Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-12
MARY'S ROMANCE.

small, pale girl of quiet manners and In
finite patience.
Mary was her name, and we all doomed
1t fitting. Her eyes were, as the village
gossips put It, her only beauty. They were
large and blue gray. There was wistful
sweetness in them that won the hearts OF
such of her patrons az occasionally let n
thought stray from darts and leg o. NUT
tons and reyers to the silent fashioner Of
tho same
Mary's unobtrusive personality was re-
Elected In the gray gowns and hats which
she always wore. Some OF her employers
angular of face md figure and unlovcly Of
character, might have found cause for COM
plant in their hiroling's prediction for
the sunshine and color and joy of life. So
Mary adhered to nunlike shades and her
remarks We're 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 sin
rooms" and those who peddled sensations
in their own "sets" found her humble lit
tie affairs of no concern. One or two
would be gallants found she had a remark
able tnlent for aloofnoss 1t was tho same
with the few young women who might
havo sought her society. Tho women
whom sho served regarded her as cheap
and skillful machine, and there their in.
terest ended. Hers was lonely life, and
1t was some unknown influence that kept
her so well poised and quietly cheerful.
Mary had romance. When asked about
1t, she responded with blushes and happy
glances,
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 so much OF youthful hope
md sympathy Their parents had lived
side by side. Hers died first. She had
learned tho trade from city drcssmaker
nnd had come to the village because there
were SO 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 was going to locate
In the capital of the adjoining state She
could not see him so often now, but II all
went well they would be together in
year. Then her little sister lived there with
her aunt. Frank had never seen her but
they would soon BIO friends because of her.
SIS your sister like you, Maryf" asked
10 overland.
"Oh, nol' said the little seamstress 81
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 "a year
later with her head pillowed ON her friends
broad bosom and her slender, gray figure
shaken by the storm Of a woman's great
grief.
Don't mind mo, Mrs Brown" she said
when she felt big tears falling upon her
hair. at was probably for the best She
is more suitable wife for Frank.
couldn't keep pace with him when had
to sew all day and in the evening, too,
and She Is 80 young and bright and lovely.
She didn't know and he couldn't help low
ing her. Don't blame them"
Tho neighborhood seamstress, worn
from her close .companionsbip with the
bright, slender needle that won for her her
bread, had yielded to her aunts and sis
ter's invitation and gone to the capital for
q fortnight
Besides, as she wrote Frank, II 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 rcf-
erence to this pretty little passage in his
reply. She thought this was due to his alb
sorption in his cares and tried not to be
panied by the omission. .f.
Her "little sister," grown into a won
drously pretty young woman, and Frank
were at the station to meet her. Ruby's
greeting was warmly affectionate, The
proprieties did not admit Of Franks being
so, she knew, and she scolded herself for
the dull little pain at her heart because it
was so. She was glad to see on what friend
ly terms Frank and Ruby were. She was
so glad they liked each other. But she had
been sure they would.
II found 1t out TINT evening"" she Sob
bed. st was only little accident that
told me they loved each other. But n
woman's heart is clever, II her brain isn't.
/ had good excuse for going to bed early,
for 1 was tired from the journey. never
slept at all. Mrs. Brown, / could see how
well Frank and Ruby looked together.
The picture of them standing under the
gaslight drove me nearly crazy. knew
she was a wife Frank could be proud Of,
and / wasn't. But my life was SO empty
without him. My love for him and plans
for little home of our own were the only
bright things In it, 1 knew why his letters
had been so few and short when saw him
look at her that evening. 1 thought i
would go mad that night. / believe I
should have But toward morning peace
came to me-that kind of peace, you know,
that comes after a storm on the ocean,
that leaves the shore strewn with wrecks.
Still 1t was peace. That came after made
up my mind to give him up.
ooh, Mrs. Brown, 1t was so easy for
him. He Just said, I'm sorry, Mary but
he looked as though he would have said,
Il am ashamed, Mary, and he didn't ask
me why. He knew knew all about It.,
but she never did. Dear heart I'm 60
ing to make the white dress over to fit her,
and the other things too. Oh, yes, will.
You knew, Mrs Brown, I'm not used TO
it yet, and 1t breaks my heart to look at
them. They will be married next month. "
They we. Mary, the little seamstress,
still liy.- in the village, but she has
changed much. The blue of her eyes has
faded into the gray, and we think some
times her cheeks are taking on that ashen
hue, or Is it reflection Of her gown
She is as patient as ever but not SO
strong. Poor little Maryl-Ada Patterson
in st. Louis Republic