Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1916-08-01

dearest hope that you will consent to
be my wife"
She did not answer at once and her
reply was not direct when it came.
Il would like to tell you a story,
Judge Norton" she said.
ct commenced a good many years
ago, this story of a man and a woman
ran its way through friendship and
ended, as is usual in such cases, with
one Of them becoming somewhat more
than a friend The man, it was. When
he was serious, she laughed. Not IN
ridicule, but because, although she
cared in a way, it was not enough to
make marriage desirable. The man
went away, but their correspondence
did not take the place of his COM
partnership and each time he returned
she felt she had grown a little nearer
to him, but could not bring herself to
let him see what she knew he wished
to know, although he said little.
THE odd part of the story, your
honor, is, the young woman never
thought the man might change. At
first she was sorry this was so, but
as her home life, always difficult, now
became intolerable, she turned to him,
never doubling an immediate re-
spouse. Made desperate by condt
lions she could not bear, she asked
him to come to her.
1T was heart letter, but 1t brought
no reply. Many weeks later, she re-
ceived two or three lines. They told
her he was on his way east.
She watched for him, but the days
passed without further word. Then
line came to her from his old home.
He had passed her by, the first time in
all the years Of their friendship, and
she was in trouble. Yet so dulled was
she by Indebtedness that even then
she did not doubt him.
Their last evening together was a
nightmare for her 10 remember. Her
GOODNESS had chilled him, else he
would have spoken. OF this she Vas
sure. She must tell him plainly she
cared. Then she committed the folly
of her life. She wrote to him. Not
one letter, but several. They were
all love letters. That much she knows.
What she said, she has mercifully for
gotten. Then one day came a letter
from Rome.
"She laughed when she read it.
What has come over tlre man. she
asked herself. When realization came
to her she was numbed, frozen by
what she had done. The thought that
she had told him she cared bit so
deeply into her pride there had to be
a reaction.
AS a Judge, you, yourself have
been called upon to decide nice ques-
lions, questions where the distinctions
are subtle. Was the woman in the
wrong? She thinks not. But she
can glimpse the mans amazement as
he read those letters; his feelings,
that even If his actions were conirmas
tory until those last days, she had no
right to attach importance to them
until he had said the words that
would support them.
He has come back and now asks
in plain words what he asked many
years ago when they were young to-
gether-what he asked by implication
year after year. She is no longer
young. She is alone. Her support
comes from her own efforts and some
times she grows very tired. His Of
fer means wealth, leisure. Her love
for him is dead But she feels warm
friendliness. VIII friendliness and
companionship take the place OF that
other feeling now that she is past
youth? Does he really care. or is his
desire for her merely a pang OF con-
science that he should have SO hurt
herr"
Long before she had finished Judge
Norton had left his place before the
fire and was walking slowly back and
forth the length of the room. AS her
voice ceased he stepped before her.
Il show up pretty badly, Eleanor.
did not know how badly, but | will be
for your friendship and COM
II you viii give them to
me. have been a very lonely man
since sent you that letter from Rome,
win you go back there with me?"
Yes, whenever you wish"
(Copyrighr. 1915, BY the Mcclure Newspa,
Der syndicass.l