The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-04-14
THE TWO FRIENDS.

----
In q room, half study, half bedroom,
two women were talking. They wero
both young, both moderately good look
ing and both, in a different way, had in.
tclligont, bright eyes that observed
much and betrayed little. Ono woman
was II email, passionate littlo person,
with n delicate mouth, and she was
called Isabel.
Tho other woman was n small pas.
sionatc person, with full. pals lips and
nm aggressive chin. She was called
Lillian.
1t was q cool. summer evening, after
dinner, but tho oom seemed hot to
both Of them, owing to the point in dis.
cussion.
Isabel spoke.
Eyes, | / ave done with him altogeth-
or. Are you really aurprised?"
"No, not in the least. l wns sur
| prised at the beginning OF your friend.
ship. but l was quite prepared Tor tho
end. You never understood each
other"
That's just it, and in consequence,
continually quarrelled. And continual
argument is so tiresome. l assure you
for months l have felt quite worn out"
"And ho"-
"Oh, he" The woman's face soiton-
ed. ~ am very sorry, but l fear l
must have been atrial, Lillian. l alter
mated between trying to net up to his
idea Of me and ruthlessly tearing it
down. Tho curious fact is that he
never had any instructive recognition OF
my real self"
"Were %you"-and Lillian Strengthened
her small person and arched tho pretty,
pert chin-"wero you erer really en-.
gagged, Isabei?'
Tho othor answered rapidly:
"Oh, no! How could we be2 I am
so poor and he earns very little. Now,
ii it had been you, with all your money,
it might have been different. Still, |
did look forward to marriage, when he
would be jealous no longer and should
be all his. And then l was jealous, too"
you! Who were you jealous of,
dear?"
Wasn't it absurd, Lillian?-of you
and-of Others"
swell, I did know him long before
you"
YES, and you were very great
friends"
"oh, he consulted mo about every
thing"
Isabel, trembling a little, "AboutmeP' p.
swell, yes, about you-some times"
"How horrid OF him"
"You see, Isabel dear, you were not
suited"
"uow could we boz" broke out the
other. ~passionately. SIN all his love
for me he had no trust; in all my love
for him there was n certain amount Of
fear. l am morbidly sensitive, and he
wounded INC day by day. He is sensi-
tive, too, in n different way; and nv
wish to have him all to myself. TO rob
him from his too humorous lady friends,
seemed absurd, in his thinking. He re.
fused to believe in the depths OF nv
feelings, because l was timid of express.
ing them. I wanted him to understand
me by instinct, aud q man so often
lacks that"
"Hc is very clever and has plenty OF
tact"
Isabel stopped short and faced her
companion. Tact is an elastic thing.
In his case it was one-sided and only
apparent to his dealings with certain
natures. AS l said, he made q mistake
about mine"
"Well," Lillian smiled and then
sighed again. "I,'s ull over now"
"And I remember" continued the
other, as II she had not heard. "The
first time I saw him l remember the
curious thrill, the curious certainty that
came over me, that he would play some
largo part in my life Il wonder if he
remembers, 100 l wonderif he remem-
bers his first impression OF mo. l was
horribly shy-and know ne thought
me pretty"
HE is a great admirer Of female
beauty, certainly" admitted Lillian
dryly.
"Will you-shall you SEQ him much,
nowT"
Surely, my dear Isabel, you can't cx.
pect me to give up an old friend Just
because you have Quarreled with him?"
"But still he might talk OF mo-"
Il don't think So. And il he did I
can decline to discuss the subject"
Tho other suddenly knelt down boz
side her friend. In her small face, in
her gray Dyes, there was q hungry,
wistful expression that Lillian could not
DO blind to, and it gave her al uneasy
pang.
Iii, dear, tell me. Do you think 1
have been very unwise?
mo. Why"
because my heart is aching till I can
scarcely breathe. Because l am long
ing to know just what he is doing, not
to be wholly shut out OF his life. Because
IL am miserable"
"Oh! This is only for tonight. You
will soon got over it"
With child.ike submission the other
asked, simply, shall II"
"Ot course you will"
"Lil, do you think I should DO very
stupid II l tried to make it up?"
Her friend laughed harshIy and a lit.
tie ~nervously. "Quite mad" slc said.
do you? l am not sure. l am so
terribly lonely. He seemed my destiny.
l miss him every hour OF the day. and
his letters ut every post"
you arc quite maudlin, Isabel"
"Whatl" The woman sprang to her
feet. what did you say?"
~ meant that you are too ridiculous
over this man., who doesn'tl love you and
who never will; who never understood
you and who was never appreciated by
you in rcturn. The sooner you forget
him the better"
~ can't forget him."