Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-02

"And she don't look a day oidersn she did fifteen years agoi Her hair Is snst as brown. her eyes are Just as Boley's voice grew shTill with e1n-, phasis.
 Little Mrs Fame, who had left the weekly meeting of the Ladies Aid society half an hour earlier than us- suai because Jim would be nome early for dinner. slipped silently out Of the vestry and buttoned her coat outside. There was a curious light in her rather faded blue eyes. f4f- teen years! The curious light became bitter The years may have left Berta Loonis unscathed. but they had left plain imprints on Julia Fane. She looked as old as sine felt. and that was very old Indeed. But she was not too old nor too tired to shrink from having Jim compare her with Berta. She wished that she could go away keep out of Bight--anything to ward off that hateful comparison.
 Fifteen years before Berta had weighed Jin's salary--bookkeepers
 don't get any princely stipend-and had told him that she loved him, but not enough to marry him and skimp with him. And she returned his sap protested later to Julia that it was a lucky day for him. Julia came to town a month later to teach the sixth grade, and Jim at first sight of her pretty white face seemed to recover marvel ousiy from his desolation over Berta's
 departure for New York. Julia loved
 him enough to be very willing to be- lieve him. They were married Berta,
 financed by an uncle studied design ing, went abroad, came back to New
 so report drifted back-telling less
 informed people how to furnish their homes. Now she had come back to
 her home town for a few weeks stay.
 She was lonesome. Juia heard some one say, for old friends. She came that morning. and the weekly meeting the
 I.adies' Aid society buzzed over her arrival Every one planned to enter tain her. and sent word by Mrs. Boley. at whose home she was then unpack- to fill several times the period of her announced stay.
 Jim was rather silent at supper. She wondered-but, then, he was never talkative. Finally she asked the question that was uncomfortably on her mind.
 Did you hear the news? Berta Joomis is back for a visit. She was fixing the baby's dinner as she spoke, | and her face was half-turned away. But Jim's voice snapped with inter est. That SO? Well-well--well. I'd I like to see Berta again. She certain l ly was a handsome girl about l thought the world had toppled for | while" He broke off at sight of the ! children's interestedly raised faces and | laughed gently. partly at their curios- ity, partly at the past. T suppose" he | added, cheerfully. "Berta has got old | along with the rest of us"
 "They say" said Julia, in carefully
 composed tone, "she hasn't. Baby | ing you. Now see the gravy is all l spilled" She spoke petulently. 1 q want to see her" said Jim. 'Give me another cup of coffee"
 1 Julia got it silently. Jim's unusua | interest was ominous. And he wanted | to see Berta. She wondered dully i 1 something else than the long grind oi l work and poverty had put that ttrec 1 look in his eyes. She wondered And | then the doorbell rang. As was his | custom, Bob spprang to open the door | And in walked Mrs. Boley. her olt | wrfnkled face beeming, and Berts
 Loomis! Julia flung one horTifiet | glance st the skimpy, untfdy schoo | books. newspapers and the baby: 1 playthings, and then led the way
 across the hall to the parlor. He' |