Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 January 1915 — The Governor’s Lady A Novelization of Alice Bradley's Play [ARTICLE]

The Governor’s Lady A Novelization of Alice Bradley's Play

A Novelization of Alice Bradley's Play

By GERTRUDE STEVENSON

Ulustratioos from Photographs of the Stage Production

OoßnUM.au ifwMi—«*"■»»«**» hr Bm** iuu—

B CHAPTER Xl—Continued. "I came out here today to remonstrata with you for living In this house," Slade blurted out, after a pause, “huts —I’ve sort of changed my mind,** and he reached for the pickle jar. ‘These pickles fairly make my mouth water. They’re very good." he went on, appreciatively. “Well, what’s changed you?" Mary refused to be diverted by the subject of dinner at noon or the all-impor-tant matter of pickles. "You know I'm kind of glad to see the place again, and you know, I like this stew,” and he proceeded to busy himself with the matter of eating—anything to gain time under Mary’s merciless, persistent questioning. "Have a biscuit,” suggested Mary’, “and —tell me why you came out here.” . Z;. . Slade looked longingly toward the window, as if he expected to find an Inspiration for a suitable answer there "Why, the old rosebush out there yet, holding the fort!” he exclaimed. "I must have a look at it,” and leaving his dinner, he went over to the window. Mary hurriedly refilled his plate with stew the moment his back was turned. "I declare!" He was still enthusing over the rosebush. “Quite a bush!” He was beginning to feel more at ease. He had the satisfied feeling that oomea to every man when his stomach is full. He felt very benign toward Mary, even toward Katherine and Hayee. . _ TH tell you what I am going to do, Mary,” he began. “You like this house —always did. Well, you can stay here. I won't oppose It There’s nothing In the world you want I wouldn't give * yon—nothing. Now, what can I do for you? What can Mary shook her head and laughed quietly. "Why, Mary!” Slade was distressed at having his patronizing advances treated in such a manner. “Oh. Dan. Dan!” Mary laughed, mockingly, unable longer to conceal her feelings. Slade realized in an instant that Mary knew everything. “Well, I’ll toll you one thing!” he blurted out “I never cared a button for that girl—if that’s what you mean! X swear I didn’t!" "Who said you did, Dan?” Mary's manner was provoklngly calm. 71 never did! I’m not that klndxif a. man, and you know it,” he protested. "Who’s accusing you? I never mentioned her name. But, Dan, she’s very young and very pretty, and I don’t blame you as long as you were going to try another wife. You might as well have had one who was young and pretty." Slade pooh-poohed vigorously. “I hope the next one you get will be just as pretty, for your sake.” “There isn’t going to be a next one," protested Slade, after the manner of all men. “Oh, yes there is; you’ve got the Idea now. The mere fact that you miawM this time will keep you at IL" “I’ve got enough." Slade saw that frankness was the only way out of ft. "I'm not going to make a devilish fool of myself again." , “Don’t let * our coffee get cold,” reminded Mary, tantalisingly. “Now, Dan, you wanted me to go away, and I wilt I’ve made up my mind.” "But I don’t want you to go away," Slade remonstrated. "We can arrange everything right here and now. This determination of yours Is pretty sudden, Isn’t ItT* "Not as sudden as your change of mind when you first came Into this room today.” "Well, where are you going?" “Oh, I don’t know,” Mary replied, indifferently. "What does become of divorced women?" “Now, Mary, don’t talk like that; It ain’t natural from you.” This time Slade was doing the pleading. "You can’t go off alone like this.” “Oh, can’t I? I could a week ago, or an hour ago. Why can’t I now? I can’t wait to pack my things.” Slade gazed at his wife in amazement If the patient rug on which he had thoughtlessly trampled so long had suddenly been transformed into snarling animal, Slade could not have been any more surprised. "Why, Mary, see here," he began, then stopped. “Oh, h —t what’s the use? You meet me half way In the way I want to live, and you’d better come home. Well open the house tn town again, and we’ll make the best of tilings. There! We’ll make the best of things." "How can we?" argued Mary. "If I was old-fashioned and behind the times and held you back a week ago, why wouldn’t I now? Try as hard as I might, you said I couldn’t help you. I'm just the same today as I was a week ago. I haven’t changed a ML I’m just the plain little dud I always was. What’s true Monday is true Tuesday. We can’t get back to where we were once” "You*, meet me 1»K my part." Dan had never known her

