Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-11-28
Told in
Silence
~0
BY OTILLIA F. PFEIFFER

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Copyright. 1913. by tho Western N.r..
paper Union.)
They say it is fine picture. Flor
ence. Won't you take the children and
so?"
Il don't care much for the movies.
ktta, but l suppose the little ones will
De Pleased answered Florence Trude.
resignedly.
There was no affectation in words or
manner. Florence looked and acted
ineNprcssibly wearied and dull, She
was visiting with relatives and her
cousin, Mrs. wilson, married and hav-
ing three children, had been disap-
pointed from the first in interesting
her guest In any enlivening pleasure.
She could scarcely connect the sad
eyed Florence OF the present with the
lively. intensely human Florence Of
their ,schooldays. She realized, of
/; course, that there must be a cause for
the startling change. but Florence had
not seen tit to confide in her and she
had not penetrated the cold calm that
was ever present with her relative und
guest
Pictures! Alone by herself, Flor
ence's lips tremOred and her eyes ac-
quired pathetic, far.awny expression
Alas! there was one picture framed
ever In her mind. involving the tragedy
or slain love. trust and hope A glen
, Sllvered ny the white m0onlight-her
trystinS place with tie only man she
had ever loved, ever would love: her
joyful heartbeats as he advanced, and
then MS sudden conformation by a
woman young and beautiful like her.
SELF. That flnshing-eyed beauty had ac-
costed Elden Ware Familiarity. For a
moment he seemed daZed-almost
Stunned-the woman came still nearer
ana threw her arms about his neck.
He did not repel her. She kissed him
fondly. and then slowly, arm In arm.
those two disappeared amid the mists
/; and shadows of the glen and appar-
emily out of the broken life Of Florence
Trude.
She had crept home n blighted soul,
incapable OF even thought beyond the
| fact that the man with whom she had
| plighted trOth was base deceiver.
Circumstances Immediately ensuing
seemed to enforce this fact. Florence
heard; next day that Ware had left the
town'Dn night train with her appar-
ent rival in his affections. "A week went
by. Ware did not return and when q
letter, mailed from the city, arrived,
Florence placed 1t unopened in another
! envelope and returned it to his ad-
dress with the words written across it {:
Il hope never to see you again."
! Then it was Il long battle against
heart break and threatened illness.
Ware had come to her home, but the
| servants had strict orders to refuse
! him admittance. Other letters had
come. Florence returned the first I'M
opened and burned the rest without
seeking to know their contents. What
! could the same be but some specious
explanation Of his base treachery?
Florence had heard incidentally that
Eldon Ware was leading u lonely, I'M
eventful life ut the home Of married
sister. He was reputed to have been
left quite fortune and engaged in no
; special business activity. There'seemed
to be no attachment or complication in
his life. but the memory of that meet
ing with another woman than herself,
their brazen-faced departure together,
; was. source of bitterness and re-
proach that Florence could not dismiss
from her mind or forgive.
Florence accompanied the three chill
dren to the moving picture tfeater,
noting only casually that the theme Of
the scenic presentation was Mis-
Judged She anticipated the usual
plotful drama and had no interest in
its development. When, however the
! story Of the play began to unfold Il
strange insistcnt attraction to its de-
| tails began. From casual notice to
! strict attention, and then to absorbing
! interest, Florence followed the first
film of the photoplay and sat consumed
with wonderment.
No character on the screen rescm-
! blcd herself or Eldon Ware. yet the
! prologue was nothing more nor less
than prototype presentation of the
! first few months Of her cn.ag cement to
| Ware. SO faithfully were their incl
! dents depicted that Florence could
scarcely believe that she saw Alright.
| There came perfect reproduction OF
that memory scene where Eld0n Ware
and his mysterious woman companion
passed out Of sight.
And there the story explained that
devastating event. 1t seemed that the
! lover Of the picture had a cousin who
resembled him greatly. This cousin
had paid some attention to q girl who
turned out at heart to be frivolous
adventures and who finally went in
sane and was sent to an asylum. That
night Of the glen scene she came upon