The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1911-04-14

society items, Miss Page writes up tn
women's clubs, and Miss Amory doe
sketches-Jhe pictures seen in th
Park and romance thriving i'm tn
midst OF poverty kind you know, Sh
is especially good at that sort q
thing. The only fault ! can find wit
her work is that II is apt to be mol
bid. She sees things through blu
glasses, or else her sense Of humo
needs to be developed"
The door opened and a woman cam
in and laid pile of copy on Blake
desk She did not look toward Arm
tage That was Miss Amory,' Blall
said after she had gone out.
81 guessed as much, returned Arm
tage, trying to speak calmly
So she had become a reporter aft
er all Would she recognize him whel
they met, he wondered; then told him
self that, Of course, she had forgotten
the incident Of their meeting. Beside
he had changed much I'm five years
lie reused himself to find that Blak,
had gone and he was alone. Pres
emily Miss AmOry came back ant
looked about for Blake.
MT. Blake is not here" Armitag,
said Can ! do anything for you?
am the new city editor"
Miss Amory hesitated a moment be
fore replying. Il came to ask Mr.
Blake whether he wants that stor,
on Child Life on the East Side TO run
a whole column or only half" she
said finally.
About half or, at most, three-quar
ters," Armitage answered mo, she
does not remember me-" he was think
ing so Blake has set her Ia WRITING
LID child life on the East side. No won
der he complains that her stuff isn't
humorous enough. She is too finely
organized for such work She would
I be too quick to see tear.stains on
laughing faces
Late one sultry afternoon in mid
summer, almost a year from the time
Armitagc had come to the paper, the
city editor and Miss Amory chanced
to start out TO dinner at the same
time. As they went down in the ele.
yatog Armitage glanced at the face OF
the woman beside him, and his heart
smOle him. The corners of her mouth
dropped and her eyes showed a vain
struggle with melancholy,
You look very tired he said to
her when they reached The street
Wont you come for a walk in Bat.
terry park? You will enjoy your din
ner better after a bath Of fresh air.
Miss Amory made no objection to
this plan, but walked by his side in
silence. Il wonder why it is" Armi-
tage asked himself, that when she
does not talk she seems to be saying
so many things?"
At the lower end of the sea-wall Ar
mitage led the way to an empty bench.
Sit down. he said, and tell me what
is troubling you"
She sat down and looked out at the
water a moment before replying.
Your prophecy has come true" she
said at last
My prophecy" repeated Armi-
tage in a questioning tone.
Don't you remember telling me,
that night at Mrs. Holden's dance
that the loss Of my ideals would de-
stroy my happiness?"
Armitage drew in his breath sharp
ly SO she had remembered, yet had
been silent all this time. Well, it was
like her Any other woman would
have spoken at once or not at all.
Are your ideals shattered?" he
asked.
so completely that I cannot even
gather up the fragments" she an
swered
And your faith I'm human nature?"
THAT went first of all"
The mans face grew grave. 81 know
what you have gone through" he said.
Tell me about It; a trouble some.
times become lighter by being put in
to words"
There was a time when I could not
talk of it" the woman replied, "but the
hardening process you said I could
not stand is well advanced. l am quite
willing now to admit the facts that
truth and honor are mere words and
heroic deeds tricks, done for the sake
Of the applause they gain I have
learned to see below the surface of
things" she went on, not looking at
him, "and am becoming a pessimist,
like you"
There are depths and Depths Ar
mitage returned, and I'm not a pessi-
mist any more. ! began to see light
ahead of me a long time ago, the
night | first met you, | think it was
And now we have changed places?
| wish ] might help you as you helped
me then"
I'm afraid I'm past help the wo-
man said despondently
NO, no, cried Armitage, you must
not say that. 1t is not true. There
was a time when the world seemed to
me a vast den of wickedness, and /
grew to credit every man and wo-
man I met with a secret history, and
even kind actions with a selfish mo-
tive; but gradually good and evil as
sumed their proper proportions and
the latter slipped into it's right place,
in the background of my mind. OF
course, sorrow and sin are on all
sides of us, but there are other things
and beauty and love"
u cannot even believe In love any
more" the girl said YEARLY.