Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-23
LITTLE MRS. WHITNEY,"

lie had MARI u her OFT IF pity, and now he
was sorry for it She thought she realized
the whole mt last That her money had as
sisted his pity d,d not occur To her. She had
boen httl' sott-eyed, crippled thing, cared
for and loved all her life, and when this new
love came IT lid not seem strange to her. She
had accepted it simply and gladly, had mar
ried him, and they had been comfortable on
her little INCOME and as happy as most
people He was dappcr little fellow, with
rcd culls dnd rather nice brown eyes, glib
tongue and pretty "a hand and foot as any
in San Rafael
lie had not very much to do, as far as bust
ness went, not needing to work for living,
so he devoted himself to lawn tennis-in fact.
he was the crack player of San Ratael;
and when he was attired in his immaculate
white tennis ri,,-long, black stockings, low
shoes and a little black cap on his red curls
he was comedy figure on the green court,
aud you could not wonder that little Mrs
whitney," as everybody called her, watched
the game with such interest, and laughed in
tender, aepre, atiug way whenever Tom
made an unusually swift serve" or took q
hard ball calamity
It had beon ON the tennis ground that she
first saw him. three years before; it had been
there that she experienced some of the
prouiest moments of her simple life, and it
was there that Esther Very came across her
path and iarkenod it. Love and jealousy are
commonplace md everyday, Of course. but
they have sometimes the deepest cutting
tragedy of all.
1t WAS glorious Saturday afternoon-one
Of those Californian days that come oftener
10 San Rafael than to most places-not warm,
but still suggesting the possibilities OF July
hca' There was a soft, little breeze, that
could have been only fourth or fifth cousin
to the boisterous, dusty wind that was un-
douhtedly blowing at that very moment
across the bay in San Francisco.
Little Mrs Whitney-"Poor Nell" accord
ing to her husbands naming-sat i'll great
willow chair the veranda Of the tennis
cllb house, watching Tom usual while he
played when some one said: Let me intro
duce Miss Very to you, Mrs Whitney" and
she turned to bow and smile TO the tail, slim
girl who was being presented Esther Very
was one Of the few Californian girls with q
true enthusiasm for physical development
With how firm a stroke did she send her boat
over the BAY With how strong n hand did
she control a rustive horsel With what pride
would she clench her pretty fist and double
IN her arm that you might feel the firm
swelling of her biceIsl How easily she
vauItel the wooden horse at the gymnasium,
or pulled up five no. six times on the bar
Now she looked on with the delighted eye
Of a true tennis lover at Tom Whitneys fast
serves, and was ready with enthusiastic ap-
probation when, at the close Of the game, he
came up To the veranda with the rest and
was introduced to her. Tom was pleased, of
course. and when she expressed desire to
play with him, he was only too delight 4, as
he said He looked her over with the eye of
a counoisseur, and noting the keen glance,
the full, firm arm. and the easy movements,
decided that she would be foeman worthy
of his steel or rather his racket
And so she was They played the next
Wednesday. when Tom returned from the
city earlier than usual; the following Satur
day, and many Wednesdays and Saturdays
after. Little Mrs. Whitney sat on the porch,
in her accustomed place, with her sweet
smile always ready, and with constant and
unscltsh pleasure that Tom had found so
worthy and delightful an opponent
Mis- Very was spending the summer with
some friends in san Rafael, and after while
Mrs. Whitney invited her to visit her. The
Whitneys had charming little home, and
Esther fitted i'll rs only young, gay, helpful
life can tit Tennis in the early morning
with Tom before be went to the city. then
drives AMI calls through the day with Nell,
reading aloud and writing-all the things
that 20 to make up quiet summer in the
country No one could help being tender
toward Poor NelisH intirmity and Esther
had More than the usual portion of sweet
thouehtfulue>s and ready affection
Nell saw that Esther made their home even
brighter than it had been before: that she
came to b., naturally enough, the center of
their little household She did not see at first
that it mean. more than this to Tom that he
was drifting from mere comradeship into
something different The first signs of mutual
attraction are almost impereeptible The
realization of what it was did not come
abruptly To Neil Her awakening was grad
ual- From the inst faint intimation. she
passed, by fastening stages, into a sickening
Consciousness of this new influence. She
began to watch them when they were to-
gether-when either was alone with her She
saw Toms eyes constantly directed toward
Esther. She appreciated the thrill that
passed through him when be touched her
hand, by chance her dress. She felt no bit
terness for Esther. She had begun to love
her dearly, and she felt still the same stir
rings of affection whenever the girl came
near her. s,noothed her hair, or did for her
any OF the little kindly services she rendered
daily. She did not cry out at the bitterness
Of her cup. She did not call it cruel or un-
deserved She began to recall the past and
look at bygone events as she had never done
before. She studied herself, as she thought,
from every point of view. She was de-
formed. there was nothing to her, she had
given Tom no real sympathy, no responsive
appreciation-only an atfectionate depend
ence. She did not wonder why he had given
her only an affectionate protection His COM
plete selfishness had never impressed itself
upon her. She had never known the passion