Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-01-28
THEYCREW0LOAPAR7
BY MERRIAM g. eeckw,Tt.


copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso.
ciation.l
"Harry. DEAR" said the young wife
on her deathbed. when l am gone
forget me. Seek some one to ill the
place leave vacant. Don't delay.
Never mind il the world says. THIS
man has no sooner buried one wife
than he begins looking for another
l know what Is best for you. The
longer you put it OF the less you will
desire 1t. and ] don't wish you to be-
come again used to bachelor habits"
1.-THE place you viii leave vacant will
remain vacant"
Il have given you my wish: can't
argue with yon. and l can't remain
with you to influence you. though. IL
possible. l will do so from the other
existence One word more, If you de-
lay and become a middle aged or an
old man before marrying again choose
q young woman who will bear you
children to love you and for you to
love. When you think of me picture
me watching over you trying to lead
you in the path that know will alone
bring you happiness"
When all was over and he began
the life without her these words came
back to him, and he was wonder
stricken that they should have been
spoken by a woman. and that woman
his own wife. But the realization of
her wish is impossible" he reasoned,
because shall never find the woman
who can Gil the place she has left va
cant. and If could find one who could
Gil 1t l would not wish 1t filed"
On this account and from preference
he Rugged her memory and ignored
her wishes Shortly before her death
and while she was In the flush Of
health her portrait bad been painted.
This portrait he took from the wall
where 1t hung and placed 1t over his
desk in his study. He was literary
man. and bis work was Influenced by
the woman whose mental and moral
strength and virtues were memortzed
In the portrait.
A year passed, and he still loved-a
memory. Was It love or the memory
Of q love? He. never asked himself
the question He did not doubt that
1t was love- It might not occupy his
mind, he admitted, as much as at drst.
but this Is true of one we love who has
been gone long while. Those who
are absent do not occupy our thoughts
as If they were present. but Oh their
return we find them as dear to US as
ever. At times be would remainder
her earnest look when she had made
her last strange request and would
experience m0mentary troubled re-
greet that he could not accede to it.
Then he would recall the reason aud
would be satisfied.
One day five years after her death
he stood looking at her picture 1t
seemed to him that there was 8 more
fore noticed The lips did not appear
so red. the eyes not quite so bright
Then a sudden pleasing thought struck
him. He was growing older. and suine
unexplained mental or. rather. soul COO.
struction within him was enabling him
to see her growing Older with him.
Whence it sprung or what power had
planted it he cared not. 1t was there.
They would grow old together
Another period passed. and he no.
ticed greater change. The cheek
seemed to have lost some Of its round.
ness The nostril was thinner There
were faint whitfsh pencil streaks on
the hair that might be the effect Of
light on the canvas or a beginning Of
white hair There were lines about
the eyes and on the neck Two feel.
ings within him commended for mas.
tery-a pleasure that he was not leav-
ing her in youth behind him and a
distress that her beauty was fading
These mingled feelings did not leave
him. He thought the distress that she
should change was unnatural Does q
husband regret to see the wife he loves
grow plain? Does she. indeed, grow
plain to him? The latter question set
him or on another course Of thought.
Surprising man loses a wife Of TWEEN.
ty. At forty Or fifty she comes back
to him. Is love the same as IL she
had grown old beside him? He could
not make up his mind that It would be.
/ From this time he noticed change
In his feelings toward the picture. II
was not the same to him in vain ne
tried to get used to this singular trans.
formation in it. which he attributed to
some mystical SOUL effect He felt that
1t and he were diverging Instead OF
growing old together they were grow.
Ing old OIL different lines Then it be.
gan TO be repulsive 20 him.
He was struggling with desire to
remove it when one morning cir.
OF twenty stumbled into his study.
Her cheeks We're ruddy enough with
out The blush ,hat spread itse.: from
her forehead 20 her dimpied chin. A
startled look was in her eye. followed
quickly by an embarrassed smile that
parted her lips. showing her white
teeth Then hurriedly withdra wing
she Shut the dOor