Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-10-30
THE SHADOW THAT
CAME BETWEEN.
By Adele E. Thompson.

IL to tell you"
Yes, Robert" and though the lin
trembled a little, unseen by him.
the voice vas bravely cheerful, 81
think L can guess what it is"
Can your" and the happy look on
the boyish face, such a boyish face
still for all its twenty-five years,
grew still brighter. "Of course, I
have written you about Lillian, the
dearest girl in the world; but it
seems so wonderful to think that she
loves me as dearly as / do her, and
L wanted you to be the first to
hear it," and Helen listened while he
sang IA lovers praises, and smiling,
hid the little pain in her heart that
would come with the realization that
this only brother had found one
ire than herself.
There have always been two of
u.s." he concluded, "you and l; but
now there will be three, Lillian, YOU
and l."
mo, Robert" she said, even more
~cheerfully than before, there will
be two still, Lillian and you"
Nonsense, Helen" he protested
hotly. Nobody is ever going to
crowd you out; we have come too
near each other for that. Every
thing has come SO quickly, and we
have had so much to talk about our
selves, that L have not said to her
half 1 mean to. But when 1 come
to tell Lillian all you have been to
me, mother and sister both, and all
l W to you through these years,
| know that she will love you as well
as | do. And one thing especially I
want you to understand; when 1
have a home, you have one, too.
Helen's room is to be a part of the
house, and Helen is to share in it.
l have had this in mind all my life"
Helen smiled a little obviously; she
could not say to him that someone
else would have opinions and a voice
concerning the home; and she had
no desire by look or word to mar
the few hours they were to have
together after an absence of months.
"A few evenings later and Lillian
was holding out her slim white hands
in welcome to Robert, after the
first separation in their loves young
life. "Why we're you gone so long?"
she chided, with a charming pout of
the curved red lips. II thought you
would never come back"
why, Lillian" he answered. g"
cut my trip everywhere. Just think,
/ only spent n day with Helen, dear
Helen, the very best sister any man
even had. I have never told you the
half how much she has been to me,
or how dear she is to me. I am anx-
ious for the time when you shall
know her and love her as well as I
do"
And then, to his great bewilder-
ment, Lillian was clinging to him,
sobbing piteously. sob, Robert, /
cannot bear it. All the time you were
gone your letters were full of Helen,
and now that you have come back
the first thing is Helen. 1t makes me
SO unhappy, how unhappy you don't
know. l love you so, and 1 want you
to love me best of all the world"
"Why, Lillian, darling, I do" he
protested, drawing the blonde head
close to him.
eff you did you wouldn't talk so
much of Helen. / know she is ever
so much better than I am; but it just
kills me to have you. I don't want
anything in this world, not v e her,
to come between u.s."
Robert was young and very much
the lover, and the tear-wet face so
near his own was fair and sweetly
appealing. 1t was fattering, too, to
be so loved, and he answered ten
derby: "Look up, Lillian, love; you
are more to me than ten sisters
than all the world beside" And after
that he was a little careful in the
mention of Helen's NAME. at will be
different when once she knows her."
he told himself.
sThere are two things I want"
Robert said, when the time came
for selecting the home-nest, "a
room for Helen when she comes to
see us"-of her living with them he
said nothing; that can come in
later" was his refection-"and q den
for myself"
"Of course we shall have o guest
chamber" answered Lillian, q trife
loftily; "but what do you want q
den for?"