to be obstinate like this before. Usually his slightest wish had been her keenest desire. "Dan, you wanted that divorce?" The i question was ominous, but Slade had to admit the point "Well, you’re going to get it!" "But I don’t want it now." "You’re going to have it, Dan Slade;” and Mary’s mouth set like a steel trap. "You’re going to have it if I have to get it myself!” “What do you want with a divorce when I’m willing to give in?" stormed Slade, losing his patience. “How long have you been willing to give in, Dan? What did you come out here for?” She paused, but he did not answer. “You came to force me out of this house. Don’t tell me you didn’t, because I know. And I know why you didn’t do IL You came In here and suddenly you got a look at that girl and me! And It staggered you! For once, something swept you off your feet! You knew then that I’d found it all ouL You knew I knew everything. And now you've been thrown over by that girl. She's thrown you over! Between the two of us —you’re caught. And that’s the real reason that you’re not standing here shaking your finger in my face and telling me to go out, to get out, to go." Mary stopped for breath, and walked up and down the room before she proceeded with her bitter denunciation. "And the worst of It Is that after the girl’s gone you actually ask me to take yer back- —to take yer back — just as they all do. It’s another man ‘come home to mother.’ W-ell, here’s one woman that's not going to ’take her husband back!’ No, sir! If you pushed me aside for ambitlon,F might think It over, but you’ve pushed me aside for that girl’s twentyseven years of prettiness,” and she pointed an accusing finger at the door through which Katherine Strickland had gone hand-in-hand with her sweetheart "That’s what you’ve done —for twen-ty-seven years of youth, for. twentyseven years of figure and eyes and freshness and all the rest of It You put me aside for a younger woman” — the very utterance almost lost Mary her courage, but she kept on. "You put me aside for a younger woman. Now, no matter what you do, you can't get me back!" “Now, Mary,” Slade begged, beginning to feel that he was losing everything worth while. "I take off my ring,” Mary continued, Ignoring his Interruption. "Now It’s ended,” she finished as she laid the ring on the table. Slade strode up to her in the manner which had kept her subdued all the 30 years of their married life. 4 ‘You put that ring on again,” he commanded. "It’s yours! You put that ring on.” “No, sir! It’s off for good.” For the first time Mary’s attitude was one of stubborn temper. She was enjoying complete mastery for the first time in her life. _ "Wild horses couldn’t have got It off yesterday—l thought It was part of my nature! But now, now I’m going to ask you to go. I’ve got work to do. I’m closing the house. I’m closing it for good—forever.” Mary had said all she had to say. Now that her mind was made up, it was characteristic of her to turn to action. She started hurriedly and noisily to clear up the table, scraping the plates and piling them up ready to carry Into the kitchen. "For God’s sake, Mary, don’t!” protested Slade, too bewildered to know what to do or say. Z “Go along," urged Mary, as she put the sugar bowl in its place on the sideboard. “Mary, if you persist in this, I’ll go back and I’ll smash that house in town —I’ll smash it to pieces,” he threatened. "I’ll sell IL I’ll give it away—break it up! That’s what made all this trouble! You know that! Trying to live up to that d —d house. You told me not to build it, and this is what I get for IL" “Go back and smash IL You’ve smashed other things that hurt me worse.” “Mary, you’re not going to turn me out of this house where we’ve lived so long together?" "You’ve turned, yourself out Go, now." Mary’s wrath gathered force as she repeated her command. “Ah. come now, Mary— ’’ ' "You go,” warned Mary, "before I say something I’ll regret.” She was scarcely hearing what Slade was saying now —her ears were full of the things he had* said to her in her own home,, and that .night in Senator Strickland’s library. "Mary!” The one word was full of protest and a plea for forgiveness. “Go before I say it!" It was all Mary csuld do to speak quietly. "Mary!" again the word spoke volumes. “No use,” she replied, as she picked up a pile of dishes. “You pushed me aside for a younger woman, and now you go,” and with both hands full of dishes she kicked the kitchen door open with ansayr»foataafr proceeded to busy herself at the sink.

