Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-08-06
LITTLE MRS. WHITNEY,"
BY ELIZABETH c.. ATHERTON.

Tie had married her out OF pity,
and now he was sorry for it. She
thought she realized the whole atlast.
That her money had assisted his pity
did not occur to her. She had been a
little, soft-eyed, crippled thing, cared
for and loved all her life, and when
this new love came it did not seem
strange to her. She had accepted it
simply and gladly, had married him,
and they had been contradiction her
little income, and as happy as most
people. He was dapper little fellow,
with red curls and rather nice brown
eyes, glib tongue, and as pretty a
hand and foot as any in San Rafael.
He had not very much to do, as far
as business went, not needing to work
for IL living, so he devoted himself to
lawntennis-in fact, he was the
"crack" player OF San Rafael; and,
when he was attired in his immacu-
late white tennis rig, long. black stock
iass, low shoes, and little black cap
on his red curls, he was comedy figure
on the green court, and you could not
wonder that "little Mrs. Whitney"
as everybody called her, watched the
game with such interest, and laughed
i'll q tender, deprecating way whenever
Tom made an unusually swift "serve,"
Or "took' q hard ball calamity.
1t had been on the tennis-ground
that she first saw him, three years be-
fore; it had been there that she expe.
rienced some Of the proudest moments
OF her simple life, and it was there
that Esther Very came across her
path and darkened it. Love and
jealousy are commonplace and every
day, OF course, but they have some
times the deepest-cutting tragedy Of
ALL
It was a glorious Saturday after.
noon--ol>c of those California days
that come oftener to San Rafael than
to most places-not warm, but still
suggesting the possibilities of July
heat; one OF those days when one ap-
preciatrs intensely Joaquin Miller
simplicity in saying:
''lhe hills were brown, the heavens were
blc;''
for The hills and the heavens dominate
the landscape. There was sort, little
breeze, that could have been only
fourth or fifth cousin to the bolster.
Gus, dusty wind that was undoubted
ly blowing at that very moment across
che bay in San Francisco.
Little Mrs. Whitney-"Poor Nell,"
according to her husbands naming
sat in q great willow chair on the yer.
anda OF the tennis club house, watch
ing Tom as usual while he play
ed, when some one said: 'Let
me introduce Miss Very to you,
Mrs. Whitney, and she turn.
ed to bow and smile to the tall, slim
girl who was being presented. Esther
Very was one Of the few Californian
girls with true enthusiasm for physi.
eaI developement. The craze for walk.
ing and gymnastics has so far reached
Californian femininity in q fragmentary
WY. Rare indeed are the girls who
San pull up three times from arms
length on the horizontal bar, but
Esther Very had long ago felt the
wholesome inspiration Of muscular
christianity, but WAS an ardent dis
clple. With how firm a stroke did she
send her boat over the bay! With how
strong q hand did she control FESTIVE
horse! With what pride would abe
c'ench her pretty fist and double ul
her arm that you might feel the firm
swelling OF her biceps! How easily she
vaulted the wooden horse at the gym
nasiun1, or pulled up five, no, sis
times on the bar!
Now she looked on with the delight
ed eye of true tennislover at Ton
Whltney's last serves, and was ready
with enthusiastic appreciation when
ut 1he close OF the game, he came uE
tc. the veranda with the rest, and was
lV roduced to her. Tom was pleased
IL course, and when she expressed &
desire to play with him he was only
too delighted, as he said. He looked
her over with the eye OF aconnoisseur
and noting the keen glance, the full, firm
arm, and the easy movements, decided
that she would be q foeman worthy O.
his steel, or rat her his racket.
AMI SO she was. They played the
next Wednesday. when Tom returned
from the city earlier than usual; the
following Saturday, and many Wed
nesdays and Saturdays after. Little
Mrs. Whitney sat on the porch, in he1
accustomed place, with her sweet
smile II ways ready, and with constant
and unsel6sh pleasure that Tom hac
found SO worthy and delightful an op
ponent.
Miss Very was spending tho summer
with some friends in San Rafael, anc
after while Mrs. Whitney invited bel
to visit her. The Whitneys had {
charming little home, and Esther fittec
IN as only young, gay, helpless lift
can fit. Tennis in the early morning
with Tom before he went to the city
then drives and calls through the day
with Nell, reading aloud and writing
all the things that 60 to make up E
quiet summer in thecountry. No one
could help beng tender toRard "Pool
NelPs' ln6rmity, and Esther hat
more than the usual portion of sweet
thoughtfulness and ready affection.
Nell saw that Esther made thei1
home brighter than it had been before
that she came to be, naturally enough
the center Of their little household
She did not see at first that it meant
more than this to Tom, that he was
drifting from mere good comradshiI
into something different. The first
signs OF mutual attraction are almost
imperceptible. The realization Q
what it was did not come abruptly tt
Nell. Her awakening was gradual
From the first faint intimatior
she passed, by Fastening stages
ness OF this new influence. She begar
tn watch fhov,, rr,hov> than f,ooE n