Amador ledger., 1907-04-19

"There are worse things than being
an old maid," Miss Amy Colyer said
serenely.
"Oh, Miss Amy-I didn't mean-l
never think of you as being that" the
girl stammered
"She isn't such q very old maid"
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 fate if
she'd married Henry Scott, as she
came near doing once"
''She wouldn't think so if she were
his wifeI She'd love him all the more
for the affiiction. 1 know should. If
WILLIE Blushing hotly, Elsie ran
from the room.
Mrs. Wridgely laughed, but with q
keen glance at her sister, who murmur-
ed something about the heat, tanning
vigorously. Then presently she asked,
did you say that Henry Scott was
blind?"
'That's what Kate wrote. The doc
tors think his eyes We're ruined, and
no wonder, running into that fire So
Inflammation set in. He may never
see again. It's good thing he has no
family. He's pretty we'll off, but he'll
need all he's got. He'll never work
again, and his business will soon go to
ruin, with hired help managing it."
Amy said nothing. Mrs. Wridgely
regarded her preoccupied face with a
slight frown, then closed the subject
by remarking briskly:
"Well, fortunately, Henry Scott Is
nothing to us. I ran over to see what
you're going to wear to the reception,
Amy"
''The same as usual, suppose, If 1
CO."
"If you gor' Mrs. Wridgely almost
shrieked. when you know the affair
is complimentary to you'll Of course
you'll go! And you must wear your
cream silk. I'll send Ruth to dress
you. And, Amy, 1 want to take the
waist and have the sleeves shortened.
You have such pretty arms. I'll run
up and get it."
Judge Hale and wife will be there"
she resumed, returning to the porch
with the waist.
BE where?' Amy questioned vague
ly.
well, if you aren't enough to Be
at the reception, of course, and Sena-
tor Ellsworth, too; he got back this
morning. Mrs. Reed was so afraid
they would not be here. 1 think I'll
dress early and come over myself,
Amy, or like as not you'll appear in
that everlasting black! OF course you
are full of your new book, but you
owe something to your friends. Do
put 1t out of your mind for this even
ing. I'll be over early"
"I'm glad It's out about Henry
Scott" Mrs. Wridgely communed with
herself. "I've been some afraid of the
effect on her, but 1 guess she's for
gotten that old affair, and 1 mentioned
the senator on purpose to turn her
thoughts. l wish 1 dare speak plain
ly to her about Senator Ellsworth. If
she were only little more like other
folks! But then, 1 suppose, he would
not find her SO attractive"
Mrs. Wridgely had constituted her.
self first aid to Senator Ellsworth u
few months before, when chance en-
abled her to extract letter from
Amy's mail which was plainly from
Henry Scott. She felt justified Amy
would be spared mental disturbance,
and, anyway, the letter was probably
only congratulatory note on the sue
cess of her book, such as she received
constantly. Mrs Wridgely's hopes con-
corning the senator were new then, and
the brilliancy of the possible position
for her sister Amy excused anything.
Amy had been provokingly unappre-
ciative of this advantageous opportu-
nifty, as she had been of many others,
which was perhaps to be expected of
people who wrote books.
Amy sat alone ponderlng over her
lovers peculiar silence. Was it due to
Jealousy Of her success? She had glo-
rified in his magnificent conduct when
the papers had told Of his plunging
again and again into the burning
wreck, rescuing women and children,
and to her love, that folly and es-
arrangement could not kill, was added
hero worship. She had sat silent un-
der the news of his calamity with q
control that reassured her sister, but
now her fan fell from her grasp, a
broken heap.
Blind! Blindp she moaned.
The dark eyes that had looked into
her heart with a power that no other