The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-09-09
MARRIED FOR PITY.


MARRIED FOR PITY.
He had married her out Of pity, and
now he was sorry for it. She thought
she realized the. whole at last. That
her money had assisted his pity did not
occur TO her. She had been little,
soft-cycd. crippled thing. cared for
and loved all her life, and when this
new love came il did not seem strange
to her. She had accepted it simply
and gladly. had married him. and they
had been comfortable on her little in
come. and as happy as most people.
lie was dappcr little fellow. with red
curls and rather nice brown eyes, a
glib tongue. and as pretty 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 living. So he devoted himself to
lawn tennls---in fact, he was the
crack player of San Rafael; and
when he was alfred in his immaculate
white tennis rig-long. black stock
ings, low shoes. and little black cap
n his red curls, he was comely
figure on the green court. andI you
could not wonder that little Mrs.
Whitney, as everybody called her,
watched the game with such interest
and laughed in a tender. deprecating
way whenever Tom made an un-
usually swift ..serye" or ..took hard
ball gailantly.
1t mad been on the tennis ground
that she first saw him. three years be-
fore; II had been there that she eNpcr-
fenced some of the proudest moments
of her simple life, and it was there that
Esther Very came across her path and
darkened il. Love and jealousy are
commonplace and everyday, of course.
but they have sometimes the deepest
cutting tragedy Of all.
Ii was glorious Saturday afternoon
one of those California days that
come ottener to San Rafael than to
most places-not warm, but still sug-
gesting the possibilities Of July heat.
There was soft little breeze, that
could have been only fourth or fifth
cousin to the boisterous. dusty wind
that was undoubtedly blowing at that
very moment across the bay in San
Francisco.
Little Mrs. Whitney-..Poor Nell,'
according to her husbands naming
sat in great willow chair on the yer
anda of the tennis club house, watch
ing Tom as usual while he played
wncn some one said: LET me intro
duce Miss Very to you, Mrs. Whitney.
and she turned to bow and smile t
the tall. slim girl who was being pre-
sented. Esther Very was one Of the
few Californian girls with a true en-
thusiasm for physical development
With how firm = stroke did she sent
her boat over the bay! With how
/ strong q hand did she control restiy'
horse! With what pride would SIN
clinch her pretty fist and double VI
her arm that YOU might feel the firm
swelling Of her biccps! How easil,
she vaulted the wooden horse at tn
gymnasium, or pulled up five, no 81,
times on the bar.
/ Now she looked on with the delight
ed eve of a true tennis lover at Tor
Whitney's fast serves, and was read
with enthusiastic appreciation whe
at the close of the game. he came u
to the yeranda with the rest and Wa
introduced to her. Tom was pleased
Of course, and when she expressed
desire to play with him he was onl
too delighted, as he said. He locke
her over with the eye Of connoisseul
and noting the keen glance, the ful
firm arm, and the easy movements dc
cided that she would be foema
worthy of his steel, or rather, his rack
ct.
And SO she was. They played th
next Wednesday, when Tom returne
from the city earlier than usual; tn
following Saturday. and many We.
nesdays and Saturdays after. Littl
Mrs. Whitney sat on the porch, in he
accustomed place. with her sweet smi
ALWAYS ready, and with constant an
unsciiish pleasure that Tom had foun
so worthy and delightful an opponen
Miss Very wa, spending the summt
with some friends in San Rafael. an
after a while Mrs. Whitney invited he
to visit her. The Whilneys had
charming little home, and Esther titte
in as only young. gay, helpful life ca
fit. Tennis in the early morning wit
Tom before he went to the city, the
drives and calls through the day wit
Nell, reading aloud, and writing
the things that 60 to make up qui,
summer in the country. No one coul
help being tender toward Poor Nell $
iEiirmity, and Esther had more tina
the usual portion Of sweet thoughtful
ness and ready affection.
Nell saw that Esther made the
home even brighter than it had bee
before; that she came to be, natural
enough, the centre of their little hous
hold. She did not see at first that
meant more than this to Tom, that
was drifting from mere comradesh
into something different. The tir
signs of mutual attraction are almO
. imperceptible. The realization Of VIII
it was did not come abruptly to Ne
Her awakening was gradual. Fro
the first faint intimation she passed,
Fastening stages, into . sickenir
consciousness of this new iniluenc
She began to watch them when thu
were together-when either was alol
with her. She saw Toms eyes co
stantly directed toward Esther. 81
appreciated the thrill that pass,
through him when he touched h
hand, by chance her dress. She Il