The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1914-02-13
ETERNAL LOVE
Short Story by Reina Melcher Marquis

| generation, and as he and Felicia
stood beside them, a laughing, rosy
group, l would have declared them all
| of the same generation myself, had
not know of Jacks fatherhood-
and grandfatherhoodl
Straight from their merry wedding
Jack and Felicia went to Paris, and
three years passed before their re-
turn. Then, at the country club
again, 1 found him one afternoon
the Eternal Youth.
Were just back" he told me. I'VE
liked Paris so much that we couldn't
leave it. Felicia was enchanted with
the life over there. AS for NEWELL,
1 always knew that Paris was my
city! It's the city of youth-the youth
that lasts!'
1t was the first time that had
heard him refer, even indirectly, to
his youthful quality, and it struck me
somehow as a challenging, an almost
uneasy note. Was this bright youth
of his a little furnished, after all?
Were it's wings a little heavy that he
needed thus to hearten it, to remind
| it of it's own permanence? | stared
at him with sudden scrutiny, and he
struck me as-well preserved! Well
preserved!-he who, only three years
before, had seemed to defy the neces-
sity of preservation. 1 lowered my
eyes swiftly, ashamed that 1 had seen.
And yet, I argued, it was not defeat
this need of his to use carefully. to
expend carefully, the flame that still
burned within him. 1t would last,
thus guarded.
We've a little daughter" he told
me a moment later. You must wait
for her-you must wait for Felicia.
My father-in-law will bring them out
this afternoon for tea"
| So 1 fingered, and presently they
came; Felicia the center of the joy
Gus group; her father, proud and be-
nign, wearing the silver crown of
grandfatherhood; her baby, Growing
gleefully upon the arm of a smart
French bonnie. But it was upon Fee
licia herself that my gaze stayed, a
Felicia transformed by the matron's,
the mothers, self-assurance, smooth
skinned, shining-eyed, suave, radiant.
"Well?" breathed her husband.
| "She's amazing" I answered. "Fe-
licia was always lovely, but now
even for her-she's amazing"
| And amazing she was-amazing in
her sheer, unexpected magnificence.
| She had left US a slender nymph
etched in silver. She had returned a
deep bosomed madonna, painted in
splendid strokes of gold-his gold!
For he had done i'll realized that
at once. Felicia's paler personality
could never have achieved such rich
ness of itself. Was it any wonder
that he himself was a bit furnished.
considering how generously he had
given HIMSELF"
YES" he assented to my exclama-
ton, shes amazing" And then. as
If he had heard my thought, She's
my miracle!"
1t was as if he had said: "She's
my miracle-now'-bein a miracle
himself no longer. And then he re-
marked, ITS for me to keep up with
her, you know"
| You'll do it," assured him. And
now 1 thought, with a certain sense
of relief, Of how we'll preserved he
was! He could do it-after that fash
ion.
| Eyes" I'll do it." he murmured. But
the tone was not triumphant; rather
had it the listlessness of a too great
effort
! The child was in Mr.. Aliens arms
now, and she constantly addressed
him, in her 2-year-old language as
"Daddy-gran.'
isn't he the ideal grandfather?
demanded Felicia delightedly.
well, 1 ought to bel" declared Mr..
Allen, raising his silvered head as il
at the touch of an honor. II ought to
be. It's a great privilege-this thing
of being a grandfather"
| And the Eternal Youth echoed
softly: Yes great privilege"
| Was that a wistful note in his
voice? He was a grandfather himself
II remembered that-and yet he
spoke as If Of a boon denied him.
Presently Felicia left her husband
alone with me in our quiet veranda
! 0nrnay- xubffa hA fraiIaA hor rn0xy