West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-03-15
A Queer Couple.
BY RICHARD BURKErr.

III the reverse Of hand
ure, and the only construction tina
could be put upon their attachmen
was that the ugliness OF each acted a
bond OF sympathy between them
True, every eye has beauty OF il
own, but the optic that could detec1
anything lovely in Sallie's cross-eyed
pug-nosed, freckle-faced, carroty
headed, l0p-sided person was not the
Kind OF vision to be either envied OF
commended. Nor were Johnnie's
bectling brows, receding forehead and
sloping chin the class OF features that
usually enamor female. His short,
chunky, fore-shortened body would
not have attracted one woman In a
lew millions, but Sallie, strange
10 say, happened to be eccentric
enough In her tastes to imagine that
Johnnie was perfect Adonis.
And, to her lovers thinking, there
wasn't a girl In all Lockton half SO
pretty and graceful as Sallie. They
mad, OF course, supreme monopoly of
their opinions about each others
beauty, and neither of them had the
slightest cause for jealous anxiety.
Neither OF them were rich in this
worlds goods, but both were comfort
ably situated for people I'm their sta
t1on or life. Their parents were dead
and each was left alone in the world
with a small farm and a little money.
Johnnie was about twenty-five and
Sallie just OF age, so they had no one
TO please but themselves and were not
long In making match of it.
But the week before the appointed
wedding day Sallie fell i'll with the
hA \
ordered her to the hospital at once.
She was taken away i'm the town am
bulance and Johnnie followed, weeping
bitterly and begging to be allowed to
accompany and nurse her. His re-
quest was finally granted so far as to
permit him to occupy an adjoining
room to the ward in which she lay,
and In the presence of the female
nurse Johnnie's uncouth figure would
often be seen bending over the uncon-
scious form of the delirious Sallie.
She never spoke of anybody but her
lover in her rambling, incoherent
speech, and yet she never recognized
him from the first day he was allowed
to see her. Those were hard times for
Johnnie, but he was told to hope for
the best, and after period of two
weeks the doctors gave him encour-
agement by telling him that Sallie
was out OF danger and would not be
marked at all by the ravages of the
disease.
Bnt just as Sallie improved Johnnie
began to grow i'll, and 1t was soon evil
dent that he had taken the disease
from her. He was put to bed in Sc
Guided ward and great care taken not
to excite him in the least. When his
delirium set in, his calls for Sallie were
incessant, but owing to her weak con-
dltlon she was not allowed to see him.
She was sent home TO convalesce and
prayed night and day that her lover
might be spared to her.
But though her prayer was granted,
Johnnie left the hospital marked for
life. His had been more dangerous
case, and he only came out of it with
great ugly pits all over his head and
face. Still, that did not make any
serious difference to Sallie. She had
not loved him for his good looks In the
first place, so the loss of a little more
physical beauty was not crying mat
ter. she was not really we'll herself.
Inc malady had left her in very
weak condition, but she was strong
enough to take Johnnie by the arm
and escort him around the little town
whenever the wants of either necessi-
tated any shopping. The marriage
was postponed for several weeks and
now they contemplated an Easter
wedding. About the queerest looking
pair or lovers in the whole state OF
Pennsylvania was Johnnie circuit and
Sallie Smithers.
But Johnnie seemed to feel, away
down in his sensitive heart that, the
accident which had marred his fea-
lures was naturally one that would, or
should, disqualify him in the sight of
his beloved. He never thought OF how
cruel Nature had originally been to
him, he never considered that it was
through his devotion TO Sallie he
had caught the disease now dis
figuring him He brooded over the
Thought that he was no longer pre-
Sentable TO her view, and all the low
ing care she could lavish upon him
failed to have the effect of convincing
him that she still loved him as former.
ly He attributed her present actions
To resignation rather than desire. and
morbid feeling OF sullen disappoint-
ment crept into his nature and made
him irritable and peevish.
Salile could not understand the
change in his disposition. Had She
known that he regarded her in the
light OF martyr, willing TO sacrifice
her happiness for his sake, she could
easily have undeceived him. But
Johnnie was mOrose and silent He
could not bear her TO talk to him even.
lie resented her expressions OF affcc.
tion, because, without any reason be.
yond his own supersensitiveness he
imagined them to be simulated.
She did not like his little petulant
ways, which were entirely different
from his former manner, and gradual.
~ there grew GOODNESS and reserve
between them which finally resulted
In severance OF the engagement.
She told him fatty that she could
never live with him on account of hi,
! temper.
There was a considerable sensation
In the little town when IL became
known that the marriage was of. So
many people had commented upon Tn,
engagement and also upon the devo
ton shown by the odd couple in thejl
sickness that such a thing as th,
/ breaking Of the engagement was con
sidered well-nigh impossible But TIA,
news spread the day after the auarre
/ between the lovers, and many wer,
the questions passed around as to Tn,
origin Of the trouble Neither Of then
I could be seen. however. Both remained
iD doors, apparently with the object o