The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-08-09
TARDY BUT TRUE ;.
&9.h - ssi
BY ELSIE SEE.
BY ELSIE SEE.

1t was well known in Plainville that
Madge Ingram, who five years ago had
refused to wed Jim Butler, the mer-
chant prince of the town, was now get
ting good salary as private secretary
to a city lawyer. 1t was equally well
known that the merchants young wife
of year kept servant and an auto
mobile and had charge accounts at
the city department stores. Every time
Madge came home for q vacation,
Plainville weighed the respective mer-
its of her independence and the mer-
chants wife's affluence, but the
shrewdest of the gossips did not sus-
pect that a memory antedating her
affair with Jim Butler meant more to
Madge than anything that had come
into her life
One summer morning Madge alight-
ed from the six O'Clock train for her
vacation without having told of her
coming, as she preferred TO surprise
her parents by appearing unannounced
for breakfast.
whats doing today, mother? Is
there a picnic?" asked Madge, after
breakfast.
"Now, how did you guess that?"
II saw Tom Jordan hauling some
giant ice cream freezers and lot of
fruit up to the Maplewood pasture
and oh l saw q distinguished-look
man in gray tweed over near the hotel.
He looked like q man of affairs above
/ and hnJ-ona MI
THAT must have been Tom Whit
low. He's here for a visit, and he
| dresses like that and is staying at
| the hotel"
tom Whitlow, who used to"
Madge hesitated, and her mother con-
| tinued:
| used to drive Buffers delivery
wagon. But they say he's made some
| thing of himself. He is manager of
some mines out West somewhere"
That afternoon Madge went with
her parents to the picnic, and. al
though she felt a certain pleasure in
greeting her old friends, she soon be-
| gan to feel keenly that she was no
| longer in sympathy with their lives or
! they with hers.
As she walked around q thick clump
| of haZelnut bushes and sumacs a tall
man in blue serge. who had been sit
ting on the grass with his broad Shout
ders against a tree. rose and removed
his hat in respectful, but embarrassed
greeting.
II hope I haven't startled you" he
said, land may hope, also, that you
would care to remember Tom Whit
| low?"
mot at all, blurted Madge. Then,
IN embarrassment, she fastened to
add: THAT is, you didn't startle me,
and I'm glad to meet you again. But
are you sure you know who l am?"
you? Why. you're Nudge Ingram
Pardon me-NIiss Ingram"
''NO-let's be Madge and Tom be-
fore we begin to be formal said she
extending her hand. "You used to
help me with my lessons. but you
wouldn't talk TO me. Won't you make
up for lost time now by telling me OF
the interesting things you've been do,
ing?"
MAY I not tell you what I wanted
to tell you years ago, but hadn't the
cOurage? His gray eyes were eager
and his strong hand still held hers
MAY I not tell you that 1t was you
: who first aroused in me d desire to dc
things? Some of the girls at schoo
made mouths because they had tC
-ts hoo ID t., n1o I,,A
er did. Those girls. later, looked over
my head when they saw me driving q
delivery wagon, but you spoke to me
even then. And may tell you that
J went away determined to achieve
, something that would make me worthy
} of even more than your friendly greet
ings? l worked away for a year, ant
then l heard you were going to MARI!
J Jim Butler"
He turned away and dropped he
? hand.
Il never opened another issue o
: the little old Plainvllle paper for fea
\ I'd find the account of your wedding
n l worked my way through the stat,
: university and into mining engineer
ing. For years my work has absorbed
o me. and I've known nothing of wha
3 went on at Plainville, but last weel
Z in q railroad restaurant out West
2 happened to hear news of you.
0 overheard one woman tourist speaking
. to another as they sat at dinner. :
! begged Madge Ingram to make thi
? trip with me- she said, but sh
n thought she must go to Plainville. ant
: told her she'd as well have married
i that merchant after all, but she say
0 there's lot of difference between &C
o Ing for vacation and lifetime"
u THAT must have been Elsie War
. rem" exclaimed Madge, land what
: coincidence that you should hay
x heard her say that Just as you wer
Is, starting to Plainyille -
) ''But l wasn't starting until I hear
5 that! 1t was knowing you were fire.
6 that brought me here! 1t is becaus
3 I've loved you ever since we were chi
u dren that I've tried to make mySp1