Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-02-09

GUS every n.y.. LutJ . uASP0cAtAOA
became more and more a necessity
with me as time went on and care In
creased with me. The day came when
l felt it essential to have her with me
all the while, and | married her. She
was by no means loath TO accept me,
and l was very happy with her. But
| missed that stimulating influence l
had drawn from Margaret. When |
was simply tired l got from my wife
what l wanted; when l wished fer
some one to consult, to thrash out
plans by talking them over, she failed
me. She would talk with me about
them, but her suggestions did not tend
to put me on the right track or draw
me off a wrong one.
On this account l gradually refrained
from consulting her about my affairs.
Whether or not she noticed the change,
she never took me to task for it. |
rather fancied that such matters bored
her. After my marriage my old friend
Margaret became quite chummy with
my wife. l think Margaret found In
her that which acted as a sedative
with me, a faculty for driving dull
care away. Margaret was a frequent
visitor at our house, and at times when
she was with US and | needed ONE
one with whom to thrash out a knotty
question / would do so with our guest.
l think that Lucy realized that Mar
garet was a help to me in this way. At
any rate, when she heard US talking
We som matter of importance to me
she had the good sense to leave us to-
gether without interruption. And l
doubt if she was ever jealous. Indeed,
| had strong proof that she was not
as | am about to relate.
Lucy was delicate from a girl. When
We had been married ten years a wan
of vitality set in, and after many trips
and a 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 a matter of
Importance on which she wished to
speak to me. l ~assented, and she said:
Frank, why did you not marry Mar
garet Stanford instead of me?"
Because l loved you and did not
love her"
"Why was that?'
"Because-well, because you appeal
ed to me as she did not"
"HowT"
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 a better helpmeet for you than L.
l confess l was astonished TO hear
my wife tell me this. l was impressed
with her nobility in thus putting an
other woman above herself. l took
her in my arms, but gave no verbal
expression of my reverence for her.
when 1 am gone,' she said, Il want
you to correct this mistake. / want
you to marry Margaret"
"Oh, Lucyf was All / copm~xy.-
II always believed that you needed
a stronger than /, both phys
ically and mentally. but l 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"
l told her that l had no reason to
suppose that Margaret would mar
ry me.
"She has always loved you," said
my wife.
How, then, is it." l said astonished,
that you have permitted me to see so
much of herr"
Because l knew you loved me and
that she would never try to take you
away from me-"
My wife died, and in time l married
Margaret. l was but thirty-three years
old and had the prospect of as much
again of life as | had already lived.
Contrary to my expectation, l 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 a 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, l came
upon a valentine. AS l continued to
look at it | became impressed with
the fact hat it was my first valentine,
the one that had affected me SO deep
ly. l had treasured it as a boy, but
when l grew older had forgotten it.
Here is something" | said, showing
it to my wife. that gave me a sensa-
ton which can never be repeated. The
image l conjgred 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.
l smiled and said l did not remem-
how. a. bo1 fodoJ fuvOpfu vaarc n OnOa