The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-10-31

| iH thsiA WHtH kst lAtis*
II have been studying German. too
and rubbing up my French. Alfred will
want his American wife 10 make q
good impression on his people," she
concluded, her dull eyes on the fro.
"You anticipate no unhappiness from
the fact that he IL younger than you."
said. such marriages seldom make
for happiness"
II never borrow unhappness." she
told me.
This rebukc afflicted me momentarily.
was silent. studying the fire. Then ]
looked at her. There was no expires.
sion In her face one WHY or another. II
might have been made Of stone.
by aud by got up TO go. She. too.
! arose, Contrary to all precedent be.
tween us. put my arm around her 1
/ kissed her cheek.
Il hope you will be happy" sighed.
After all. life In very short, aud love
Ia the searecst aud sweetest thing In
It,"
As ! descended the weary stairs, part
light. part dark. aud emerged into the
street. discovered In my heart Just a
little envy Of this great happiness In
store for Cornelia. Before | reached
home contrasted II. with some degree
OF bitterness. with my own life Of
constant work. My room was like a
cave for loneliness when I entered H.
The rosiness OF her prospect left It's
impression upon me. II remained 10
such an extent indeed thnt before the
week was over | climbed those stairs
once more 10 her three roomed fiat
regretted my dlstrust OF her. !
wished by some slight personal service
10 compensate before she went away.
found the fat closed At my knock
the woman who lived In the adjoining
fiat opened her door and thrust out her
head
II was n frowsled head. not yet well
combed, and II rose from collarless
throat.
Are you looking for Miss Hard.
manf' she asked.
YES" answered.
"Shc has gone home 10 the west" she
said. "She went home yesterday"
ITO the west.' exclaimed. ~
thought
She fractured my sentence by com.
Ing Into the hall. She shut the door
and stood braeed. her back against il.
THAT poor girl" she lamentcd, II
never felt so sorry for anybody In my
life ms ! did for that poor girl"
"WhyT ! questioned.
She had paused Electrically. await.
Ing this question TO roll the history OF
Cornella's wretchedness on her tongue.
"Shc was the s,rangest girl ever
saw" she began explaining "She new.
er told you anything You had to find
out everything for yourself
Il never saw anybody so still mouth.
ed as that girl was. She didn't tell me.
but found out that II II hadn't been
for her people In the west she would
have starved here In New York. Once
In a great while she got registered let
tiers. They had money In them. She
hnd TO sign for them. That was how
knew they had money In them. She
never got any work from the newspa.
pers-at first maybe little. but not
afterward. I think she got so infatuat.
cd with the little German she couldn't
write. Writers are like that sometimes,
they tell me.
"She went without everything after
the German went away. She let him
have some money because his father
hadn't sent him quite enough. he said.
heard them talking about il in the
hall. That left her almost penniless
She never complained, but you could
hear her talking to the lceman and the
milkman, apologlzing TO them. Some
times she kept perfectly still In her
room when they rang. pretending she
wasn't there"
She shifted from one foot to the 9th
or. Apparently Cornella's history was
10 be strung out indefinitely, at least
so long as | cared TO stand aud listen
to II.
cut II short.
"But what about the young German
she was going to marryf" asked,
She shrugged her shoulders.
"He went away" she said, "and
never came back. lie never even wrote
10 her. She didn't say 80. No, but |
watched the mails. | saw that there
never was letter with foreign post.
mark; not once. You never heard her
complain. She talked to me of going
to him, of having her dresses made In
Paris, of going TO the baths In the sum-
mer time, of his father, his mother and
his sisters.
ITO hear her talk you would think
she was to be the happiest woman In
the world. but the walls are thin, and
I could hear her crying in the night
Many and many time have walked
and heard her crying In the night"
She shook her head and sighed.
@You couldn't guess It from the way
abe acted" she finished, "but he never
wrote to her even once after he went