The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-02-20

Lucy was delicate from girl When
we had been married ten years want
Of vitality set IN, and after many trips
and surfeit Of medicine made up
my mind that her health could not be
restored. From this time on she sank
gradually. Shortly before her death
she told me that she had not long to
live and that there was matter Of
Importance on which she wished to
speak to me. Iassented, and she said:
Frank, why did you not marry Mar
garet Stanford instead Of met"
Because l loved you and did not
love her"
"Why was thatq'
Because well, because you appeal
ed to me as she did not
"Howp
well your sentiment fitted In with
mine. Margaret is not an especially
sentimental woman"
I'm not SO sure Of that. You made
a mistake, Frank. You should have
married Margaret. She would have
been better helpmeet for you than L
l confess was astonished to hear
my wife tell me this. was impressed
with her nobility in thus putting an
other woman above herself. / took
her in my arms, but gave no verbal
expression of my reverence for her.
when am gone" she said. 81 want
You to correct this mistake. | want
you to marry Margaret"
"Oh, Lucy!v was all could say
II always believed that you needed
a stronger woman than | both phys
ically and mentally, but / could not
give you up. Now that | must give
you up you must let me choose a COM
panion for you for what remains of
your life"
told her that / had no reason to
suppose that Margaret would mar
ry me.
"she has always loved you" said
my wife,
How, then, is it, said astonished,
that you have permitted me to see SO
much Of herT'
Because knew you loved me and
that she would never try to take you
away from me-
My wife died, and In time I married
Margaret. was but thirty-three years
old and had the prospect Of as much
again of life as had already lived.
Contrary to my expectation, did not
miss the sentiment that had thought
she lacked so much as expected. AS
time wore on / found her companion
ship very satisfying, and from the
time of our marriage our joint judg-
ment guided our affairs
One day Margaret said to me that
she had, according to my wishes, been
getting rid of lot Of Accommodations
Of letters and papers that pertained to
the past and were now only an en-
cumbrance She had brought down
some of these to show me before burn
ing them. Looking them over. came
upon valentine AS / continued to
look at 1t became impressed with
the fact that it was my first valentine,
the one that had affected me SO deep
". had treasured it as boy, but
when grew older had forgotten it
Here is something" said, showing
1t to my wife, that gave me sensa-
tion which can never be repeated. The
image | conjured up Of the child who
sent it to me remained with me when
had outgrown the valentine age"
what was your imaginary sweet
heart like?" asked Margaret
smiled and said ! did not remem-
Der; 1t had faded twenty years agone.
"Was it anything like mel' she ask
ed, looking at me with quizzical ex-
preston.
your oh, dear, no! 1t was child.
a fairylike little thing. with blue eyes
and golden hair
More like Lucy7''
Come said, putting the valentine
away. "Let us not bring up the past"
Turning from the valentine to Mar
garet, / noticed curious expression
on her face
'sWhy did you ask thatg'' said.
Because was the fairylike child
who sent it to you"
stood looking at her in bewildered
condition Of mind for some time with
out speaking. Was she in earnest?
Something In her expression told me
that she was. folded her in my arms.
There were no words to express my
feelings.