The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-04-30
ALWAYS meant RIGHT
Bv CAlISTA HALSEY.

always meant TO say the rlgnt tnlns.
Never mind. Marcia" she had said.
after awhile you won't care"
Marcia turned her face to the wall.
She wanted to care. She wanted to
shirk nothing of this tragedy that had
befallen her. She had had her glimpse
of high happiness. She was willing to
nay. It was useless to tell her that
bye and bye. when youth had gone out
OF her, and she was an old woman,
she would not care. She would rather
be young and warm and alive. though
she quivered in every nerve. So 1t was
q relief when Aunt Martha went softly
out and shut the door.
She went over with herself again
that scene with Emil that had ended
in a broken engagement; broken by
which of them she could hardly have
told.
q only told him that we must wait"
she eaid, "and told him why; that
could not leave home now, not yet
And It was beautiful. just to be en-
gagged: It was almost enough. l would
have waited for him f&ever."
And then she went YEARLY over 1t
all again, what he had said and what
she had said, and how, at last, he had
taken her two hands In his and hold
Ing her little away from him had
said. with quiet fnality:
Very well, Marcia If you will moi
even try to arrange matters 80 that We
can marry, there Is no use In our beinl
engaged. suppose, being a mere man
l am very material in my desires. Bu
l know what l want. want wifi
and home"
"O," she flashed. IF It is only
wife and home-there are plenty
Don't pretend to misunderstood me
Marcia. 1t is our home, 1t is you tina
] want You know that. dear"
Yes, she did know 1t. But at th'
gate Of her Eden stood the flaminl
sword of her promise to her mothe
to stay at homo TIL her little eiste
was old enough to take her plSce.
ITS just for couple Of years, Emf
its for Louise. l promised mother
and she is growing up so fast Per
hape in a year she could keep house
for father"
He had glanced out Of the window
to the gate at the end Of the lonl
country door yard where against tn
fading red of a winter sunset tw'
youthful figures were silhouetted.
Louise is out at the gate now talk
ing to John Day. 1t looks to me a
though II she keeps on growing up a
fast as she has for the last year. sh
would be keeping house for herself be
fore long,"
THAT bahy-my little GIRL"
''She is as old as you we're two year
ago when you began taking care O
this house Why shouldn't she tax
your place now?"
70. she couldn't, dear; she doesn'
know q thing. And father depends o
me 30 and Aunt Martha Is so frail
don't you sect"
"Yes. I seer he said. Il see tina
my happiness and believe yours. to<
II to be- sacrificed to q mistaken Gems
Of duty. So I won't coma here an
more"
20. do," she begged. heart brokenl!
There Is no reason why we should NJ
have our lovely evenings together. D
come sometimes"
But he would not promise. And b
went away, hurt to the heart.
The weeks went by. Only Aur
Martha knew, and after that one burr
OF confidence. Marcia did not talk eve
to Aunt Martha about It. She coul
not run the risk of having her say tn
wrong thing again. One day a cousi
who had come across the state for
weeks visit. was In Aunt Martha
) room; through the half-open door
murmurous stream Of talk flowed o,
into the hall.
Yes, Marcia Is Peale," Aunt Ma
tha was saying. "and the Peales new,
! go back on their given word It's VIII
has made us what we are," holding Il
family escutcheon high.
There had been two separate kline
of evenings; those when Emil car
and those when he did not come, al
those when he did come had glove
like rose. Now they all ran togeth
drab and dull. 1t was very hard.
What's the matter? Why don't En-
come any more?" said her sister In 4
first weeks o. his staying away.
20, nothing" said Marcia
a And Louise, having happy though
of her own, said no more. And h
father did not seem to notice.
At first, in pure self-defense Of b
;" secret. Marcia went to church and
the social evenings of the neighb,
hood to get glimpse of her low,
Q who neither sought nor avoided
who never by any chance fingered
talk with her. And as theirs had be
a very quiet courtship, she was spar
s the public wonder at its lapse. Z
soon even this glimpse Of him becal
a doubtful pleasure. To be spoken
: by Emil as though she were somebo
q ayoo x,,os ,nora fhop ohio rould opdu