The daily sentinel., 1910-04-12
THEYGREWOLDAp APART
BY MERRIAM 3. sEckwlrH.


Harry. dear" said the young wife
Oh ter deatbbed, when am gone
forget me Seek sone one to ill the
place ! leave vacant. Don't delay.
Never mind II the world says. This
man has no sooner buried one wife
than be begins looking for another.
| know what is best for you The
longer you put II of the less you will
desire it. and don't wish you to be-
come again ifsed to bachelor habits
"rhe place you will leave vacant vii,
remain vacilui"
IL have given you my wish: | cant
argue with you, and ! can't remain
with you TO influence you. though. II
possible / will do so from the other
existence. One word more II you de
lay and become u middle aged or an
old man before marrying again choose
a 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 oil 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 woman. and that woman
his own wife. But the realization OF
her wish is impossible" he reasoned,
because ] shull never find the woman
who can ill the place she has left va
cant. and If | could find one who could
I'LL II ! would not wish 1t filed"
On this account and from preference
he hugged her memory and ignored
her wishes. Shortly before her death
and while she was in the flush of
health her portrait had been painted
This portrait he took from the wall
where 1t hung aud placed 1t over his
desk in his study. He was literary
man, and his work was Influenced by
the woman whose mental and moral
strength and virtues were memorized
In the portrait.
A year passed, and he still ioved-s
memory. Was 1t love or the memory
Of love? He never asked himself
the question. He did not doubt that
1t was love. 1t might not occupy his
mind. he admitted, as much as at first,
but this is true Of one we love who ha.
been gone long while. Those who
are absent do not occupy our thoughts
as If they were present. but on their
return we find them as dear to US as
ever. At times he would remember
her enrnest look when she had made
her last strange request and would
experience a momentary troubled re
gret that he could not accede to 1t.
Then he would recall the reason and
would be satisfied.
One day five years after her death
he stood looking at her picture. II
seemed to him that there was a more
mature look ABOUT 1t than he had be
1ord 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 some
unexplained mental or. rather. soul con-
struction within him was enabling him
to see her growing older with him
Whence IT sprung or what power had
planted II he cared not. II 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 whitlsh pencil strraks on
the hair that might be the effect of
light on the canvas or n beginning of
white hair. There We're lines about
the eyes and on the neck Two feel.
ngs within him contended for mas.
tery-a pleasure that he was not leav-
Ing her in youth behind him and
distress that her beauty was fading.
These mingled feelings did not leave
hlm. He thought the distress that she
should change was unnatural Does n
husband regret to see the wife he loves
grow plain; Does she. indeed, grow
plain TO him: The latter question set
him on on another course OF thought.
SuppoSing man loses a wife of TWEEN
ty. AT forty or fifty she comes back
to him. Is love the same as If she
had grown old beside him? He could
not make up his mind that " would be
From this time he noticed Il change
In his feelings toward the picture. Ii
was not the same TO him. In vain be
tried TO get used to this singular trans.
formation In il. which he attributed TO
some mystical soul effect He felt that
II and be were diverging Instead of
growing old together they were grow
Ing old on different lines Then II be-
gan 10 be repulsire 10 him
He was struggling with desire to
remove it when Que morning Il girl
of twenty stumbled into his study.
Her cheeks were ruddy enough with.
out the blush that spread Itself from
her fnrehenl To her dimnIeh rhin A