Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-05-15
SUGGESTIONS CDRENS CORNER
The Daily Story
Her Sandalwood Box

After he asked you to marry him."
said wilmot grimly 81 know
Elizabeth faltered little. III you
would rather not"
'Tf YOU would rather not?' said the
man; so they road on.
There was no heading to the boyish
scrawl-no date. and the paper was yell
low with much handlingJ
How did We do It. Little Grl?-Tm
lord o the earth tonight Is 1t only five
| hours since I left YOU? I'd swear II
was FIVE centuries. I'm In my room.
working. but at what I don't know. Your
| faces comes between me and the white
| paper-between me and the foolish,
| pounding keys-between me and all the
! world else. All. Dearly Beloved, your
eyes when I kissed YOU! And the mad
| denng TIT Of your chin Pen and inks
| but a poor thing, after all. ! write down
| words that mean the world and all-and
| they come ont black, busEish things on
| shiny white sheet I'd like to write to
| you in forked lightning on q giant rose
| leaf. Goodnight my piece o the world"
what was his work?' asked Wilmot
with husky irreverence.
Stories and verses-hc wrote Eliza
beth laid the letter gently on the Goals
and drew ont the next
There are not many" she explained
"Tt was only q month-and we've saw
each other so cften-and kept only the
letters from that one month"
wllmot nodded In silence.
You are the funniest child said the
next letter. when I think OF the way
I love yOu-it seems absurd one ought
to give YOU doll or n picture book.
Well. I have given YOU my life for the
one and my heart for tho o;hor. Haven't
I? I'm not LAUGHING, Littiest-at least.
I'm only laughing that YOU may not know
F,,I ,,,,I1 Ha, nav
heartstrings I got a check this morning
for story I'd almost forgotten about.
That's why I'm sending yUu Il rose. It's
the first thing I've bought with the
money. I'm working hard on the play.
It's going to be a great thing some day
and you-nu, | mean WE-are going to
he proud of it. We'll go to the theatre
tonight. 1ittlest, and burn up some of the
new check"
"How old were you them" asked VIII
mot
II was 49," Elizabeth answered. dream
lly. I'm % now, you know
The letter burned slowly and they read
the next in silence.
Sweetest" 1t said "fve been i'll the
last two days. or I'd have seen you. I've
been seeing you anyhow in the shadows
Of the room and the window curtains, and
a lot of other silly places. I was out of
my head. they tell me. Feel sort OF crazy
writing a mere scrawl THAT big blot Is
where [ dropped my head just now. be-
cause I was too tired to hold 1t up any
longer. | must get back to the play to-
morrow-loslnE too much time. Lord
how my head aChes!-Oh, Littlest Girl
I want you"
"He was only boy" said Elizabeth,
Just year older than l."
GO on" said Wimot tensely
Elizabeth turned over the next letter
and n withered rose fell into her lap from
the enfoldng leaf OF a torn program.
planned, touching the flower with gentle
fingers, land I wore the rose on my
gown. 1t was red"
you like the rcd roses best" said Will
mot jealously. Was 1t always so. or
did you begin then?'
II suppose 1t was then" she admit |
ted gently. He always sent them to
me-"
Wlmot started up suddenly. "I can't |
stand much more of this" he said. "Dld
you ever care for me at all?"
Don't be angry" Elizabeth laid
hand on his arm and drew him back. |
There isn't much more, and-l think II |
I didn't love YOU l couldn't show the let |
ters to you at all. Wait till the end-you |
will understand,
She laid the dead rose on the fire with |
the torn program. The next was only a |
Flowers he sent me-" Elizabeth said |
because he wanted to come that night. |
And this" She glanced over half sheet |
of rough paper, closely covered-"he |
wrote to thank me for a book I sent |
him" She looked up at Wimot. His |
eyes were dark and inscrutable, but he |
was white to the lips, and she hurried on. |
There's only one more to read-these
are just cards that came with flowers or
books
She laid them on the fire and smoothed
out the paper that had lain clenched in
her hand so long.
''Is that the last?" asked Wilmot with
dry lips. She nodded. and he bent to
read IL.
"You are right" it said, quite right
to break with me- There are a thousand
reasons why you should and the one
reason why you shouldnt-my love-is
very worthless reason; I don't blame
you for not considering 1t. I knew It |
must be a mistake-you were not for me.
You always gave me your cheek to kiss
and | didn't want your cheek"
"You see," Elizabeth whispered with |
little catch in her voice.
You never really cared for me- Lit
tlest-as you will care some day for the !
man who is to come to you. He need |
not be jealous of me, sweet. when he |
does come Your love for me was a |
child's love that he will not want, and |
that you will not give him. have had !
my divine day. and 1t is over. But no |
matter who cOmes-in spite OF the man |
who is to win where have lost-you will |
rsmember-I claim that, Littlest, for my |
Tlght-you will remember when you love |
him that taught you how 1 should not |
write so perhaps, but there are times |
when a man must speak what he knows. |
Keep the few things / have given you |
don't send them back to me. Put them |
in the sandalwood box and shut their |
memories in with them. l shall keep |
your letters-God knows they're few and |
cold enough.
"oh. Littlest Girl I'd never let you |
go in this world-lf-"
Elizabeth's hand slipped softly into |
Wllmots. where IL rested on the arm OF |
her chair, They sat In silence while the |
last letter hared up, then sank and |
crumbled.
81 think" at last she said, softly. that |
he was right. You need not be jealous |
Of him / was a child then. | am another |
self now. When you came in, had been |
reading his letters and somehow In the |
dusk and quiet / had slipped out OF my |
self back into the little girl he used to
"A, ftaII nF n Of