Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1910-05-06
Too Late

TIE cushions she sighed YEARLY. II
had been trying evening. but It had
been one OF triumph. The dark eyes
which had shone so brilliantly short
time before held a wistfulness now
that there was no one to see. Although
she had attained at last what she had
struggled for all these years, although
tonight she had reached the goal Of
her ambition, the woman did not ex-
pericnce any great feeling Of happi-
ness.
The applause which had swept from
gallery to pit had for a brief moment
satisfied the singer. and it had been
gratifying to receive so many floral
offerings, but now she was conscious
only Of a deep loneliness-an unsatis-
Ged longing. Had II all been worth
while? The answer came without an
instant OF hesitation. It had not. In
her girlhood her ambition had been
to become a great singer, and she had
sacrificed home, friends and love to
that ambition. She had succeeded far
beyond the rosiest dreams of her girl
hood, but it had not brought the hap
piness she had expected II by speak
ing some magic word she could have
changed the present to the past she
would gladly have spoken It.
Her thoughts had drifted back to
those days that she could not now re-
call. Until tonight she had not real
lied how much she had sacrificed to
her ambition. She remembered now
with sorrow that she had told Richard
Traverton that love could have no
place in her life, that hor art was
uore to her than everything else. She
had sent him away. sad and almost
heartbroken. Soon afterward she had
gone abroad to study. and she had new
or seen him since that night she had
refused his love. Then she had not
understood, but now-ah, now, it was
too late.
4 continuation OF the thought came
swiftly. and it brought such feeling
Of Joy with it that the woman half
rose from her seat. Vas it too late?
What prevented her from returning to
thar which had once been so unappre-
cia eds II she was only willing to give
SD the present life with its empty
aleasuaes? She knew that Traverton
vas practising medicine in his own
town. and was much esteemed by the
.!llagers. B1t did he still cherish that
love that he had had for her so long
ago? She could not make herself feel
certain that everything would be the
same with him. but surely when he
| l.F 81, hal l,nn1r trrf11tu q
TO relinqulsh all for his love, he would
welcome her gladly. No. it was not
too late. She would return. Happl.
ness, deep and satisfying. would yet
be hefs
When the carriage stopped at her
hotel it was a different woman who
alighted. All her weariness had van
ished and there was the light OF Joy
in the dark eyes.
The next day the woman. after
hasty preparations, took the train for
that little out-of-the-way town. 1t was
late in the afternoon when she reach
ed the village. greatly fatigued from
the long journey. An exclamation of
surprise burst from her lips as she
looked around. Although it had been
~ years since she had left the place,
APPARENTLY nothing had changed. The
people of Brandon we're not progres.
sive. and thought that things were
good enough as they we're. They felt
no need of improvements or changes
The woman went Immediately to
the one hotel in town. She would rest
tonight and leave all further plans for
the morrow, she decided as she slip
ped upstairs to her room. She was
about to enter when a familiar name
fell upon her ears. The landlords
wife was chatting with some neighboI
in one of the rooms below, but every
word reached the woman who stood
there waiting to learn she knew not
what. A feeling she could not define
chained her to the spot.
Janet Staples made a beautiful
BRIDE" she had Just heard, and she
I wondered a little. When she had last
seen Janet she had been only a child
The next moment she smiled sadly
She had forgotten that she had beer
away a long time, and Janet must be
now about the same age as she had
been when she left the village.
Brandon amt seen such a weddin
before as it will see this afternoon,
went on the voice in the room below
"Janet will make DR.. Traverton a good
wife, and he deserves some one good
Folks say he used to keep company
with Virginia Leighton years ago. bu
she took it into her head to go on thS
stage and sing. Always was kind o
hishty was Glnney, so they say
though l can't speak as KNOWN any
thin about it. That was before W,
cone here. She's a great singer now
and suppose she's so proud that she
wouldn't look at common folks. Blu
between you and |. Melviny, thinl
she missed It giving up Dick Trayer
tor"
fhe woman waited to hear no more
She crept unsteadily into her room
conscious OF only one thing-that shi
had returned too late.-IDA E. ROC
ERS.
Calls for Tons Of Flowers.