Mexico Missouri message., 1908-09-24
THE CHANG GEES
OF TIME
by Emily o. Carroll.

separable. ! cannot tell how many
foolish promises we made to each
other. for we were romantic young
slmpletons and we loved each other.
/ know one promise was never TO
marry, but always live together In
some snug cottage where we should
be as happy as the day was long.
proved recreant to my promise. as
witness my husband and two OF the
sweetest darlIngs that ever gladdened
mothers heart. Mary still lives
In maiden meditation, fancy free.
She was a very pretty girl. four
years my senior, though she did not
look II. She was an orphan, and when
a rich uncle in Philadelphia agreed to
adopt her she consented TO the ar.
rangement. Not long afterward her
uncle died. and Mary was his heiress.
According to promise we CORE.
sponded regularly for a time. Such
lengthy loving letters as she wrote
me! Never did fond girl prize her
lovers letters more than l priced
Mary's. She missed me 30 much, she
said. She wanted TO see me so badly
| must come and pay her a visit. This
was before my marriage. One thing
and another happened to prevent my
going.
Gradually the years slipped by, and
had taken another name and my
heart was thrilling with a strange, de.
llghtful, yet solemn feeling. But Mary
Grey. my girlhood friend, was not for.
gotten wanted her to share my Joy.
| wanted to say to her: Here is my
husband and your brother, Mary.
sweet sister" wanted to lay my
frst.born in her arms and say: "He
is mine, Mary. Love him for my
sake"
But the poor girl was tied down
in her New England home. She
still wrote to me occasionally, and J
ties claimed our attention. talked
| about Mary so much that at last
Charlie grew tired of hearing her
name and began to tease me.
Your friend Is an old maid. isn't
she, Lucy?" he asked me one even.
Ing
An old mald!" replied. Indignant.
~. NO. indeed, sir; she is not an
old maid"
At last Mary agreed to pay us n
visit. What n time did have In
| planning for her reception. She was
an heiress. and. | feared, might think
our little home very poor indeed. True
Il was comfortable, and all that
| Charlie and | cared for, but Mary was
! rich and used tn much grander sur
rourdngs, / mused.
The glad day arrived, and Charlie
was TO bring our guest from the sta
ton in time for lunch. When heard
the carriage | ran eagerly TO meet
Mary. But was that Mary; that tall
thin, sallow, dignifed woman. who
looked as If she had certainly "swal
lowed a poker" so straight and stfI
did she appear?
| II was Mary beyond n doubt, for she
kissed me quite warmly and said had
changed very little since she last saw
me. She was dressed very elegantly
but not tastofully, and she had lost
several Of her front teeth. In short
she looked anything but the pretty
delicate Mary Grey | had known ant
loved.
Are you not dreadfully bothered
with your children, Lucy?" she asked
me after luncheon, or are you font
OF them?"
"Passionately," cried. as | caugh
my darling klorrie in my arms anC
kissed her rosy mouth.
1T Is very fortunate that you lik,
them she replied. Il do not Xix,
them. know very little about chill
dren, never having lived much Will
them"
My heart turned sick Not love chill
dren! How could she ever get aloni
with us?
When the little ones were put I,
sleep that afternoon took some sew
ing and entered Marys room for
chat. began by sympsthizlng will
he. in her lonely life. but TO my sur
prise she informed me that she reall,
had quite a pleasant time. She live
In handsome house when at home
ana keeps up continual round OF gay
ETY.. Some further attempts on m,
part 10 bring out line of converse
ton on which we might be mutual
interested failed, and / gave up tn
task
Both Charlie and / tried TO max
her visit as pleasant as possible. an
In her digniiied way she seemed I
enjoy II as much as she could enjo
anything. hut when Il drew TO a clos
and Mary bid us farewell, could no
refrain from drawing a sigh OF r.
l!et.
Il was such q dreadful awakenin
from the bright dream of my girlhoot
The Mary Grey had known had sur,
ly taken flight, and In her stead wa
woman who missed much of IN
good thingn of life.
Only short time ago we heard fror
| s-f,nd nufhorffy that Mary Il 20 ,,,.,..