Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-06-08
over Of.
Sympathy
BY ESTHER V.AND1VEER

broke out Ralph and Edgaa Townsend.
brothers. enlisted in the same resi-
Ment Of sh.lrpshooters and were as
signed to the same company. One day
they We're out OH the PICKET lille snip.
lug for tile Si.aniul.iS. Their posi-
ton was behind Il stone wall. lis con
tinuity broken here and there Ralph
| Was on one side of Il gap. While Ed
gar Was Oil the otler side. the opening
between them bv ill.,, ei-h or ten yu.,ls
Edgar concluded 10 make Il dash 70
Join his brother lie had passed safe.
" over all but couple of yards OF the
distance when Ralph saw Il Spanish
| sharpshnoter taking attn at his brother.
Ralph had just elapt,d his piece or
he would have shot the Slaniard. AZ
1t was, lie spran4 between him and
Edgar and received II Shot Which.
grazing the spine. paralyzcd his lower
limbs. He was discharged from Tile
service and sent home. where lie sub,
mitted To un operation that partly re
stored his locomotive powers. hut he
WAS in measure crippled for life
AS soon as the war WIS over Edgar
Townsend rejoined his brother. resulv-
Ing to devote the rest of his life to
him. Ralph WAS twenty years old,
Edgar twenty-two. Ralph Mould not
admit that he was crippled and MIS-
! very sensitive at the mention OF his
being so. AS for Edgar Mli.ins any
change whatever in his life's plans on
\. -
| nor did Ralph seem To realize that lie
had sacrificed himself for his brother
He considered What lie had done SIM
ply In the line of his duty as IA sol
der. Edgar. on the contrary. WAS ian
| pressed with the idea that his bro;le
had taken Il burden which lie should
| have borne himself.
\ Nevertheless as soon rs EDGAR SAW
| that Ralph was avclse tn such IN in
| depreciation of the status between
them, he refraineu from ii.iy mention
| of it, and wherever ii WAS Possible tu
| conceal lly sacrifice he made for his
brother he did So. He soon came to
| studying Kalph's Wishes and wherever
| they contiicted With his own. nalt. pre-
tense that what Ralph wanted wns dis
4 tasteful to hinI
Then came Edith Payne INTO the
1 lives Of the brothers. she waS sympa-
thetic with Ralph, but her heart went
out to Edgar. The one she loved us
I one who needed her. the other she.
loved us one she needed Ed:,ilr. mott,
| ing that his brother was daily grow,
| Ing more dependent on her, refrained
from paying her amy marked atteii-
ton
As time Went on Edgar perceived
that Edith WAS growing to he Il neces-
sity TO Ralph. Moreover. he noticed
| that while Edith was devoted to Ralph,
there We're indications that her heart
was setting toward himself. One day
when he and Edith We're speaking of
Ralph Edgar said to her.
II feel it my duty to say to you,
Edith. that have seen what perhaps
has passed unnuticed 10y You Ralph
loves you"
The girl paled. and she had cause to
pale. She loved Edgar and She knew
that while his brother held this view,
| Edgar was lost To her. He would new.
er stand between his brother ANA her.
81 hope she Said presently. that
you are mistaken"
And | hope" said !sd.snr. "if yeu
think you cannot respond, l!iat you are
mistaken. Our attentions 10 those de
pendent upon us often draw MS To them
with far greater force than We realize
Edith sighed. She knew that the
persuade her to give herself To the man
she only pitied. But she said NOTHING
more. She knew what Edgar would
have her do She did not know hi.
feelings toward her. but She snrmispd
that he had no desire to possess hei
himself Even if he had he would
give her up to his brother
Soon after this brief Dialogue Edear
went away for time. leaving iEdl;l
and Ralph together before his dc
parture he said To Edith 81 hope "'het
return to ind that Non have let.idtt
to make Ralph happy
1t was thus that Edith WIS led fG
|
she loved by giving herself To the ilG,i
she did NJ. love She ,unSicIrred wlGt,
he had said To her command. and
she would not disobey When Edgal
returned she told him that She and
Ralph We're engaged.
She looked Edgar in the eye wIe,
she made the announcement. hoping /,
!
him he concealed 1t so well that she
WAS deceived From that line She
gave herself up more and more Il
Ralph's companionship. and when thr
wedding day came Went with him IL
the altar a martyr.
Then Edgar. feeling that his brotlle,
NO longer needed him as before. spent
much OF his time away from him
Some said he did not dare trust him
self near his brothers wife.
AS the years sped on Ralph Town
send grew more and more helpless. hi.
wife more and more devoted to him
Ten wears after his marriage he died
Those who knew of the sacrifice thai
had been made supposed that Edit
and Edgar would quickly come togcth
er. They have been disappointed
Four years after Edith became n wild
ow she and Edgar had not married. II
is said that she illustrates Edgar.
words to her years before. ''Our atten
tons to those dependent upon us Otter
draw us to them with far greater fore,
than we realize"
Edgar is still bachelor.