would be as brutal as the Martin with whom she had lived these
twenty years, and who now took it for granted that she would let
him do whatever he chose. She was to be made to step aside, was
she, with no weapon with which to strike back and no armor with
which to protect herself? Well, there was one way she might hit
him --one. She would strike him in his weakest point --his
belongings. Yes, Martin Wade might leave her but all his property
must be left behind--every cent of it. There should be a contract
to that effect; otherwise, she would fight as only a frenzied
woman can fight.

The two of them, lying there side by side as quietly as if in
death, each considered the issue settled. She would let him go
without his property; Martin would leave with half of it. And
through all the long wordless controversy, their little Rose of
Sharon, a few yards away, slept as only a tired child can sleep.



VIII

THE DUST SMOTHERS

WHEN Martin opened his eyes, next morning, he realized with a
start that he had overslept, which was a new experience for one
whose life had been devoted so consistently to hard toil; and he
saw with a sharper start, that his wife, who always got up about
a half hour earlier than himself, was not even yet awake. He
wondered what had come over him that he should have committed
such a sin, and as his tired mind opened one of its doors and let