OCR Text |
Show WHEN THE GIRL TOLD Dy ELLEN VAN STONE. Tho veranda conclavo was In bob- lion, and tho talk had turned on tho jueBtlon of whether or not a Woman ever Ih Justified In declaring her love. "She eaBlly may bo Justified, I think," said stately MIbs Dllly, fifty- flvo and handsome, with gray curls and rosy checks and lips that still united bowltchlngly, "hut sho never Is wise to do so, I know of a sad caso of tho kind. "A girl loved n man, hut was not Hire perhaps ho wbb not Btiru whether or not he loved her In return. They wcro splendid friends, and his lender, conlderato manner might save meant almost anything. Tho girl 'oved him so well that tho uncertainty was torture, only comforted by tho knowledge that ho had no other girl friend, let ntono lover, to sharo tho questionable duvotlon to her. This went on for some years. "At last sho fell 111. Tho doctor, In fact, told her that sho hnd no chnnco of recovery. Sho was not altogether sorry, slnco tho man never had spoken. spok-en. Ily nnd by camo tho thought that now, with death so near, she could settle the problem. It would bo no Immodesty to speak of lovo now. "So she Bent for tho man, who. seeing see-ing her bo weak and helpless, forgot conventionality, remembered only tenderness ten-derness nnd affection, nnd bent to kiss her. Then, poor thing, sho was sure It had been lovo nil along. "She told him, nil In a breath, all that sho had thought, and Buffered I ind knew, tho while he chivalrously snsworod thnt ho had loved her alwaysas al-waysas ho had, Indeed, In a wny. Vet sho felt the truth that ho never had loved her. It wns only friendliness friendli-ness and liking. He was lying now to save her happlnesB nnd pride. "Sho dismissed him at onco, bravo ' ly keeping up tho play of believing his talo until tho door had closed upon up-on him. Then, bitterly Bclfcontemp tuous, despairing, she turned her faco to tho wall nnd tried to die." ' "Well, 1 don't see that It mattered whether or not sho told him." cried ' eager little Mllllo Slmpklns, her oyea wot and shining. ''Of course, It was too bad thnt he didn't renlly lovo her, but, after nil. It would make no differ- j enco when Bhe was dead." Miss Dllly rose nnd laid her hand for n moment on the girl's head boforo bo-foro replying. When at last sho spoko again thero was a now throb In her ', qulot tono. Perhaps she had Bpokcn with n purpose. Bcclng that llttlo Mllly was nllowlng her regard for cureless joting Stono to become subject to talk Bj among tho veranda gossips. B. "Ah, but you see," sho said softly, W "tho doctor wns mistaken after nil, H. and things didn't turn out ns ho ex Hr pectcd. You sco, much as sho longed ! to, tho girl didn't dlo." Chicago Trlb ; unc. Hb |