The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-14
HELEN.

an-the two little cardboard boxes. tied
with white ribbon. and each containing
tiny morsel of wedding cake were found in
her bureau But when the first Of these
keepsakes came into her hands she was
quite young and. in way, even beautiful,
though hers was never a beaufJ which
commanded general attention. or caused
her 10 be looked after in the street.
Understand that. although I loved her,
and might, perhaps. have won her FOR my
wife. had IL not been for him. l am not
blaming him at ali. 1 not animated by
any spirit Of vindictiveness in setting forth
these facts. which he Will never see. write
them only with a deep sense Of their
pathos; with a feeling Of eternal pity for
her and for him, and for myself. Who am
i BE easy-nO conscious egOtism is fnauenc-
Ing me either. L merely the
man who loved her, and my
personality need not be much OBJ
truded on you. I am the man who loved
her. and / tell the tale because 1 am abb
solutely the only person who is able to tell
1t. Helen herself is dead. and Arnold Sey-
mour never understood it. That is why 1
pity him and do not blame him; he did not
understand; he was dense and obtuse, and
blind.
She lived with her younger sister in a
village in the shires. Since they lost their
Her eyes were deep and her face was
grave; she had had many responsibilities
and they had left their mark upon her
she earned hundred, or may be a couple
or hundred, pounds a year by her pen
little sentimental stories in the ladies' pa
per-and this. coupled with her mothers
small bequest. provided for the two girls
wants. Their cottage. which was freehold
vas the prettiest thing you ever met with
1t would almost reconcile you to poverty
10 see il 50 refined. Everything was of the
cheapest but dainty and well chosen. And
there was garden. with a few fruit trees
and many flowers so that their table never
looked poor, although their menu might be
out the cold remains of yesterdays joint.
The younger girl. Lillian, was exceedingly
lovely; but after that not much remains to
be said OF her 1t was Helen who con-
trived. Helen who decided everything Tt
was even Helen who made the little sacri-
fees
Lillian is such a child,' she would say
ALPHABETICALLY when this was pointed out
to her "she does not see; she is really
more urselfish than I am" 1t was de-
clared that she felt herself repaid for any
thlng she might have done if Lillian gave
her a passing kiss. and exclaimed. What a
dear YOU are,'' And Lillian often exclaimed
What dear you are,''-carelessly light
~ 1t was the way she discharged her OBJ
legations and showed her gratitude. One
almost expected her to ask for receipt
afterwards, the phrase on her lips grew to
have such commercial briskness.
Many people noticed these details besides
. myself, beg to say. And would also men
ton that IL was not because Lillian showed
sIlail respect for my sacred calling that 1
diSllked her. Were that so, i should have
been unfair as she was I dislikad her
SIMPLY and solely for her selfshness to-
wards her sister. Nevertheless. her raillery
anu laughter hurt me sometimes IN the
presence or the other. l told her once, II
was man before was curate.' She
answered me, L wish you had remained one
afterwards" And Helen turned her face
away to hide smile. Poor Helen; life held
80 80 Few smiles Tor you, 1t was petty of me
Arnold Seymour and 1 had been at Cam
bridge together. OF recent years I had
sometimes met him, though we had never
been more than acquaintance. One sum
mer he appeared I'm Whitebridge. and told
me ne had come here to spend the vacation
ne was at the bar-and to blow away the
eoqPWebs of his chambers. l had not thought
tl!l then that the briefs were very many
win MIN. but he spoke as If his parc1ice
were ,s, a large one. and. seeing no reason
why he should deceive me, viewed him as
man who was already doing we'll
And YOU. he said. stretching his legs
In my sitting room on the evening of his
arrival. what do you do in this little
neilvei.-deserted hole, my boy? Your con-
seientious sermon your district visiting,
your amicable teas with the provincilI tab,
hies. no more? And you satisfied with
iorWari one day 10 being made bishop9''
He did not wait for an answer-he was
never a man who cared to be answered.
put blew huge cloud OF cavendsh from
his pipe. and vowed a moment later that
ne would make me introduce him to all the
people in the place.
They will amuse me- he said 'ebv tbair
very primness; and / shall not stay long
enough to let myself be boredw
IL i'm this way that introduced hin,
10 Helen Townsend and her sister: and
with that which followed / had little or
Helen grew to care for him, and he fell
IN love with Lillian Helen grew 10 care for
hIm to watch for his coming to find the
day dreary while he away Lillian.
battered by attentions which were new to
her. was far from suspecting her sisters
secret. Seymour, engrossed by Lian's
witcheries. regarded Helen less as a woman
than duenna- Only l. the man who loved
her. saw the whole truth, and waited the
result with trepidation.
one day Seymour told me that all was
settled heard him with a feeling that I
could not analyze For my own sake
had dreaded that Helen's romance should
end happily; for hers l had shuddered at
the prospect Of him marrying Lily
on are engaged to Lilian?' 1 stam-
He nodded beaming at me from my rock
Yes" ne said. II am engaged. At twen-
", I seored; at thirty. 1 fall. And to a
village beauty-strange isn't it?''
Your village beautv'" | replied. "sug-
gestS a dairymaid. You are marrying a
Nothing" he declared. Il am suprenely
content We shall live. Of course. i'm Lon
don, and town viii soon bring my little
PHYLLIS up To date. Congratulate me-
Have YOU spoken TO Miss Townsend
YETI / asked.
Miss Townsend has consented he an
swcred. Between ourselves, old fellow 7
do not fancy she is too well pleased to- he
left alone. Not that she said anything
naturally; but I could see. Her manner
gave one the impression Of something held
I'm reserve had thought more highly of
Der, hut human nature is frightfully sell
fish NJ its best"
Not a perception. not irklipp e 80
real truth. At the moment I hated him
with all my heart
called the folloVng day at the cottage
To tender my felict8tions TO the iancee
She in the room alone. Helen. she told
me. was sitting in the garden the victim OF
n bad headache.
so irritat ting. isn't to- she said with a
pOuL And ar time when | want every
one around me 20 be nice and lively"
was curious 10 ascertain whether this
girl, too was wronging my dear ones mis-
cry
AT least" I said. disingenuously. you
NAV be sure that in her heart she Is
glad for YOU as you can be yOurself?'
Her eyebrows rose inVOluntartly into her
blonde fringe.
'sperha rs she reSDODdpd "Put vo,