The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07

fred said that was ny nineteenth century
sentimental IMAGINATION. Alfred has a hor-
curse Of the aes. Much he knows about 1t.
mered up in Abank all dayi but then he
cunts for ii. There was never such a
practical age for girls, at any rate They
have not time for sentiment. AS for mar
maiden knows the cost OF things too we'll
Tor any such foolishneSS. She reads the
market reports. knows Browning. and rides
a bicycle: improves her raind and strength
ems her body. She can talk to YOU on the
obscurity OF Browning and the ethics OF
make of wheels and how roadbeds should
be laid. She knows more
about parliamentary. law than about
but / wonder why when men once sneered
at woman's ignorance. now that she is try
ing to improve herself they talk so con-
temptuously of the new woman7 But to go
PACK TO Thomas. Partly to prove my wis
love stories-you see ! am not modern-I
begged Thomas to begin.
1t Is not much. Of a story. Mrs. Dare.
Liverpool, long. ago. ! was apprenticed to
a gardener and she to a tailor; we took
once in a while during the week. / thought
a lot of Ophelia. but / never said much
about it, and | did not give her a ring,
my board. 1 worked from very early in
the morning until after shutdown. Young
to my employer. too, you know, and had
to stay three years. AT the end of the
s sseoRd .b gaar w . got br firsa and back sEied d to ,gga
thought me very foolish, and told me SO.
She was much steadier than I, always
Il never thought about her looks then.
she was just Ophelia TO me. Yes, she was
pretty; she had rosy cheeks and thick
ging her once to take it down, but she
would not. When my time was out I was
tell Ophelia anything about it until all my
plans were made. A man from Virginia
had c written for help gom to be sen sent him, gs,c; AND
to go. We were to get 81 a week. When
l told Ophelia she opened her eyes wide at
ventured to say that before a years time
/ could save enough to send for her, and
a simpIy' wo aYou sh Know eSmef s Wiil. only So anT ! gent
to Virginia, and for a while everything
went well. l saved a little, and | knew
Ophelia was saving what she could. We
wrote to each other, not often, but enough
to keep up our courage Suddenly my
employer failed in business and / was
forced to take a place at less wages. /
was discontinued, changed situations sew
eral times, my savings dwindled away I'M
in my pocket. / did all kinds of work, as
farm hand, hostler and street-car driver,
steamer M as far as Chicago. There | was was
sick of typhoid fever and lay in the hospi-
tai nearly three months. 1 hardly know how
L got to work again. but somehow my luck
seemed to turn and every change / made
was for the better. 1 wrote home several
times but 1 could hear nothing from Ophe-
liza. 1 sent word to Virginia but there were
no letters the postmaster said. He was just
in his office and did not know. In the mean
time James. Somers had drifted to the far
West and he wrote me that Ophelia had
married John Green, a fellow who worked
ln tn abo uam L f sh0p 2 while Wiih h but | f fett o peett I
and within a year met and married An
nette. You know her Mrs. Dare; you know
how good she is. About five years after our
marriage l. began TO grow hOmGSlck for
England. / never felt so before. but now
I thought / should starve if did not taste
with me, we had done well and could afford
a holiday, but she would not. There were
them, she would not leave them, so / went
alone. My people were all dead; there were
only som distant cousins to visit; but the
walk with Ophelia, the little shop where
we sometimes had tea and buns, looked just
as if it had been the tide rushing in, that
it was Ophelia / wanted to see; it was
Ophelia ] had come to see. | forgot she
was married, / forgot / was married, /
only knew / was hungry to see her and I
hurried on to inquire in the old %neighbor-
lived. At last | traced the family out. They
had moved several times and lived now at
the other side of the town. 1 cannot tell
at the door; / don't know and 1 don't know
either what 1 said when the door opened
and there stood Ophelia. But 1 shall never
forget what she said-sOh, Tom; I always
you would come back.'-What could
l do or say Mrs. Dare? What 1 had heard
Through the years and the silence she had
waited as only women can wait. l could
not nST, tell her her right g ,n Away, n for she who had
goodbye in the old days, had
bling as if her heart would break. + felt
like a thief and | knew by and by / should
nliRt and began asking .OlIlGt1OnS what II
had been doing, how long l should stay
and SO on, l told her calmly as l could,
first and she would pat my hand and say
poor boy and L knew you must have
been sick or 1 knew everything could be
explained and always repeating joyfully
what she had said at first, I always knew
you would come back. Tom until l could
hear it no longer. The faces of Annette
and the children rose before me. I got
up quickly and went to the window. There
vas a bed of pansiss outside. Industrious
talk about them, asked who had planted
them, told her of some new varieties she
do well in such wet soil. but she only
now you are hereg and She came and
on my shoulder. / waited a minute, then
/ moved away again. leaning against the
eyes locking with such trust and confidence
into mine, / said suddenly, brutally, and
without warming. .'Ophelia, 1 am married
I > itC NIdt HdpRtleu ntAt.
rushed into the street and toward the river.
] stood on the bank and wondered why I
did not jump in. There was a heavy dull
ache in my head and eyes. Ophelia's white
face and the struggling bed Of pansies
before me. / thought of Annette
and the babies. / took her last letter out of
NV pocket and read it over-a cheerful,
happy letter. l was to have a good time
and stay as long as / liked: she was well,
Mamie had a new tooth; Jessie had the
cough, but / must not worry, 1t
was not serious. / was to take a good rests
but don't forget u.s. she wrote-and here
/ was eating my heart out for another
woman. l went back to the hotel, packed
my satchel. bought my ticket and was
about to take the train. But 1 could not
leave without seeing Ophelia once more,
and so I found another hotel, went to
bed and tried to sleep, but
one cigar after another, walked
the streets until daylight and long before
time l was again at her door.
i wonder her mother let me in, but she
did. Ophelia was lying on the couch where
had left her. and what do you suppose
she did? She held out her hand and said
just as il nothing happened, L hoped you
would come back to say goodbye, Tom
sat beside her for a long time. We did
not try to talk, and when / left she said,
don't tell your wife, it would only make
unhappy. Be good to her and forget
all of this and then ] came home. that