The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-10
a POSSIBLE LOSS

a Pt)SSIBLE LOSS-
met her on the shores of the lake
There were real tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Mr.. Vansittart, she cried, what
nnall do? My husbands out in a boat,
ever so far away, and the winds rising,
and the boatman says that it's awfully
dangerous when there's storm, and"-
tilted my hat forward and scratched
my head.
IT don't see what you can do" said
oompassionately. I had sat next her
three nights at table d'hote and liked
her extremely.
Look at those trees! Oh, how it
blows! And see! Great wavesr'
1.-THE wind is certainly getting up, I
admitted, sitting down on garden seat.
"Oh, Mr.. Vansittart, suppose he
should be drowned" F-
"Suppose hep paused. The idea
wa new one to me- turned it over
in my mind. "Well, suppose he should?"
said at last in an inquiring tone.
"And we've only been married
yearl"
Eyes, yes" said I thoughtfully.
t'Your love is still fresh?''
"As fresh as the day when'-
-"Your romance has not worn of; the
day Of disillusion has not come. Your
husbands memory would be the sweet
est Of consultations to you"
"But, Mr.. Vansit'-
"There would be no alloy in your REQ
objections. You are young, your life
would not be spoiled, but it would be,
as it were, ha1lowed by sweet and not
too poignant regrets. In the course of
time the violence of grief would wear
off,"
She sat down ON the bench beside me
and dug the end of her parasol into the
path.
"You would feel" pursued, ''that,
sacred as these memories were, precious
as they were, you would not be justi-
fed in giving your whole life to them.
And at last it may be that another
would come Who
"Oh, can hardly imagine that, Mr..
vansittart. /"
Try" said I enoouragingly. zone
who. though not perhaps the equal in
all respects Of him you had lost, could
yet shelter you from the world"-
II should want some one, shouldn't
r.
"And give you an honest, enduring,
pRwsvering affection.
eft wouldn't be the same thing"
eaid she.
Depend upon 1t, " Returned earnest
~, cit would be in some ways better,
for he-your second husband-might
well be one who could appreciate the
depths Of your nature, who would be
serious when you were"-
Instead Of always making jokesi
Ye.es, Mr.. Vansittart.
"Serious and yet able to enter into
your lighter moods, always good tenn
pered"-
HE would be a wonderful husband.
khen!''
"Generous-nay, lavish-in giving
you whateYer''--
'"Fancyi''
! "You wished for, unsparing in his
efforts to please you"-
"What, after marriage?"
! "Devoted absolutely to you. Why,
1t's lovely picture.
Eyes, it does sound NICE" she con-
eeded, digging with the parasol.
could not such a one, continued,
leaning toward her, "by his affectionate
and constant efforts, in the course of
time heal the wound caused by your
cruel calamity"
IT don't know. Yes-I suppose So
we'll, perhaps in time, Mr.. Vansittart,
no might"
HE would" said positively. ~
can imagine myself
II beg your pardon, Mr.. vansittart:"
II say, can imagine myself making
1t the work, he whole preoccupation,
the worthy task, of my life thus to re-
store happiness to one from whom it
seemed to have departed forever.
at would be splendid thing for a
man to do, wouldn't it?"
There was pause. Then she said:
"But, Mr.. Vansittart, would you,
who are SO young and so--and so-and
SOL mean, who are SO young, be con-
tent with heart that has spent its first
love on another, in which the freshness
of youthful
II sometimes think" interrupted,
in low but urgent tones, that affection
of that kind is nobler, higher, better
than the rash impulsiveness of an igno-
rant girl. 1t would be sympathetic
communion Of minds, Of souls, Mrs.
Lawrence.
Eyes. see. Yes, it would, Mr.. Van
sitta-t."
my sympathy for you," pursued.
would soften and inspire my nature.
I should be elevated to your level And
perhaps at last, when long years had OBJ
literated''-
swell, had blurred, Mr.. Vansittart. !"
Eyes, had blurred the pain Of memo
y, we might come to see, to understand,
how what once seemed SO distressing
was really. in spite Of its sadness, the
necessary condition for the perfect de-
II