“Mary! See here!** he called. There was no reply. He walked absently to the sugar bowl selected a lump of sugar and started to eat IL brushing one hand with the other, and then, still absentminded, ignored the napkin within easy reach and wiped his fingers down the front of his coat It was the old Dan Slade, a reversion to type. ' Then he quietly picked up his hat and gloves and coat Mary heard him going, and came back into the room. “Dan,” she said as she stretched out her hand to him. “I can’t hate you—l just can’t We’re going to say good-by like two old friends.” He took her hand eagerly and held IL After a moment she pulled it away and resumed picking up the dinner things. Slade looked at her longingly for a moment, then quietly opened the door and was gone.

CHAPTER XII. New York was knee deep in a blizzard that had been raging all day. Sleet and snow swept and eddied iii blustering gales at every street corner. Taxicabs and motors plowed their way along, their occupants bundled up to their eyes in wraps and furs. The few pedestrians breasting the bitter east wind felt the cold to their very marrow. With their shoulders hunched and their heads bent forward, they hurried along under the lee of the buildings, envying the fortunates who could afford the shelter of a cab. One woman struggled bravely to keep her umbrella up until she came to the bright lights of a cheap restaurant where, out of breath and covered^with snow, she closed the unwieldy and Inadequate protection and went In. In her long fur coat and her trim hat covered by a soft gray veil, she seemed out of place as she made her way to an empty table All around her were shabby figures, chorus girls having some toast and cocoa after the show, a pair of redfaced chauffeurs, and all the other typical patrons of the griddle-cake restaurant. Laying aside her wraps and putting her umbrella against the table, mindful of the numerous signs which betrayed the fact that the management was not responsible for lost articles, she ordered a cup of coffee and some crackers and milk. "Talk about your western blizzards!” exclaimed one of the chauffeurs. ”If this Is a sample of your eastern weather I’ll stick to my job with Governor Slade and you can keep your job with Governor Sulzer.” “Why didn’t you go Into the hall and listen to your boss talk?” asked his companion. "Say, did you ever hear the same speech over and over? It’s a great speech, but hearing It ever since we left home —” the pause was signlficanL “Do you go everywhere with your boss?’** "You beL” answered the other, “but this is the first time we’ve been EasL” . "Say, they call your old man thejdlvofiSSl’ governor, don’t they ?" queried Sulzer’s man. "Yep.” Slade’s chauffeur lapsed monosyllabic. "Great note —a man runnin’ for office and being divorced at the same time,” came the commenL "But he got elected just the same. Governor Sulzer said he was all right when he put our car at his disposal.” "But you noticed my bld man wanted me on the box, too?” chuckled the other. “When I’m not drlvin’ I’m along jest the same.” “What do you do?” "Oh, answer questions mostly. He’s a great responsibility—a governor is —I have to keep my eye on him.” "Why? Did they ever try to assassinate him?” “Nope! Nearest they came to it was takln* him through Central park on your New York pavements. But they did present him with a baby catamount in Carson City. I had to receive IL” "What did Mrs. §lade do?” Sulzer’s man was patently more interested in the divorce than any other matter connected with Governor Slade. “Was she a high-stepper?" "Naw,” came the disgusted reply. “Well, what’d he do then that they got divorced. “Say, are you looking for trouble? Where I come from they don’t criticize my old man. He runs things out there. I’ve had enough of this ‘divorced governor* business. I don’t know whose fault it is. She wanted it and he didn’L and she got it! When a woman knows what she wants," and he banged his fist down on the table, "she’s going to get it! Now, shut up and have another cup of coffee” (TO BE