Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 1, 1922 — page 47: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

HOPELESS HOMESTEAD. cal prison, was as painful almost as the strain that Alice labored under. What he decided to do, as he reached the prison, was to question Hubbard re- garding his wife, to determine, if possible, whether the man wished to return to her. In case he did so desire, Kemp could see no possible course ahead of him other than that of bringing Alice and Hubbard to- gether. VI. Kemp found Hubbard reclining comfort- ably on the cell bunk after having spent the day cutting cord wood in the barracks yard. The fellow did not seem particularly dis- tressed at the moment. He did not appear to bear Kemp any animosity when the lat- ter spoke to him, and the thought came to the constable that perhaps, under the sur- face, Hubbard was not such a bad fellow. after all, merely a weak one who might still be made over into a real.man by a good woman. “ Hubbard,” he began, “ I’d like to learn a little of your history, if I may.” “Go ahead,” said the prisoner. “ When you came to-this country from the States did you leave a wife behind your” ; For a moment Hubbard hesitated, then he answered: 6¢ Yes.” “‘ Was she a good woman?” Hubbard smiled sadly. ‘The best m the world.” “ Then why did you leave her?”’ For the first time in the years that Kemp had known him, Hubbard shed his air of degraded incompetence and spoke like a- real man. ‘“‘ Because I was a fool!” he exclaimed with surprising force. ‘“ Because I didn’t realize she was one woman in a thousand. But I know it now. I knew it a whole year’ ago when I picked up a newspaper from our home town in Nebraska that a travel- ing salesman threw away in a ‘hotel down in Edmonton and saw her name staring me in the face. A real estate business she had. Think of that! A regular business of her own, and making lots and lots of money at it, I guess. . boards and everything? 837 “And that wasn’t all, either. In the news column she was mentioned as being on the library board. A regular prominent citizen. And me—look at me! I’m a hell of a citizen, ain't I? Living with a dirty squaw and all—TI tell you, Kemp, it makes me sick when I think of the way I could be swelling around that town with a woman like that if I only had sense enough to stay there. I’d be living in a fine house, I bet, and driving an eutomobile and getting my name in the paper and everything. Jimi- ny! Just to think of it gets my goat. Servants, too, I bet you—yes, sir, ser- vants!”” “Have you ever thought of going back to her?” Kemp asked. “Sure I have. I’d go crawling back on my hands and knees, I’d beg her to forgive me; I’d do anything under the sun to get square with her if I could.” “Then why don’t you?” “* Because—er—well, because the way I left there wasn’t quite regular. There’s people there that’s got it in for me.” ‘“Wouldn’t your wife be able to square you with them? If she’s a rich and promi- nent citizen, surely she could arrange things so you could start all over again.” “Yve thought of that, too, but—well, I just hadn’t got around to it, constable. This worthless life I’ve been leading sort of gets a fellow, you know. The railroad fare would be quite a lot, too, and I’d have to have some decent clothes. But I will do it —yes, sir, I sure will! And just as quick as I can, too, because—who knows—maybe she’ll get a divorce some day and go off and marry some other fellow. I thought she probably had until I saw that paper and read her name—Alice Carter. That shows she’s still my wife because my name is real- ly Carter, not Hubbard.” ‘“So you still love her, eh?” ‘“‘ A woman like that? That hasn’ di- vorced me all these years, and can build up a big real estate business and get on library Well, I guess yes!” Hubbard paused to smile at.some secret happy thought and then resumed: ‘And maybe you think she isn’t a good looker. Oh, man! The best-looking kid in the whole town she was when I married comicloool C©