Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-11-15
The Better
Part
By MuRiEL LEE
ldSbsflsst. I'D, WssteTn Nswspsper tnlJs

There are the securities. Mr.. Paine:
wish to sell them quickly and for
cash."
ut will have to be at something Of
a sacrifice" submitted Gregory Paine,
lawyer
II do not care for trifiing loss. l
wish to dispose Of all that have. !
am going to leave Wareham for good"
Benevolent old Gregory Paine view
ed his client with mingled curiosity
and regret. Man and boy, he and bis
father had been advisers and agents
for the Tresham family for we'll nigh
onto fifty years. More latterly the es-
tate had dwindled and the Income Of
Miss Gloria Tresham had been In a
measure sparse, but he septimentally
cherished these old family connec-
tons.
II can speak with you confidential
ly," went on Miss Tresham, her eyes
lowered, a slight flush Oh her face,
clear and beautiful at thirty, and none
Of her girlish grace and stateliness
gone. You remember Wallace Blairf"
Surely" nodded Lawyer Paine, and
memory went back speedily to trace a
connection for the present unexpected
allusion.
HE was the one romance In my
life" went on Miss Tresham steadily.
1--WE were never engaged, but we were
close, very close friends. 1t may have
been my aloofness, It may have been
sense Of duty. circumstances. what you
will, but he married another. / have
never ceased to respect him. An In
valid wife, he devoted his life to her.
An aged, dependent mother and three
little children, his soul was bound up
in them. he invested all he had in
Mexico. He took bis wife thither
hoping to mend her health. Poor soul !
she soon died, and six months ago, In
protecting his property from raiders,
he was killed"
"A sad, sad story" murmured Mr..
Paine. "And the little onesT'
HE left them at Northcote in charge
of his mother. When his remittances
ceased l understand they faced the
direst poverty, even suffering. Four
lives against my selfish, useless own
Mr.. Paine, 1 am going to cast In my
lot with those poor waits and give to
them the best that Is In me-"
you are noble woman was oil
Gregory Paine said, and tone and face
evidenced how sincerely he spoke.
1t was two weeks later that Gloria
Tresham uprooted the calm, peaceful
home life Of twenty years to go forth
to meet the duty she had voluntarily
assumed. She had sent no word to her
prospective pensioners. She visited
Northcote quietly, made n few lnquir-
les and realized that she was bringing
aid to the forlOrn and needy just In
time. The weather was bleak. AS
Gloria approached the house where
old Mrs Blair and her little group Of
dependents lived she discovered that
they were hived into one room. A girl
Of eight was gathering chips In the
yard to keep alive the kitchen fire.
Bending over the stove, preparing a
meal Of cereal only, was the aged
mother of Wallace Blair. The SILVER
ing, ragged little tots stood timidly
aside rs the unexpected visitor en-
tered
"This is Mrs. BlairT' spoke Gloria,
in her sweet, reassuring vice. 81 am
Gloria Tresham."
II knOw-I know" she faltered.
"He told me Of you often. He is gone
and We are alone. You have come"
ITO stay. l have come" went on
Gloria, ito be to you a daughter, II
YOU will so have me, mother to these
little orphans. If you know, as you
say, have not the right?'
HE was true man." murmured
the aged woman softly. HE was 10y
al, tender, true to poor Marion, but his
heart had never strayed from you. You
mean you will share our poor lives2'
"TheS shall be poor no longer" said
Gloria. "Only give me welcome
and love. My soul is craving for it,
and l will bless heaven for the priv
ilege of taking up his duties where
Wallace Blair laid them down."
1t was beautiful summer evening
six months after an angel of mercy
olate no longer. Thrift, comfort, pros.
perity seemed to shine from the pref
tlly painted cottage. In the garden
three well-dressed, happy.faced tots
were browning grandma" with
wreath of daisies.
"Some one is coming" spoke Esther,
the eldest Of the children, and all eyes
were directed towards the rustic gate
way through which n man leaning on
crutch had just passed, A sharp.
quick cry issued from the lips Of Clio
ria Tresham. She felt her senses de-
sorting her. In form and substance,
no wrath, but flesh and blood, slowly,
staring unsteadily, bewlldered, this
was the dead alive-Wallace Blair
He sank to sea-, the semblance of
man just recovering from some Sc
we're Illness. The picture framed
seemed to drift his soul into elysium.
He closed his eyes and swayed as with
wild, ringing cry, his mother tot
tered towards him.
She wept over him, fond, caresslng,
as he related terrible experience Of
his Mexican solitude, of fighting to the
last ditch to succeed in saving his lit
tie fortune, and then, as his mother
told of Gloria. trembling, Wallace
Blair moved towards her with out
stretched arms and those two stood.
hands Clasped, knowing that there was
-. L.. T.. \,