River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-16
The Turn Of
the Balance
By MARGARET JOHNSON

4 } paSslOnateIy, as rev sisters, pei
haps, love even an only brother. They
had been comrades, playfellows, COM
panions, from the time he began to tod
dle-he two years older than she, PROUD
of her and devoted TO her. She dId not
marry very young, simply because, as
she frankly admitted, her suitors were
not nearly as nice as jim and she could
not bring herself to like anyone VINO
fell below that inyariable standard OF
comparison.
When at last she did say yes, it was
TO a man in every way Jim's opposite,
except in that Of being thoroughly
good fellow-a man grave, plain, prac-
tical and quiet, very much in love with
her, and ready for her sake to adopt her
delightful brother Jim's business re-
quired him to travel a good deal, but
when he came back it was to her.
She was very happy with her husband
and with the little daughter who came
to them after a year or two; but her
happiness was more and more OF the
staid and quiet kind. She grew like her
husband, as women will, as the years
passed, falling into his sedate and pro-
sale attitude of mind, and losing some
of the brilliancy and animation which
had been her chief charm.
jim, however, was the link that bound
her to her youth. He was unchanged.
With his coming, the sound OF his elastic
step, his ringing voice, came back all
the brightness and gayety of the past.
Joyously they renewed the old inter
course. Their childish associations,
their old jokes and bywords, their old
mutual attitude toward people and
things, made their companionship de-
light to them both. To the husband, in
his quiet way, it was scarcely less. The
three were at their best and happiest
when they were together.
1t was no wonder, then, that Jim S
sudden marriage, after Is such years,
nearly broke Helen's heart. She knew
it meant practically the losing of him
out of her life. He would still be the
affectionate and faithful brother, but the
core of his fidelity and affection would
be elsewhere. The new wife was a
stranger. Her surroundings would be
his. her interests, her friends, her asso-
ciates. her life. The old days were over,
and Helen knew it.
She was too wise and deep hearted a
woman to cherish any petty jealousy.
She made the bride heartily welcome, re-
ioiced honestly and only in her brother S
happiness, and shed her inevitable tears
in secret.
During the three perfect years of his
married life, Helen continued to miss
him keenly and constantly. How Keen
ly, how constantly, she acknowledged to
herself now for the first time, as she
sat looking out Of the carriage window,
as she was borne steadily westward, to-
ward the bereaved and grief-stricken
home. The news of her sister-in-laW'
ludden death had come to her as be-
wildering shock.
Il cannot believe it," she cried to her
husband. Il cannot! 1t was all so beau
tiful, so right, so perfect in every way
their life-Jim was so happy-and now
to have it broken off short like this
ended forever, in a moment! 1t seems
iust like some dreadful mistake-some-
body giving the wrong order, and throw
wreck and ruin!"
Intense sympathy with her brothers
grief had filled her mind during her
hasty preparations for leaving home.
But now that she had leisure to think,
other considerations crowded into her
busy brain. The thought: This gives
nv brother back to mel" came again and
again, throwing a curious brightness
over all the haze of pain and grief that
filled her heart.
His wife's family were nothing to him,
nor he to them. Helen had met them,
but had found them uncongenial. There
was nothing in common between her
warm, impulsive temperament and the
cold reticence of theirs. Now that Kath-
crime was gone, there would be nothing
TO bind him to them.
OF course, there was chance-just a
chance-that they might claim the baby!
Helen smiled a little to herself. AS if
Jim would dream for a moment of put
ting that precious charge into any arms
but hers. He would never give it up en-
tirely to anyone. Jim was not that kind
of man. Besides, during the two short
months of its existence he had grown
exceedingly fond of the child, developing
q capacity for parental affection which
surprised Helen not little. She did not
herself care especially for children, on
general principles; but Jim's child
Jim's little daughter! She would bring
it up with her own Alice, and it should
be a new and powerful link to bind her
brother to her more closely than ever.
Poor little motherless mite! 1t should
never know the lack of a mother-she
and Jim would see to that! And wher-
ever his child was, there would be his
home and his heart.
The house did not look like the house
of mourning The blinds were all up
Um's sister-in-law-her name was
Mary-met Helen at the door She had
done everything there was to be done.
She was very calm and self-contained,
and Helen felt miles away from her, in
spite of their common sorrow.
The baby was to be christened that
afternoon Jim was upstairs in the
nursery now, with the child Helen's
heart frightened with passionate feeling.
She longed to leave this quiet woman,
and to rush to those two whom she
loved, to claim them-hers! But while
she still sat, controlling herself, a step
sounded on the stairs, and Jim came in.
why, Nell, you here he said, al
most in his old voice. And Helen was
ashamed of the sob which broke from