The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-27
THE LIE THAT
WAS NOT TOLD

laughed. "Yes; sometimes, maybe.
Listen"
He threw his head back and gazed
at me through his half closed lids. 1
will not use his broken English, for
it was not much broken, and be was
\ good story teller. Said Tony:
Her name was Marcia. She was
blind. She lived here in this house,
in Polk etreet. You know the little
window, hirh up near the top? It was
there. The rent is cheap. From the
window one can see st. Peters and the
1ake-the lake where the sun shines
oil day long, like In O big, wide mirror.
Only little Marcia, who could not see
it, just sat quietly and dres med Of it
or listened to the little birds. the spar
rows, that fly around the edge Of the
roof, and the rattle from the street,
the noise from the cars and wagons.
Late at night her brother Luigi came
home. He was q cook.
She was not always blind. And that
was good. She could regret-it is bet
ter than nothing. Dust in her eyes
did it. They got red and swelled up.
the priest was called the work was
done-she was blind.
That was when she was 18 and pret-
ty, with eyes that were blue and gray,
blue that was soft, gray that glIttered.
AS I said, she was pretty. Her lips
well, her lips were made to be kissed.
Her hair was brown-that Is. brown
with gold. Ah, she was prettyl Well,
when she was 20-that was long time
ago. How long? Well, q yeur, two
years, guess, but it seems longer
Luigi came home one night and
brought Terese- -Terese, who was Dress
ed in black. And this Is what Luigi
said:
"Sister. carlsima mia, here is Te-
rese. She Is poor and unfortunate like
thyself. Thee must be good friends"
Now, Marcia could not see the black
the black Of Terese's dress and the
black Of Terese's hat-the grim and
somber black. Besides, when one is
blind there Is but one misfortune, and
that is the greatest in the world.
Therefore poor, blind Marcia caught
but one idea In the jumble Of her broth
er's words. And this is what she said
as she smiled and held out her hands:
Thou art blind. It is too bad. Hast
thou always been blind?"
In the most simple way In the world
she said it. And thus it happened that
Terese became 1iind-Terese, whose
eyes were the best in the world-for
when Luigi, smiling, opened his mouth
to speak and saw Terese place her fin
70 =, r,;~ I'll. T.
stopped, as you or would have done.
or any one else. (For woman is al
ways right, at least SO any woman
will say, and sometimes 1t is so.) Then
Terese drew the blind girl into her
arms and kissed her.
"No, little one," she said. 81 have not
always been blind. But, like thee, as
Luigi has told me, have been unfortu-
nate. and think we will be the great
est friends In the world"
And then she looked at Luigi, whose
face was white. and sm!!es! ss.a:.;. ss.a:.;.. W lis
pered:
Love is blind, foolish"
So that Luigi grew red again with
the blood that came trooping into his
face and tried to seize her hand. Only
And the poor little blind girl, who
felt the movement and beard the
laugh, but did not at all guess what at
was about, smiled sadly and said in
way one could not exactly explain,
"Ah, thou art happyl"
I might have said In the beginning
that it commenced just that way.
Terese came to live in the house with
Marcia and Luigi. Only she didn't
have room with little window from
which one could see the lake. And
they were happy-all three. Terese
worked. Every. morning Luigi guided
her down the stairs and to work, SO he
said, and every evening q little hoy, for
two pennies day, brought her back,
SO she said. Then she and Marcia sat
at the window and listened for Luigi.
And this continued for awhile -until
this thing happened, that Terese came
home one evening with o lighter step
than usual.
"Madre sanctissimap' she cried as
She bent over Marcia and kissed her.
What thinkest thou. little one?n
The blind girl grew pale and herilips
trembled as she turned her face up
ward wonderingly.
"Canst seeT she whispered.
Terese laughed.
No, no, little one; not that. she
said, 'but have something for thee"
And she dropped necklace OF gol3
and blue beads about the little ope's
neck. Slsi Il = ..; - rs i.
II am glad" said the blind girl rim-
ply. but O tear glistened In her ;,Ye, and
@hen she hens her head It dropped upon
Terese,a hand. 81 nm ola s,-ss.. -, ~. ~
::eeaied. 81
"Ah. little one, art glad and yet 4
weep" cried Terese. re It the neck
lace
mo. nor. ctied the iittIeaS ;one. i ; she ]
dried her eyes, and smiled as ahes fln-
gered the necklace. Ut is not that.
Thy step was so light, I thought thee
might have been cured of thy blind.
ness, afid Il 6xsft no roYelv