Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-08-08
The Turn of the Balance
By MARGARET JOHNSON

C HE had always loved him, eagerly, n passionately as few sisters, per haps, love even an only brother. They had been comrades, playfeilows, 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 who fell below that invariable standard of comparison.
 When at last she did say yes, 1t was except in that of being a thoroughly good fellow-a man grave, plain, prac- ticaI 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 1t 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- | saic 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 l things, made their companionship a de- l light to them both. To the husband, in his quiet way, it was scarcely less. The three were at their best and happiest l when they were together
 It was no wonder, then, that Jim's sudden marriage, after 15 such years, nearly broke Helen's heart. She knew 1t meant practically the losing of him out of her life. He would still be the l affecfionate 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.
 1 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, l as she was borne steadily westward, to- ward the bereayed and grief-stricken l home The news of her sister-in-law's sudden death had come to her as be- wildering shock.
 II cannot believe it!" she cried to her l husband Fl cannot! It was all so beau tiful, so right, so perfect in every way I their life--Jim was so happy-and now 1 to have broken off short like this ended forever, ina moment! It seems | just like some dreadful mistake some 1 body giving the wrong order, and throw 1 ing whole lovely design into Woeful wreck apd ruin!'
 Intense sympathy with her brothers { grief had filled her mind during her hasty preparations for leaving home. But how that she had leisure to think, other considerations crowded into her busy brain. The thought: This gives my brother back to me! came again and again, throwing a curious brightness over all the haze of pain and grief that filled her heart.
 l His wife's family were nothing to him, nor he to them. Helen had met them, was nothing in common between her warm, impulsive temperament and the cold reticence of theirs. Now that Kath- erine was gone, there would be nothing to bind him to them. M
 Of course, there was chance just a chance that they might claim the baby!
 Helen smiled little to herself As if J 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 l months of it's existence he had grown exceedingly fond of the child, developing a capacity for parental affection which surprised Helen not little. She did not herselff 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 1t should be a new and powerful link to bind her brother to her more closely than ever. I Poor little motherless mite! It should never know the lack of 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 I of mourning. The blinds were all up. ] Jim's sister-in-law--her name was Mary-net 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. Helens ] heart frightened with passionate feeling
 She longed to leave this quiet woman, and to rush to those two whom she I loved, to claim thenl-hers! But while lE