South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-17

They were not a very romantic
pair. She was tall and thin and
shriveled. with pale blue eyes and
struggling gray hair while he had
the biggest. cheeriest. deep-brown
eyes and most irresistible smile that
ever a dirty little scamp OF a news
boy could have had Every even
ing, the unconscious appeal OF his
pale and slightly sunken cheeks
would be engulfed in his radiant
smile, and the answering CLEAN that
yearnsd in the eyes OF the woman
was all the sweeter because IL came
lines upon that worn and dried-up
countenance instead OF following
the old.
She did not live all alone in the
world: IL was worse than that. She
lived with her widowed sister, that
little sister whom she had so loved
in her youth. The little Matte who
had left her mother and her be-
loved Jane TO join her husband in
Iowa-the little Matte who had re-
turned, after many years, bereft
and desolate, to an equally miser-
able and motherless Jane.
1t had seemed so wonderful, at
first. 10 both, that they should have
each other. but when they were f.
nally reunited, they discovered that
a great change had taken place.
Each hid her grief in different way
Matilda, busying herself with tri-
fles, and Jane, closing more into
herself. 1t was not that Matilda
was entirely superficial. but that the
deeper side Of her nature shrank
before James coldness: and il was
not that Jane was entirely hard,
but that the softer side was out
weighed by her scorn for her sisters
apparent superficlality.
Why must a woman give up her
own personality entirely. just so as
TO be a filter mate for some selfish
and demanding husband ?" thought
Jane.
While Matilda sighed
How sad 10 see a woman's whole
existance absorbed in her work al
the office while her heart is grad
ually suffOcated.
So each endured a daily friction
and misunderstanding for the sake
OF that dearly loved sister who had
now ceased to be much more COM
pletely and heart-rendingly than If
she had merely died. And the only
softness in James life had come 10
be tie fresh, natural smile that
beamed upon her when she bought
her evening paper.
1t was not hard TO draw Jimmy
out. 1t was not hard TO learn all
about his fragile, over-worked
mother and the awfulness of his
drunken father. When she had dis
covered the bitterness Of his life,
Jane priced ali the more, that free.
unconscious gift of love and cheer
which still shone from the big.
brown eyes and lowered around the
laughing mouth He was too much
a man Of the world already. TO be
lleve that Miss Morton gave him
FIVE cents each evening for a two
cent paper because she disliked pen
ries hanging around, but he was
too little a man of the world TO take
II without some excuse. OF course,
he could not understand, but for
that very reason, he believed her
when she said.
You give me much more than a
paper, every evening. Jimmy. Can't
you make me happy and let me give
you a little something?"
Miss Morton" he said. one night
after the usual transaction had
taken place. What does 'unsul-
lied mean?"
why pure and free from stain
Jimmy. Where did you hear that -
MY mother said it to me-" he
replied "She said. last night that
she wondered how could ever
keep as 'unsullied and fresh If she
had TO leave me. l thought OF that
word afterwards because I was toe
scared then. when she said thai
about leaving me. 10 say anything
But do you think I'm fresh, Miss
Morton? I hate fresh kids"
"She meant a different kind OF
freshness, Jimmy dear. But tell me
was it your mother who taught you
TO speak good English ?"
Oh yes. Miss Morton. Father
speaks good English. too. but h'
wouldn't care whether I did or not