The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1894-09-01
SISTER MARION.
Why She Wished That She Might
Be Beautiful.

hcr lover WIN neF own mana rather
than see him happy with another
woman"
The man in the corner by the FIRE die
tated these words slowly and careful
ly, and the girl at the table wrote
them down. Then there was silence
and the girl looked across at the man
expectantly.
''Is it getting darlS?" he asked, after a
few minutes.
For Lewis Darlington had been blind
for nearly six months. That was why
he had engaged Marion Norman as his
secretary.
Eyes. i can scarcely see" answered
the girl. "Shall get the lamp?n
"No, am tired" answered CARING
ton. LET us stop and talk"
Marion put together the sheets In
their proper order, tidied up the table
and came over TO the fire, by which
she stood, leaning against the mantel-
piece and watching her companion.
she was no older than Darlington,
thirty-hvc or whereabouts, but she
looked older than he did. A woman
who has lived her life out OF the sun
shine-which Is love-fades early For
the sunshine is good, even though il
>scorch at times.
us that true, do you thinls?" asked
Warrington, lifting his head.
Marion blushed little, and then
she remembered that the eyes which
met her own could see nothing.
ais what true2"
"That sentence about love an ! sell
flshness. Men know 80 little OF
women"
Marian Norman sat down in a chair
by the fire and leaned her chin upon
her hand as she watched Darlington.
81 hardly know she replied slowly.
~ hope not. think-no. Indeed, l
am sure OF it,"
"Iow do you know?' asked Caring
ton quickly. "Ahl forgive me. 1
should not have asked that"
In their four months daily compan-
ionship begun rs n matter OF business,
they hal grown into the habit OF talk
ing over many things together, and
Marion looked forward 70 the ten aiu-
utes or SO between the close OF work
and her departure as the plcasantest
time OF the day. The turned her eyes
from Carrington's f;tce TO the fire.
eyes. have had my romance" she
replied, and then she told him her
story. 1t was a poor, feeble little ro-
nance, dead almost before itwas born,
ten years ago, when Marion was n
nurse at the London hospital Merely
young doctor who was poor, n few
flowers and note, which Marion still
kept in her worlsbox, though she did
not tell Darlington that. Some girls
would scarcely have noticed it az the
Mtime, and would have forgotten all
[1about IL in n fortnight. But Marion
cherished It's memory for il stood be
tween her and the certainty that she
had never found favor ia the eyes OF
men.
.'You know that lost more than my
sight when my eyes went" said Car
rington, after q pause "Thnt is why
am SO anxious about the operation
next week"
"Ycs You mean"
II was just engaged, and her people
would not let her marry blind man.
They were quite right, weren't they|
"And she2r
"She cried and obeyed her people"
IF / had been she"-Marion began
quickly.
"Well9n
Nothing. Only l never had any
people"
"You were a nurse once, Miss Nor
man. were you not?' said Darlington
presently.
Eyes. II is still strange 20 hear my
self called Miss Norman. l was Sister
Marion until year ago. But my
health broke down and l had 10 give
itup.n
Would you mind very much going
back TO IL for time IA week or SOP
"Ahl You would like me top
81 must have nurse, and ] would
rathcr have some one ! know"
His hand went out in the vague wa.
peculiar TO the blind. Marion met j
and held it moment in her own.
II will come" she said, quietly.
- Marion rose TO 90.
And when when Il Is all over, yor
won't require me any more, she sai'
with laugh that only just ESCAPED
being a sigh.
Say. rather. when IL Is all over
shall be able to sec You, said earring
ton. "You remember, though we hay
grown 60 know one another SO well,
have never seen you"
There was small pier glass over tn
mantelpiccc, and Marion was face {
face with her own reelection She Ia
known all her life that she was plain
But now, ia the light OF new hop
that had dawned IN the past month
she appeared palmer and moro CON
monplace than ever.
"1f he never saw me, perhaps
The thought had forced itself NOR
than once into her mind, but she ha
beaten II back and prayed that Lew
Darlington might see again
Marion went her way homo an
climbed up three flights OF stairs
her room. IL looked dark aud cold
almost IA cold as the streets Outsid,