The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-26
HER BEAUTY GONE,

scarcely realized her freedom She
moved still with the stiff slowness of
one whose long shaekled limbs have
lost the secret of grace and fleetness
This, at least, was peace No longer
She lived in dread of what the morrow
might bring forth-what new shame or
slavery to degrading habit. 1t was
good to be at peace. Long ago she had
ceased to hope for happiness.
Once, since her unfortunate marriage,
JOY had approached her, but she had
resolutely put it away, because it would
have been a guilty joy had she embraced
1t, and to keep her conscience white was
one Of the instincts of her nature. Since
then life had rolled on heavily, and at
present she was sunk in an apathetic
calm, with nothing more apparently,
to fear or hope or expect
Then his letter came, and something
that had seemed forever dead within her
woke to life again at the touch of love.
She marvcled that he should have gone
OH loving her, unforgetting, during all
these years Not that she could ever
have forgotten him. Ho had been re-
membered-oh, with what prayers and
tears, and yet with strange sweetness
i'll the thought that she had been be-
loved by himl
Long ago she had resigned herself to
tho idea that her image must have
grown faint and faded gradually from
his mind. Yet now this happiness that
she had dismissed with anguish re-
turned to her, all tho dearer since it
had stood the tests of time and absence
The year was i'll its fairest bloom
Deep upon deep of blue sky shono above
the green masses of the tree tops so
lightly stirred by the soft wind. The
air was full of sunshine and bird twit-
terings and the smell of flowers She
had fancy that her liberated heart
would havo moro room for its happy
throbbings out yonder i'll the green little
park than pent up within four walls
AS she sat there on bench i'll the
shade of an olcander tree her vague feel
ing of wOnder1nent at what had happen
ed scarcely formed itself into thoughts.
Her whole being was perncated by u
sense of JOY. The human procession
which, only tho other day. had seemed
so dull and sad and squalid, was now
transformed by the altered eyes that
locked upon it. Two lovers that passed
had the grace of youth and passion. The
voices of tho children, as they chased
each other along the shady alloys,
sounded as sweet to her as the cries of
birds i'll springtimc.
Idly she watched woman coming
toward her resting place, and nearer
approach showed the face to be famil-
lar one, though not seen for some years
In her new friendliness toward all man.
kind she nodded and smiled, and the
other woman returned her salutation
ut first doubtfully, with puzzled look,
and then with dawning recognition.
why, it is you, after all these
years!' the newcomer exclaimed, hold
ing out q cordial hand. ITO think how
we'll we once knew each other and 1
was about to pass you by But it's been
SO long, and them She stopped,
stammering confusedly over tho last
words.
eyes, suppose have changed, re-
piled the other in low tone.
Something dark had come across the
brightness of tho day.
When she was at home again, she in
terrogated her mirror Yes she had
changed, but so gradually that she had
not observed it.
Day after day she had seen that face
i'll the looking glass growing old, but
the serious trials of her tired, troublous
life had pushed personal vanity into the
background. She had been withered by
that want Of happiness which ages q
woman moro quickly than years or ill
ness or hard work. There was no gray
in her hair, but it had lost its silky
brightness Tho exquisite freshness of
tint which means youth was gone, and
here and there were faint lines that
would deepen presently.
Tears rushed to her sad eyes, once of
such lustrous blue and sho hid the
dimmed beauty of her face in her trem-
bling hands.
after ALL" she asked herself mourn
fully was it not perhaps my blue
eyes, my bright hair, my pink and
white skin, that he loved? Would he
have cared for me if I had then been
the faded, melancholy woman am
now?'
1t was not as though they had grown
old together, side by side. He remem-
bercd her as she had been in the flush
of young beauty, and the alteration
would come upon him with sudden
shock. 1t seemed to her that she could
bear to give him up-kceping forever
the dear memory of the days when he
had loved hcr-but not to face tho look
OF surprise and regret that would leap
into his eyes when he saw her so
changed.
SO this was the message she sent him
''IIlN VnaIS 4 l,n nNun1r moro, tl,n,, tl,n,-