Show LOVE I AT THE WINDOW BY GRACE ETHEL RANSOM Q J by W W. 0 Q 0 Chapman HAVE fallen into the habit of ot datIng dating dating dat dat- I ing everything In my life Ute from the time of ot my wy c a crippling accident When I was a little girl some ars IUS K before my accident I used to toi tou i u the young fellow at the window It the he adjacent house The ti family d Just moved In but we did not ow V each ocher orber In large towns this often often en the way I suppose we wc were rested crested J c each other V. as ns a d boy and Pare are apt to be but bui if Ie we glanced each jach other it was with an n aspect unconcern the mere casual lout loul it If one bestows besto upon a a stranger f. f am three years older than Madge f r sister r and It always behooved me Set set her a good example Perhaps that account I was especially 18 that she should not see sec me ex- ex aDge ange ge glances with the bo boy at the c V O opposite And Madge was nl- nl y the beauty while I am um plain lift fit I 1 could do Madge adge must m not do t tut ut more serious consequences rhe rue house was ours Our parents when we were small and und au an ot at came ame to live with us and tale take irge irge ge When she died I was twenty twenty- and Madge ladge nineteen We sta stayed d dl l In the house but our annuity was tiny y one T ele was Just enough n ney ey Cy used to tall talk about our future Bourse course we both expected to b be tried If I marry first said Madge you OU OUo come o and live with us until you ou oury try ry Who would marry an IlI ugly d ig g r I asked tho though gh In hi my m 1 heart V nety some day the man would come lade die e was indignant with me mc She ays saw me through the glaS glasses HS love vl But beside Madge I 1 was yas a u. u ck k little dwarf Madge had one one of of f se se saints saints' faces nod and anda a weal wealth th of ofden den n hair that matte made her wonderful ul w we had beep been like lite I Lan L Lan an used to social lif life life her her have been innumerable Innumerable Ul ill Il this while the family bad had lived ct n. n door or We had hud come to to know m sightly Roger the young oung man ia away ay at nt college We had nota not a him for years Chen came the accident It was a al alfrom l ron our cur In a collision and anden anden en cn l' l recovered consciousness I was ic us Ig a at ahome home in 11 my own bed hed a and d room oom was darkened Before Defore me mt Madge She told me mc I was getting ter hr after three weeks of terrifying l Consciousness die days das passed and I felt stronger I why the thc look of pain reI reined reined re re- i I ined ed on Madges Madge's face fuce At last they I should never never be e able toU to U kf without crutches crutch s' s again tor cor or a whole year ear I was an Invalid p day a famous visiting surgeon Ed through our town He lie spent hours here and two of them were weri my beside Madge had brought Id I'd pleading that her he- hc should come examine me mc He shook his head kly when he had hind completed the ther r here There Is one man who can rethe ree re- re p e 1 the knee in the socket and that pens cbs of Vienna he said It has tried in our hospitals but nc-er nc never e He has a special repairing the atrophied ligaments go to him If it you OU wish to toI towell I well Mien fen he was gone Madge and I Id It t ed d at each other in dismay Even ii he pe a great grent surgeon were willing to It ate te for nothing It was Impossible ii p to Vienna unless unless we we sold thee the e el I I ell sell It said Madge course I refused and that was beginning of our first big quarrel Idas Ida's daya Madge went about with a an II n n face fuce But Dut I would not give now How could I t Jeopardize our fuher fu fu- ill her her future futuro In n order to get my V straightened 1 Dall ally pally we wo arrived at lit a compromise II f house house should be sold sold after after e married Then If it she married we we could afford the sacrifice I 1 Ilive Ilive live on less than two needed the he knee could wait The sur- sur had said that It could wait walt years before it was too late Inte to Ito ate Madge must get married A p 1 three years W hope bope it wont won't be that long Jen- Jen she said as She kissed me in dilation I. I u on 11 after utter that the young man beo beto be- be to o appear at the window opposite j. j chair was by the window uld no longer help seeing him D a 11 he hc was there The Initiative HBO so 80 to speak passed but of ot my mya p 14 a day a 11 great eat surprise awaited d I J ge had struck up a friend friend- t i vIlh the boy next door After sP J he tie used to venture to smile at i it t and ld I 1 smiled back Madge had hade hadS S Sue e that he be wanted to be Intro Intra y 1 to me i meanwhile I felt that ere re practically acquainted v la K surprising what new Dew Interests I Ic g c ea tj nUd a-nUd acquires I 1 used to watch p through the window as us he sat g at his table He lIe meu mel meant nt to be thor thor Madge told me and hay hav- W bo P little income of his own he het t J not be driven to the expedient r r t 0 lUng icing trash for