The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1907-02-01

cOUtuu hL0N tudt lie Itdu ludue a
taelt acknowledgment of her ugliness,
| while Barney-why, Barney had never
thought anything about it.
Grand opera week went by in di-
apason OF glory. Irinda was wonder
fully happy. and every day she told
herself shyiy and with many bushes
I'Ilpw much she was caring for Barney
It was not till they We're honeward
bound that the tragedy happened
The tragedy? No. it was not the
train leaving the rails and plungilfg
Town an eubankment 1t was onlJ
Barnty's pleasant voice, rolling ever
so slightly his r's-it was only Barney
making this remark to Alderly, the
chaperon's husband:
g. nave been noticing the ladies in
this car. and don't believe ever saw
so many beautiful ones together Don't
you know it is rare to find really
beautiful woman? If her eyes are
fine. something is wrong with her chin;
if her nose
Irinda felt SEX and voluntarily clos
! ed her ears, while her sun seemed to
leave its horizon. Barney, who never
thought Of woman's looks. was dis
cussing woman's beauty! Then he had
not meant what he had said to her at
ALL
Irinda felt very much as she had
when some one told her that George
Washington and his little Ratchet and
William Tell and the apple were prob
ably only pleasant stories. But at the
same time she was suddenly conscious
that she did not love and never had
loved Barney. Her eyes wandered to
the opposite side Of the car, where jim
sat alone. A little flicker of sunshine
was touching his brown hair with gold
Irinda. with a quick indrawing Of her
breath. remembered that it mad looked
jusrso the morning her mother died
The doctor had told tEem-her father
and herself-that the sick one could
not live through the day. and he had
gone away and left them to their sor-
row. Miserably father and daughter
had communed together. She must be
told. but each shran.a from the telling
like son TO Irinda's mother, and they
relegated the task to him. knowing
that Jim never had snirlled duty In
his life.
She remembered low he, lad gone
about it-not smoothing over the. sad
facts at all, but with eyes and manner
and words so full of sympathy and
known future that death seemed to
lose something OF its dread And as
she. at tie foot OF the bed. had lifted
Up her tear stained face size saw ray
, Of sunlight touch Jim's hair just rs it
was doing low.
She tried to picture Barney in the
death chamber. He would not have
lacked, in sympathy. but lie would have
tried TO bring encoura cement where no
encouragement could be. She drew
contrasts Jas she watched the brown
hair turning goiden-contrasts between
foam Of the sea and the cool blue
depths of the ocean itself, between
bending reed and a sturdy pine, be-
tween irresponsbil;ty and true heart
edness.' Then she went over to tie
! seat where Jim sat alone. The faca he
turned toward her startled her with lis
sternness.
"Irinda. l have loved you for long
time. but you've always put me off
from telling you. 1t may as well be
settled now and forever: l wait you
for my wife. and I'll do my best to
make you happy. l don't want any
trifiing. child. Just plain yes or no.
"Jim. if you really want any one so
selfish and ugly and foolish as l am
I'm sure you're more than welcome
I'm not worthy to be your wife.
though" she replied humbly.
Thou art all that is fair to me, my
beloved"
Jim's voice was hushed as one who
prays. His eyes. looking down rever-
emily at his little sweetheart. were
wondrous in their great happiness. and
Irinda, though fearful. smiled content
eddy in answer.