Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-10-04
A BLIGHT
BY ELIZABETH WEED
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association -


Edith Wilton combined two marked
contradictions. She possessed low
able disposition. but when she was a
baby. through the carelessness OF a
nurse. she fell and cut her lip, produc-
Ing wound that In healing left a
scar. giving very disagreeaDls ex-
preston 10 her face.
Edith could see I'm the faces of those
she met repugnance occasioned by
her expression. At first she tried to
obviate this effect by smiling, but she
saw ut once by the further recon of
the ono looking at her that she was
only frightening the disagrecabls i'm
preston. Such physical blights usual.
~ have one OF two effects. either the
blighted person is unconscious OF tho
defect or becomes painfully sensitive
concerning II. Edith was OF the lat
ter class. She would not 20 to tho
social gatherings of her own aga More
ana moro she shrank within herself.
Then. becoming conscious that I'm bc-
ing rccluse she would be forced into
life OF selashness, abe began to de-
vote herself to the poor.
She had friends. girl friends, who
sought TO draw her out socially. Con
hdence between young girls II close.
while that between opposite sexes, es-
pecinlly at that age. In distant The
young men who met Edith looked
upon the oppression on her face and
turned away with n shrug. Her girl
friends had a better opportunity to
learn what there was under tho mis-
leading expression. When ono OF her
chums was married sho insisted OH
Edith being her bridesmaid. Edith
demurred. but her friend would not ex.
cuso her.
At the wedding the bridesmaid.
looking up suddenly. saw tho eyes OF
n young man she had never seen rivet-
ed upon her and without that repealed
expression she was accustomed TO see.
The man was n recent graduate Of a
medical school, Tho reason why his
| face did not reject any disagrceable
| oppression at her defect was because.
| being Il practitioner. he was used to
| controlling bis features when treating
his patients
But Edith did not know this. She
knew only that q man with n kindly
face was looking at her without any
| reference to her defect. And when
DR.. Allan Emerson requested nm in
PRODUCTION and was presented to her
her heart fnirly bounded within her
| Not for an instant while he chatted
with her did he seem conscious OF her
blight. And sho, being made to feel
that 1t was inconseQuentinl. rose above
| IL 80 far az to display the renl attrac-
uveness and worth that wero In her.
And yet the reason Of tho young doc
J tors desire to make her acquaintance
was that very defect. He had been
observing her before she Ind noticed
him and with n professional eye had
| been watching the effect OF her scar
upon the various expressions that fit
ted across her face. Some physicians.
| rough In manner. though they may be
| Invaluable helpers to the afflicted,
would not have scrupled to betray tho
real object OF their interest. Emerson
was OF different kind. lie not only
concealed his own thoughts for pro-
fessional reasons. but from an innate
| sense Of delicncy.
Whatever be the exact analysis OF
his feelings. tho act produced mark
| cd impression upon Edith Wilton. A
man whose personnel. whose bearing
was far above the average had not
only failed to show any repugnanca
at her defect, but Ind asked to be In.
troduced to her and chattcd with hcr.
| displaying unusual interest In her