The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-19
MARY's ROMANCE.

ehe was the neighborhood sesmstress, q
ANAL, pale girl Of quiet manners and In
finite patience. r9.sf
Mary was her name, and we all deemed
1t fitting. Her eyes were, as the village
gossips put 1t, her only beauty. They were
large and blue gray. There was wistful
sweetness 10 them that won the hearts Of
such Of her patrons as occasionally let q
thought stray from darts and leg O. NUT.
tons and reyers to the silent fashioner Of
the same.
Mary's unobtrusive personality was re.
fiected In the gray gowns and hats which
she always wore. Some of her employers
angular Of face and figure and unlovely Of
character, might have found cause for com.
plant In their hireling's prediction for
the sunshine and color and joy of life. So
Mary adhered to nunlike shades and her
remarks were confined to inquiries about
the comfort giving qualities of the gar
ments she manufactured
She had come from the nearest city five
years before. She had lived quietly ain
rooms" and those who peddled sensations
In their own "sets" found her humble lit
would be gallants found she had a remark
able talent for aloofness. 1t was the same
with the few young women who might
have sought her society. The women
whom she served regarded her as o cheap
end skil)ful machine, and there their in
terest ended. Hers was lonely life, and
it was some unknown influence that kept
her so well poised and quietly cheerful.
Mary had romance. When asked about
It, she responded with bushes and happy
glanoes.
1t was not very different from that Of
other girls as poor and patient as Mary.
They had grown up together-that phrase
that embraces go much Of youthful hope
and sympathy Their parents had lived
side by side. Hers died first. She had
learned tho trade from city dressmaker
and had come to the village because there
were 80 many of her vocation in the big
town. That was all, except that Frank,
too, became an orphan and his task of get
ting through the law school had been
doubly hard for that reason. He had Just
completed the task and WINS going to locate
in the capital Of the adjoining state. She
could not see him SO often now, but If all
year Then her little sister lived there with
her aunt. Frank had never seen her, but
they would soon be friends because of her.
is your sister like you, Maryf' asked
the merchants wife as she hemmed ruff.
flo overland.
"Oh, nol' said the little seamstress. ri
have not seen her since she was child, but
she was beautiful then. Frank cannot
help liking her."
Mary told the rest Of the story year |
later with her head pillowed on her friends |
broad bosom and her slender, gray figure |
shaken by the storm of woman's great |
grief.
don mind me, Mrs. Brown, " she said
when she felt big tears falling upon her
hair. ut was probably for the best Sho
is q more suitable wife for Frank. I
couldn't keep pace with him when had
to sew all day and In the evening, too,
and she is so young and bright and lovely
She didn't know and he couldn't help lov-
ing her. Don't blame them.''
The neighborhood seamstress, worn
from her close companionship with the
bright, slender needle that won for her her
bread, had yielded to her aunt's and sis
ter's invitation and gone to the capital for
q fortnight.
Besides, as she wrote Frank, it was high
time she did some shopping in the city, for
she 'needed some of the things for her
modest little outfit Frank made no ref
crence to this pretty little passage in his
reply. She thought this was due to his ab-
sorption in his cares and tried not to be
panied by the omission.
Her 'little sister," grown into won.
irously pretty young woman, and Frank
were at the station to meet her. Ruby's
greeting was warmly affectionate. The
proprieties did not admit of Frank being
10, che know, and she scolded herself for
he dull little pain ut her heart because it
vas SO. She was glad to see ON what friend
y terms Frank and Ruby were. She was
10 glad they liked each other But she had
oeen sure they would.
II found it out that evening"" she Sob
,ed sit was only little accident that
old me they loved each other But q
heart is clever If her brain isn't.
had good excuse for going to bed early,
or was tired from the journey. never
lept at all. Mrs. Brown, could see how
veil Frank and Ruby looked together
The picture of them standing under the
aslight drove me nearly crazy. knew
he was wife Frank could be proud of,
nd wasn't. But my life was so empty
Without him. My love for him and plans
Or little home of our own were the only
right things in it, knew why his letters
ad been SO few and short when saw him
ook at her that evening. I thought
'ould go mad that night. I believe
hould have. But toward morning peace
anne to me-that kind of peace, you know,
hat comes after a storm on the ocean,
nat leaves the shore strewn with wrecks
till 1t was peace. That came after made
p my mind to give him up.
ooh, Mrs. Brown, it was SO easy for
i'm. He just said, I'm sorry, Mary but
0 looked us though he would have said,
am ashamed, Mary, and he didn't ask
10 why. He knew l knew all about 1t,
ut she never did. Dear heart! I'm go.
lg to make the white dress over to fit her.
nd the other things too. Oh, yes, l will.
on know, Mrs Brown, Pm not used to
yet, and 1t breaks my heart to look at
ZEN. They will he married next month"
They were. Mary, the little seamstress,
i'll lives in the village, but she has
apged much. The blue Of her eyes has
dcd into the gray, and we think some.
mes her cheeks are taking on that ashen =,
lie, or is it reflection of her gownf
She is as patient as ever but not so
rong. Poor little Mary Patterson
10 nn,tI In