South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-07
HELEN. UNABLE TO BEAR
WARREN'S SILENCE, SENDS
HIM \ NIGHT LETTER.
ERT ITRNER
BY Mabel HERBERT URNER.

desire to do something"--she could
no longer await developments. She
felt that her whole future and Wini-
fred's was in the balance, and that in
some way she must acr-and act
quickly
This feverish urgency to action at
such moments is something almost
every woman had felt. If only she
can say o. do the right thing-she
thinks she can bring back to her the
man she loves But it is a most pitt
full delusion-fOr nine times out of ten
if she will only do nothing, if she will
only wait-the man will come back
himself and come with much more
respect and admiration than if he was
brought back by her own contriving.
And so now if Helen could only
have waited, if she could only have
accepted the blank sheets Of paper in
silence, If, knowing that she was not
in fault, she could have waited in
dignified inactiOn-mOst probably the
next week or at least the week after
would have brought her a letter. And
il would have gained for her, too.
something of respect and of admira-
ton from Warren.
But this was not Helens nature.
She had reached the point where she
could no longer wait. She must do
some immediate thing. And TO tele-
graph was the only thing that would
satisfy her demand for action.
A night letter. 1t was seven o'clock
now, and it would be delivered be-
fore morning.
But the hasty search through her
desk disclosed no telegraph blanks.
Would they have any down stairs?
She phoned down and the elevator
boy brought them up.
You can send fifty words now at
night for the price of ten, can't your
Yes, ma'am, l think that's it. Want
me to ring for a messenger"
NO not just yet. I'll call down
when 1 want one"
The yellow telegraph blanks always
struck a certain note OF terror in
Helen's mind. And now having work
ed herself up to a state Of feverish
tenseness' they seemed more than ever
Ominous. She first wrote her message
on note paper. and then copied il
carefully on the blank.
Il can't bear your silence. Write.
Anything better than blank sheet of
paper Sorry about the roomer, will
let her go at once. viii do anything
you think best. if only you Will write
most III with anxiety. Wire me. Let
ter follows. HELEN"
This was just forty-nine words, she
had counted them carefully. She
knew that all punctuation was left out
of kilograms. so she read ii over 10
see if it would be clear without them.
Then she called for a messenger and
sent it off.
She had satisfied her longing for
action. She had yielded 10 the fever
ish impulse to reach him quickly. But
now hardly had the message gone
when she began torturing herself as TO
the wisdom Of having sent IL. AT least
could she not have wOrded ii better2
The paper from which she had
copied it still lay on her desk. She
read it over again and again. Each
time she saw something she would
like to change or leave out or put in
Oh why had she sent il of so quick
ly2 1t could not be delivered any
way before morning.
She could have kept il until mid
night just as well.
But now she must write the letter.
For several minutes she sat at the
desk. nervOusly tearing tiny shreds
from the corner Of the green blotter.
Then finally she wrote:
Dear Warren: l have just sent you
a night letter I could not bear IL
sheet OF paper you sent with the
check seems 10 have terrified me. Am
sorry I insisted on renting the spare
room against your wishes. i Will let
Mrs Morrison go at once. Will tell
her tomorrow. Perhaps have been
wrong. but I only wanted TO make
some extra money so I would not be
so dependent upon you for every
thing I didn't mean 10 be defiant
you know me well enough TO believe
that