The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-11
THE EVENING STOR r
Absent-NIindsd Miss Amy.

serenely.
"Oh, Miss AMY didn't mean
never think of you as being that" the
girl stammered.
''she isn't such very old maid"
1 Mrs. Wridgely smiled. And she says
truly=there are worse things-such
as having a blind husband on your
hands. which would have been her
I fate if she'd married Henry Scott, as
she came near doing once"
|She wouldn't think so II she were
his wifel She'd love him all the more
for the affliction-I know I should, II
! Willie Blushing holly, Elsie ran
from the room.
Mrs Wridgely laughed, but with
! keen glance at her sister, who muir
| INJURED something about the heat, fan
ming vigorously; then presently she
asked: Did you say that Henry Scott
is blind ?''
That's what Kate wrote. The doc
tors think his eyes were ruined, and
no wonder, running into that IRE 80;
Inflammation set in. He may never see
family; he's pretty well off. but he'll
need all he's got He'll never work
again, and his business viii soon go to
ruin, with hired help managing it"
Amy said nothing. Mrs. Wridgely
regarded her preoccupied face with
slight froWn, then closed the subject by
remarking, briskly:
We'll, fortunately, Henry Scott is
nothing to US. ran over TO see what
you're going to wear to the reception,
Amy
60"
IF you go" Mrs. wridgely almost
shrieked. when you know the affair
is complimentary to you. OF course
you'll goi And you must wear your
cream silk-I'll send Ruth to dress you
and, Amy, I want to take the waist
and have the sleeves shortened. You
have EIIRh rornffv an -
get it"
Judge Hale ana wife will be there"
she resumed. returning to the porch
BE where" Amy questioned
vaguely.
well. If you aren't enough to Be
at the reception. of course, and Senator
Ellsworth, too; he got back this morn
ing. Mrs. Reed was so afraid they
would not be here. [ think I'll dress
early and come over myself Amy. or
like as not you'll appear in that ever
lasting black OF course, you are full
Of your new book, but you owe some
thing to your friends. Do put 1t out
of your mind for this evening I'll be
( over early
I'm glad it's out about Henry
Scott" Mrs. Wridgely communed with
1 herself. 1--WE been some afraid Of the
effect on her, but I guess she's forgot
ten that old affair-and I mentioned
I the senator on purpose to turn her
/ thoughts. I wish I dared speak plain
| ~ to her about Senator Ellsworth II
she were only a little more like other
folks-but then, I suppose, he would
not find her so attractive
Mrs Wridgely had constituted her
/ self first aid to Senator Ellsworth a few
months before, when chance enabled
/ her to extract q letter from An1y's mail
which was plainly from Henry Scott
She felt justified. Amy would be
spared mental disturbance, and. any
{ way, the letter was probably only a
1 congratuIatory note on the success of
her book, such as she received con-
/ stantly. Mrs. Wridgely's hopes con-
/ corning the senator were new then,
and the brilliancy Of the possible posi-
| ton for her sister Amy excused any
/ thing.
Amy had been provokingly unap-
/ preciative Of this advantageous oppor-
| tunity, as she had been of many others.
which was, perhaps, to he expected Of
people who wrote books.
Amy sat alone. bordering over her
| lovers peculiar silence. Was it due to
/ jealousy of her success? She had
i gloried in his magnificent conduct.
when the papers had told Of his plung-
ing again and again into the burning
/ wreck, rescuing women and children.
I and to her love, that folly and estrange-
ment could not kill, was added hero
4 worship. She had sat silent under the
news of his calamity, with a control
Z mat TGdSSuIeu ner sister, out now neL
] fan fell from her grasp, broken heap.
Blind Blind" she moaned.
/ The dark eyes that had looked into
her heart with power that no other
could ever attain, darkened forever!
/ Her imagination wildly pictured
what it would mean to him, so active,
so alive to the world and its needs,
! suddenly imprisoned in darkness, hope
/ less darkness, dependent upon others,
limited to the companionship of hired
attendants and his decrepit aunt, his
! sole relative.
At least she might write him a few
sympathetic lines, the fact that she
had but now learned OF his terrible loss
being explanation and justification of
| her former seemingly heartless indiffer-
! she gave rein to her emotions, produc-
/ ing that which she hastily reduced to
! scraps for the waste basket.
Recalling that other eyes now scan
ned his letters, she wrote and discarded
4 page after page finding each short epis-
1 tie more difficult of composition. In
the midst of her perplexity a maid
| brought in the remodeled garment and
an imperative scrawI from Mrs. Wridge-
| ~ to the effect that the article be tried
on Immediately. and If not satisfactory
returned for further alteration.
Amy dismissed the maid and donned
the garment, her mind turning sem
fences over and over, still striving to
express only the proper amount OF in
terest; then, as she absently arranged
ribbons and lace, there came the firm
conviction that to write was impossible
that she must see him as soon as dis
/ lance would allow.
It would not have happened had Amy
been properly chaperoned and COM
/ panioned, instead Of maintaining the
independence which Mrs. Wridgely Of
I ten had uselessly deplored. The gener-
ously sa1aried and loyal servants only
looked their establishment, when, wear.
| ing the eIbow-sleeved bodice OF her
elegant reception gown, a black lace
fichu and plain travelling hat Miss Amy
announced that she was going on a
| Journey. As she descended the steps she
! racalEad 2 Iarza box from 2. floriat.s boy