Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-03-27

Brenda gave her the mirror. and she
gazed long and intently into 1t; then
she sighed and laid down the glass.
"AIl gone" she said. well. that
doesn't matter either. Nothing matters
any more. But used to think l would
be pretty when / was dead
$50 you will, my DEAR" answered
Brenda. You'll have a sweeter. pret-
tier face than you have now-the dear
est old grandmother's face, with beau
tiful white curls all around-and the
children who come TO kiss you viii cry
like little shower on May morning,
but they will be better children after
ward, for they will want to live the
life that brings such happy sleep at the
end of it,
81 wish could say things like that"
said Elsie Even if they aren't true
they make people feel good. I-look-
fierce! Don't l, honestly?"
"Fierce" echoed Brenda. why,
anything else in the world, should
say
That's slang" said Elsie. '1t mere
ly means terrible"
"Wen, I'd hardly agree to that word
either" said Brenda. You don't in
spire any terror in me. You're only
little bit pale, and perhaps you have
cried too much"
You must think am perfect baby.
Really 1t isn't so. have borne some
things in this life fairly well. would
bear much more and be as happy rs
any girl II | only knew how. But
there's no way. My life Is in tangle
that cannot be unwound. | just sim
ply can't go on, Brenda. That's what |
felt when | opened my eyes in this
room the first time and while | lay
| thinking before would let DR.. Ken
dali know | was conscious. There is
no way. absolutely no way
Her voice began to tremble but she
resolutely checked the tendency.
How everything settles down on
you in the morning" she said. You
wake so happy Perhaps you have
dreamed OF the pleasantest things. /
almost always dream of people | like
and of being with them in the fields or
abroad somewhere in a strange city
and all dressed up in the most wonder
full clothes, and then the reality be-
gins to come down. like-like a great
ball of rags. | saw them loading
barge with rags once-she was along
side steamer-and always remem-
bered how those dirty, heavy, sitting
bales came down. They were like life"
"Your life hasn't been altogether a
bale of rags. my young friend" said
Brenda. land unless I'm much mis-
taken it will be in the future quite
like some of those dreams. There was
a young man who made a promise or
two about strange cities and beautiful
! clothes, you know" she added, REDEEM
ing little Il saw Mr. Alden's note
to you. and | was tricked into reading
a part OF. it"
81 suppose it will be pointed in the
papers," said Elsie, with your picture
and mine and Mr. Alden's. Isn't this
awful? 1t is so absolutely horrible
that there's no use being polite about
it. But really never meant to do you
any harm. | never encouraged Mr..
Alden | loved him from the begin
ming The very first evening / saw
him went home and cried about him,
but when he began to come to see me
| made him think that | didn't care
for him. | actually did make him
think So
81 know it." replied Brenda gently.
He told me so.''
at was only on that last evening
that let him guess the truth" said
Elsie. land how did that, heaven may
know Suddenly he seemed to see it,
and then. honestly. | had no oppor-
tunity to deny it. | didn't speak a
word in two hours. Mr.. Alden talked
for both of us. making my arguments
for me and then answering them
without the faintest perception that
they weren't really mine at all. In
fact. he was like big boy. so carried
away with his own idea that all the
world seemed to be rushing along in
the way he wished. 1t was only when
he talked about sending me lot of
money to buy wedding clothes that |
managed to make myself heard, and
even then he thought that my objec-
ton was altogether to the money and
not to the wedding. Remember that l
was not much calmer than he, and you
will have some idea of the confusion.
Oh, Brenda, how can I-talk to you like
this? And you don't seem to care in
the least Are we all crazy together|
"Some of us have been so perhaps"
said Brenda, but this morning | think
we are all particularly sane"
ut was wrong. of course. to let him
come to see me- Elsie continued. But
i 1t must end soon. and 1t was so little
and you would have so much. You
know in those days | hated you, envied
you, lay awake at night to think bitter