tor a livelihood lie He Hei 3 aft i R to do something big some dayE day E Jenny JenDY she said when are ure kop log lag to let me mc bring him up to toj j tf pu ul 1 You are ore always making exy exIc ex ex- t. t y f tf rode Ic another excuse but after ud ad sage gone I realized the tho nature of my selfishness I was Jealous of at Madge Yes that was It lt I could not bear that my lameness my 01 homeliness should be contrasted with m my sisters sister's glorious beauty Madge was prettier than ever eyer The bo boy next door spent a good deal of time In n her company compan Sometimes they walked down clown the tho street together I fancied that people would be be talking about them I was as assure sure they were were going to announce their engagement soon And of being happy I was vas Jealous and nd miserable Perhaps the morbid fancies of ot a sick woman ma may mitigate such a crime But a temptation tempts tempts' tion was stirring In my my heart and it was this If It Madge married the bo boy boyat at the window I 1 would refuse to sell the house an and go to Vienna L I. would never allow her marriage with theman Hieman the tle man I loved loyed to be bc the price of my physical redemption The man I loved loyed Yes I lid dill not disguise It from myself any ony longer I In my childhood days it was L who had discovered the boy at the window It was I who had shown him to Madge and h he was talus mine h by the right of ot priority priority and by the rJ right hl of my love I 1 could love loye him even eyen though h we had find never r a word l For ol the thc first time In lu my life I hated Madge 1 I passed through all the variations of ot emotion possible possible-as as I 1 suit sat at rat the window window window win win- dow In m my Invalids Invalid's chair I think my mind had become a little lit tip tle distorted for fOl sometimes the violence vio vio- violence lence of ot W my hat hate frightened me I I Iwas j was teas helpless l I was so helpless and andall andall all ull the while I hud had to smile and ond pretend pretend pre- pre I tend rend to be happy I know began began be be- II gan to grow frightened sometimes I would j see ee her hel- eyes bent on mine In Inthe inthe i the queerest way Jenny she said to me one day lay I Iam Iam 1 am going to tell you a secret secret not not now but some time I 1 think think think- thinkA A pau pause e She looked at me with that Ij smile rune charmed ed every everyone one but now filled my iny heart with black I hatred and Impotent rage And I smiled back and felt like an assassin I II I shall shull tell you ou she said when 1 you Cu let me e bring Harry fo to s see e you No not then but afterward I Harry I She had blurted out the name involuntarily You need n not t trouble I 1 w whispered red clenching my hands under the rug until until un un- un- un til the physical pain was into Intolerable lerable You need not tell ell me me Madge looked at at me In pain How strange you are lately Jenny she said sala But I am going to t tell ll you When can cnn I bring him 7 The wild pain at at my heart demanded demand demand- ed respite Let me get the thing over Bring Dring him at once oncel I I cried M Madge d e was gone gODe and I Iwas was waiting at the tt window In my Invalid chair I I saw her cross the street She went tree freely y Into the house houe now I watched till Ull they came out together His arm was linked in hers and they were I laughing What a n fool they had made of me 1 It seemed an eternity before Madge came into the room She laughed uncomfortably uncomfortably un un- comfortably I thought You know Harry Tremont she said with embarrassment He has hns wanted so much to see you We Ve are arc old friends said Harry taking my burning palm In his Ws cool hands I dont don't know how the interview came to an end But Dut it was ended at last and suddenly I could bear It no more Harry was gone and Madge was was was' kneeling at my side and aDd I was crying in her arms And I 1 was blurting blurtIng blurting blurt blurt- ing out all nIl my secret story of t shame and misery Why Madges Madge's face tace was like an angels angel's angels angel's angels angel's an an- gels gel's as she raised it and the tears In her eyes made them shine with exaltation exaltation exaltation ex ex- greater than anything I have ever seen Jenny I 1 Did you think that thaU she whispered Why you goose It was you all the time time always always you Harry told me mc he loved you ever since ho he was a little littleboy boy and used to see you youat youat youat at the window I 1 II II I can walk like other people now and we still live Uve In the old house house- Harry and I and the little girl who has been beeD named after Madge Madge comes to see us often otten She is happy with her husband Sometimes a shade I of ot Jealousy touches my heart heart to see them together for I learned learned learned- to be bevery bevery bevery very j Jealous alous of ot love lo In those days of sickness But Dut then I think of Madges Madge's face that day and I know that no other other other oth oth- er love can ever eyer dim hers and mine |