River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-09-06
SISTER MARION.
Why She Wished That She Might
Be Beautiful.

woman.
The man in the co-7er by the FIRE die
tated these word .o,vly and careful
". and the girl at the table wrote
them down. Then there was a silence
and the girl looked across at the man
expectantly.
els 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.
Yes. ! can scarcely see" answered
the girl ''Shall get the lamp"
No, am tired, answered CARING
ton. Let Us stop and talk"
Marion put together the sheets in
their proper order. tidied mp the table
and came over 20 the fire, by which
she stood, leaning against the mantel-
piece and watching her companion.
She was no older than Darlington,
thirty-five or thereabou 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 it
scorch az times
lis that true. do you think?'' asked
Darlington, lifting his head.
Marion blushed a little, and then
she remembered that the eyes which
met her own could see nothing.
as what truce"
That sentence about love an sell
fishness. Men know so little of
women"
Marian Norman sat down in a chair
by the fire and leaned ner chin upon
her hand as she watched Darlington.
Il hardly know" she replied slowly.
81 hope not. l think-nO. Indeed.
am sure of it,"
How do you know asked Caring
ton quickly. 'Ah. forgive me.
should not have asked that"
In their four months daily compan-
iOnship. begun as matter of business.
they hal grown into the habit of talk
ing over many things together. and
Marion looked forward To the ten min
utes or So between the close of work
anC her departure as the pleasantest
time Of the day. The turned her ewes
from CarringtOn's face To the fire.
YES. I have had my romance" sire
replied. and then she told him her
story. IL was Door, feeble little ro-
nance, dead almost before il was born.
ten years ago. when Marion was
nurse at the London hospital Merely
a young doctor who was poor. a few
flowers and a note. which Marion still
kept in her workbox. though she did
not tell Darlington that Some girls
4 L \
time. and would have forgotten all
about il in a fortnight. But Marion
cherished It's memory. for il stood be-
tween her and the certainty that she
had never found favor in the eyes of
men
You know that lost more than my
sight when my eyes went" said Car
rington, after a pause. That is why
4 am so anxious about the operation
next week"
YES You mean"
81 was just engaged. and her people
would not let her marry a blind man.
They were quite right, weren't they?"
And she2''
''She cried and obeyed her people"
IF | had been Marion began
quickly.
''welI?"
Nothing. Only I never had any
people
you were a nurse once. Miss Nor
man. were you not?r said Darlington
presently.
Yes. II IS still strange to hear nv
self called Miss Norman. | was sister
Marion until a year ago. But my
health broke down and / had to give
IL mp"
Would you mind very much going
hack tn il for a time-a week or SOP"
"Ahl You would like me to-"
Il must have a nurse. and would
rather have some one know"
His hand went ont in the vague way
peculiar 10 the blind. Marion met it
and held il a moment in her own.
Il will come" she said. quietly.
Marion rose 10 go.
''And when-when IL is all over. you
won't require me any more" she said
with a laugh that only just escaped
being sigh.
Say. rather. when il is all ov,.
shall be able To see you" said Caring
ton. ''You remember. though we have
grown to know one another so well, /
have never seen YOU"
There was small pier glass over the
manteiPiece, and Marion was face to
face with her own reflection. She had
known all her life that she was plain.
But now. im the light of new hope
that had dawn,d in the past month.
she appeared palmer and more com
monplace than ever.
IF he never saw me. perhaps"
The thought had forced itself more
than once into her mind. but she had
beaten il back and prayed that Lewis
Darlington might sec again
Marion went her way home and
climbed mp three flights Of stairs to
her room Il looked dark and cold
almost as cold as the streets outside.
where the sleet was falling She lit
the gas stove and made herself cup
of tea. Then she looked out at the
PURSES clothes which she used 10 wear.
The aprons wanted a stitch here and
there. This occupied her for some
time. BY eight o'clock all was I'm
ished The sleet was still beating
had anywhere to 60, she could not
have gone But il was having no
where To go that made her feel 50
lonely There was nothing to do but
sit sttll aud think. Marion was gen
orally too busy for this. but tonight
she could not help thinking a little
bitterly IF the ,oveless life she led
And then she fell - wondering what
that other one was iilSe. or course she
was pretty. There was photograph
of giI' ron CarringtOn's mantel-
piece, Va Nora ThurstOn~ scrawled
across the foot. Doubtless that was
she.
''oh. IL might be just little beau
tiful, just for : little WHILE she
sighed TO herself Then, rejecting
that the wish was absurd. she had her
supper-a couple of biscuits and a
glass of milk-and went 10 bed.
There are two kinds of women
those who offer sacrifice and those who
demand it The latter must have some
thing 20 lean upon; the former must