go out to him He wns getting on well and was SUre sine would like the cl Wa Rie place It 1ee wai a little I n ltterolgh to bo sure but time would Improve that Wont you lot I Ct bygones be bygones Dosla he wrote llld I COIO out to me1 Dom lear Thoaodosla wrote back refusing to go She never got any reply nor did she lie again iIa People hud ghvn up talking about the matter and asking Thcodosla when he was goIng out to Wes ileatherton had grown used to the chronic scandal within Us decorous borders Theodosla never spoke other ot-her husband to any one and folks knew they did not correspond She took her youngest sister to live with her She had her garden and hens and two cows She was always busy and the farm brought her enough to live upon When fifteen years had gone by there were naturally some changes In Hoatherton sleepy and unprogressive as It was Most of the old people were In the little hillside burying ground that fronted the cunrlse Old Jim Parmelee was there too with his recollections of four generations Men and omen who had been In their prime when Wesley went away were J old now and the children were grownup grown-up and married Theodosla was 35 and was nothing like the slim dimpled girl who had stood on the porch steps and watched her husband drive away that morning fifteen years ago She was stout and comely the auburn hair was darker and arched away from her face In smooth shining waves Instead of the dtlme curls Her face was unlined and freshcolored but no woman can live for so many years In subjection to her own unbending will and not show it Nobody looking at Theodosla now would have found it hard to believe be-lieve that a woman with such a determined I de-termined face could stick to a course of conduct In defiance of I consequences Wesley Brooks was almost forgotten People knew through correspondents of Greene and Cary that he had prospered pros-pered and grown rich The curious old story had crystallized into accepted history his-tory I A life may go on without ripple or disturbance for so many years that it I may seem to have settled into lasting calm then suddenly a passing wind of passion may sweep over it and leave behind a wave of tempestuous waters Such a time came a last to Theodosla after the long lagging years that followed fol-lowed Wesleys departure One day in August Mrs Emory Mer rltt came in Emory Merrills sister was Ogden Greenes wife and the Mcr rltts kept up an occasional correspondence corre-spondence with her Hence Cecelia Mer rltt always knew what was to be known about Wesley Broke and always al-ways told Theodosia because she had never been expressly forbidden to do so I Today she looked slightly excited Secretly she was wondering It the news she brought would have any effect I whatever on Theodoslas impassive calm calmDo Do you know Dosie Wesleys real i sick In fact Phoebe Greene says theyve very poor hopes of him He was kind of Calling all the spring It seems and about a month ago he was took down with some kind of slow fever they have out there Phoebe says they have a hired nurse from the nearest near-est town and a good doctor but she reckons he wont get over iU That fever goes awful hard with a man of his years Cecelia ilerrltl who was the fastest talker In Heatherton had got all this out before she was brought up by a queer sound halfgasp halfchoke from Theodosla The latter looked as If someone had struck her a blow Mercy Dos e you aint going to faint I didnt suppose youd care You never seemed to care Did you say asked Theodosla thickly that Wesley was sick dying dy-ing Well thats what Pneobc said She may be mistaken Dosia Brooke youre I a queer woman I never could make you out and I never expect to I guess t that only the Lord who made you can I translate you Theodosla stood up The sun was getting low and the valley beneath them ripening to harvest was like a river of gold She folded up her sewing with n steady hand Its 5 oclock and Ill ask you to excuse ex-cuse me Cecelia I have a good deal I to attend to You can ask Emory If I I hell drive me to the station in the morning Im going out to Wes I I She went into the house with a firm step stepWell for thc lands sake said I I Cecelia Merrill feebly as she ted on I her striped gingham sunbonnet She got up and went home In n daze I I Theodosla packed her trunk and worked all night dryeyed with agony and fear gnawing at her heart The Iron i will had snapped at last like u broken reed and fierce selfcondemna ton seized on her Ive been a wicked woman she moaned A week from that day Theodosla climbed down from the dusty stage that had brought her from the station over the prairies to the unpretentious lillle l house where Wesley Brooke lived A young girl so like what Ogden Greenes wife had been fifteen years before that Theodosla involuntarily voluntariy exclaimed Pheobe came to the door Beyond her Theodosia saw the white capped nurse I Her voice trembled I DeB docs Wesley Brooke live i here 1 sho asked The young girl nodded Yp5 But he Is very ill at present i No one is allowed to see him I Theodosla put up her hand and loosened her bonnet strings as if they I were choking her She had been sick with the fear that Wesley would be dead before she got to him The relief was almost overwhelming But I must see him she cried hysterically calm easygoing golng Dosin > hysterically Im his wife and oh If he had died before I came here The nurse came forward In that case I suppose you must she said hesitatingly But he does not expect you I must prepare him for the surprise She turned tothe door of 0 room opening off the kitchen but Theodosia who had hardly heard her was before her She was Inside the room before the nurse could prevent her There she stood afraId and trembling her eyes searching the dim apartment hungrily When they fell on the occupant of tho bed Theodosla started with the shook of bitter surprise All unconsciously she I had been expecting to find Wesley as he had been when they parted Could i this gaunt haggard creature with the unkempt beard and prematurely gray hair and the hollow beseeching eyes be the ruddy boyishfaced young hus band of her Youth1Sle gave a chok ing gasp of fear and gve and pain and the sick man turned his head Their eyes met Amazement Incredulity hope dread all flashed in succession over Wesley Brookes lined face He raised himself hlmsel feebly up Doalal ho murmured Thcodosla staggered across the room I and fell on her knees by thc bed She clasped his head to her breast and kissed him again and again Oh Wes Wes can you forgive me Ive been a wicked stubborn woman I and Ive spoiled our lives Forgive I me meHc held his thin trembling arms around her and devoured her face with r his eyes Dosia when did you come Did 1 you know I was sick I Wes I cant talk till you say youve forgiven me Oh Dosia youve just as much to forgive We were both too set I should have been more considerate Just say I forgive you Doala sho entreated I 1 forgie you Dosia he said gently and oh Its so good to see you once more darling There hasnt been an hour slnoe I left you that I haven longed for your sweet face If I had thought you really cared Id have gone back But thought you didnt I 1 most brdke my heart You did though didnt you 1 j JOh yes iQS yes she said holding lum more cloneiy I < wlth her hair falling When the young doctor from Red Butt < came that evening to see hlfl I 1 patient He founta great improvement Joy and happiness those oldworld physicians had done what drugs and i I medicine had failed to do Im going to get better doc said WesleyMy wife has cOme aimdshe j going to stay You didnt know I wasi I married did you Ill tell you the story some day I proposed going back East but Dosia says J Its nil the same Ito I-to mo she prefers to stay here I dm > the happiest man In Red Butte doc He squeezed Theodoslas hand as lime had used to do long ago in church mud Doslu smiled down at him There w reno re-no dimples now but her smile was very sweet The ghostly finger of old Henry Ford pointing down through the generations had lost Its powec to brand with Its malediction the life and happiness of these his descendants cescenlnLH Wesley and Theodosla had Joined hands with their longlost happiness |