The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-07-09

- - nAA HAAeAAk NNAN ANW AHNNA ANN'Nt
an invalid acquires, ! used to watch
him through the window, as he sat
writing at his table lie meant TO be
an author, Madge told me, and, hav'
ing a little income Of his own, he
would not be driven 10 the expedient
Of writing trash for a livelihood He
hoped to do something big some day.
But. Jenny" she said, when are
you going to let me bring him up to
see YOU? You are always making eX'
cuses."
made another excuse; but after
she had gone realized the nature OF
my selfshuess. / was jealous OF
Madge,
Yes, that was II. | could not bear
that my lameness, my LONELINESS
should be contrasted with my sisters
! glorious Beauty. Nadge was prettier
than ever The boy next door spen,
q good deal of time in her company.
Sometimes they walked down the
street together ! fancied that people
would be talking about them; was
sure they We're going TO announce
their engagement soon.
And instead of being happy | vas
jealous and miserable. Perhaps the
morbid fancies Of a sick woman may
mitigate suCn a crime, But a tempta-
ton was stirring in my heart, and ii
was this: II Madge married the boy
at the window / would refuse to sell
the house and go to Vienna. I would
never allow her marriage with the
man loved to be the price Of my
physical redemption.
The man | loved, Yes, l did not
disguise il from myself any longer.
In my childhood days it was I who
had discovered the boy at the window.
1t was | who had shown him to Madge,
and he was mine by the right of pri.
ority, and by the right Of my love,
could love him even though wa
had never exchanged a word. For the
first time in my life | hated Madge. ]
passed through all the variations OF
emotion possible as / sat at the win
dow in my iBvalid's chair.
| think my mind had become a lit
tie distorted, for sometimes the vio'
lence Of my hate frightened me. ]
was helpless--I was SO helpless, and
all the while | had TO smile and pre-
tend to be happy l know Madge be-
gan to grow frightened; sometimes l
would see her eyes bent on mine in
the queerest way.
Jenny" she said to me one day, Il
am going to tell you a secret-not
now, but some time. l think" A
pause. She looked at me with that
happy smile that charmed everyone,
but now filled my heart with black
hatred and impotent r6gs. And l
smiled back, and felt like an assassin.
Il shall tell you" she said, when
you let me bring Harry to see you.
No. not then, but afterward,"
Harry! She had blurted out the
name involuntarily.
You need not trouble I whispered,
clenching my hands under the rug un-
til the physical pain was intolerable.
you need not tell me"
,Madge looked at me in pain. How
strange you are lately, Jenny she
said But l am going TO tell you.
When can / bring him."
The wild pain at my heart demand
ed respite Let me get the thing
over. Bring him at once! I cried.
Madge was gone and | was waiting
at the window in my invalid chair l
saw her cross the street. She went
freely into the house now. l watched
till they came out together His arm
was linked in hers, and they were
laughing. What a fool they had made
of me.
1t seemed an eternity before Madge
came into the room. She lauShed un-
comfortably, l thought
You knoS Harry fremont" she |.
said with embarrassment. He has
wanted so much to see you"
I'VE are old friends" said Harry,
taking my burning palm in his cool
hands
l don't know how the interview
came to an end. But it was ended at
last, and suddenly | could bear it no
more. Harry was gone and Madge
was kneeling at my side, and l was
crying in her arms, And l was blurt-
ing out all my secret story Of shame
and misery.
Why, Madge's face was like an an
gels as she raised it, and the tears in
her eyes made them shine with exalta-
ton greater than anything have ever
seen.
Jenny Did you think that?" she
why, you goose, it was
you all the time-always you. Harry
told me he loved you ever since ne
was a LITTLE boy and used to see you
at the window"
can walk like other people now,
and we still live in the old house
Harry and / and the little girl who has
been named after Madge. Madge
comes to see US often. She is happy
with her husband Sometimes a shade
Of jealousy touches my heart to see
them together, for l learned to be
very jealous of love in those days Of
Sickness. But then l think Of Madge's
face that day, and know that no 9TH
er love can ever dim hers and mine.
Copyright. 1915, by w. G. Chapman)
only Two Kinds of Men.
1.