The Washington bee., 1911-07-29
A BLIGHT
By ELIZABETH WEED

able disposition, but when she was a
baby, through the careIessness of a
nurse, she fell and cut her lip, produc-
ing wound that in healing left q
scar, giving very disagreeable ex-
preston to her face.
. Edith could see in the faces Of those
she met repugnance OccaSiOned by
her expression. At first she tried TO
Obviate this effect by smiling, but she
saw at once oy the further recOl Of
the one looking at her that she was
only heightening the disagreeable i'm
preston. Such physical blights usual
ly have one of two effects. either the
bhghted person is unconscious Of the
defect or becomes painfully sensitive
concerning it. Edith was Of the lat
ter class, She would not 90 TO the
social gatherings of her own age. More
and more she shrank within herself.
Then, becoming conscious that in be-
ing a recluse she would be forced into
a life Of SelfishnesS, she began to de-
vote herself to the poor.
She had friends, girl friends, who
sought to draw her out socially. Con
fidence between young girls is close.
while that between opposite sexes, es-
peciaIly at that age, is distant. The
young men who met Edith looked
upon the expression on her face and
turned away with a shrug. Her girl
friends had a better opportunity t.
learn what there was under the mis-
leading expression. When one of her
chumS was married she insisted on
Edith being her bridesmaid. Edith
demurred, but her friend would not ex-
cuse her.
At the wedding the bridesmaid,
looking up suddenly, saw the eyes of
a young man she had never seen rivet-
ed upon her and without that reDeIled
expression she was accustomed to see
The man was a recent graduate of a
medical school The reason why his
face did not reflect any disagreeable
expression at her defect was because,
being a practitioner, he was used to
controlling his features when treating
his patients.
But Edith did not know this. She
knew only that & man with a kindly
face was looking at her without any
reference to her defect And when
DR.. Allan Emerson requested an in
PRODUCTION and was presented to her
her heart fairly bounded within her.
Not for an instant while he chatted
with her did he seem conscious of her
blight. And she, being made to feel
that it was incOnsequential, rose above
it so far as to display the real attrac-
tveness and worth that were in her.
And yet the reason Of the young doc
tors desire to make her acquaintance
was that very defect. He had been
observing her before she had noticed
him and with a 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 the
real object of their interest. Emerson
was of a different kind. He not only
concealed his own thoughts for pro-
fessional reasons, but from an innate
sense of delicacy.
Whatever be the exact analysis of
his feelings, the act produced a mark
ed impression upon Edith Wilton. A
man whose personnel, whose bearing,
was far above the average had not
only failed to show any repugnance
at Ter defect, but had asked to be in
trOduced to her and chatted with her,
displaying unusual interest in her
without seeming to be conscious that
there was any difference between her
and other girls, unless to her adyan-
tage But when he asked her if he
might not call upon her the cup Of her
delight was full.
A few months after the meeting DR.
Emerson asked Edith to be his wife.
When she had accepted him he men
toned for the first time her defect,
letting her know that he believed he
could remove at least it's effects.
"Why," said Edith, didn't you re-
move it before proposing to meT7
Because, sweetheart" he replied,
ssthese stupid men who have been
passing you by would have learned of
your real worth, and the field would
have been full of rivals"
There was more in her eyes than in
her words when she replied, You
know very well that none of them
were to be feared by you"
But Edith dreaded lest in case an
operation were not successful her lover
might find himself tied through life
to a blighted woman and unhappiness
for both would result. She therefore
insisted on having the operation per-
formed and if the trouble were re-
moved the marriage to take place aft
erward. Dr. Emerson demurred to
this, saying that whether the Op-
GRAFTON were or were not a success he
would not give her up. Both stood
firmly on the ground that they had
taken, but the man, since the result
would be the same to him in any
event, finally yielded.
The operation was merely a matter
of delicate handling, its only object be-
ing to produce Il certain result of
facial expression. DR.. Emerson per
formed it himself, covering the wound
he made with a piece of skin