The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-05-25
LOVE WAS NOT BLIND
BY GEORGE MUNSoN.


Julia! Is that you, dear?"
The sick man stirred uneasily upon
the bed, and Julia Crothers ran out
to where her younger sister, Dulcie,
waited upon the landing.
1T is terrible. cannot stay there"
she whispered.
Dulcie, who had been trembling,
suddenly managed to pull herself to-
gether and entered the room with a
firm tread. She went up to the bed
side.
"Is that you, Julia?" murmured the
sick man again.
YES" answered Dulcie bravely.
Two days before. Jim Ridgely, her
sisters fiance. had been struck by
lightning. His recovery. at first de.
SPARED of. now seemed assured. but
he was blind, and the doctors held out
no hope Of his regaining his sight.
"The optic nerve is paralyzed." they
said. There Is the barest chance
but the cure must be a spontaneous
one. and 1t must happen within the
next two or three days. Unless by a
miracle that should happen. he will
be blind the rest of his life"
Julia Crothers was the belle of the
town, and Ridgely a rising young law
yer. Though Julia and Dulcie we're
alike in speech and manner, and were
| often mistaken for each other, when
side by side 1t was plain that Dulcie
was only q poor image of Julia. She
was generally considered plain; the
difference. however. existed principal
ly in Julia's dashing ways and Dulcies
unattractive and simple ones.
Poor Dulcie. whose tender heart
went out to Ridgely. knew that hel
heartless sister would never dream OF
marrying a blind man. She could
trace the unconscious processes in
Julia's heart even now. And II
seemed to her that she must do hel
best to shield Ridgely until he recov
cred. Possibly his sight would come
back to him, and then he need never
know that 1t was she. and not Julia
who had sat at his bedside all those
long hours when he lay racked will
pain and fever.
"He is sleeping" she told her sister
when at last she went out to her.
What shall I do. Dulcie?" moanet
Julia. 81 cannot bear to look upon SUI
fering. What shall do?"
Then Dulcie told her her plan. Ant
It worked surprisingly. A weel
elapsed, and at the end of that time
although the doctors announced tina
there was now no hope of Ridgely''
ever recovering his sight, he was abl'
to sit up. And he had not guessed
that 1t was Dulcie who had sat by hi
bedside and read to him in her gentle
voice. He had thought 1t was Julia
And in the midst of the pain Dulci'
felt to think Of Ridgely's coming disil
lusionment, there was a fierce exul
tation In her heart.
For Dulcie loved Ridgely. She hal
loved him from the beginning. ant
now more than ever before her hear
went out to this blind man. doomed t
be dependent throughout his life upol
the help Of others.
Ridgely had been brought into tn
Crothers home simply because he ha
no one to care for him. Old Mr.
Crothers, a gentle old lady. alternatel
dominated and petted by Julia, ha
assented to the plan with alacrity
But when she understood Julia's inter
lions she shook her head mournfully
HE thinks am Julia. mother.
nllcie whispered to her. Il don
know how to tell him."
The old lady fiared up for the mrs
time in many years. "If you ask me,
she said. tossing her head, Il thin
that Jim is we'll rid Of her"
Twill you tell him, mother? aske
Dulcie, eagerly.
mo, my dear. That Is for you.
said the old lady.
And then, resolved to end situatio
which had become unbearable, Dulci
ran up the stairs and into Jim's room
He was lying on the sofa, looking ou
of the window with his sightless eyei
do you know, dear, that hav
neither asked nor received kiss du
: ing the whole OF my illness?" aske
Jim patiently.
Dulcie blushed painfully.
Jim, there is something that
must tell YOU" she stammered. sea
Ing herself at his side.
as it something terrible?" he aske
gayly. TELL me, Julia. and let me sc
3 whether I find It as bad as you thin
g it is
"Oh, you don't understand" the gil
burst out "And yet l don't know ho
you can have been 80 bli-so unabl
to understand. I am not Julia. l al
Dulcie, and Julia-Julia-oh, Jim, no
can manage to tell you that she doe
3 not care for you any more. and ha
: not been near you since the secon
a day Of your illness? Oh. Jim, sh
2 doesn't care for you and never d.
care, and 1t is hard to have to te
= you, and-and-"
And Dulcie broke into a storm I
: passionate tears.
Jim's hand fell lightly upon her ow
81 knew 1t was you, Dulcie," he sal
softly.
t Dulcie raised her tear-stained fat
+ tncredulously.
you see, dear, you only deceive
me for a few hours" he said. "Ye
see, Dulcie, love opens ones ears. ar
I have come to realize that 1t Is 20
and not Julia, and I have dared
hope"
He drew her toward him.
ITO hope that you might learn