Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-07-25
Life S FuIlness
.
By VICTOR REDCLIFFE

Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.l
the marriage of Wynne Peyton to Nell
lie Price, yet for the most part she
was sweetly content. He was a man
any might respect and esteem.
There had been no love making and
his choice of Nellie had come about
through impulse. Peyton was engaged
In business in a good way. He had in
his employ a man who had been book
keeper way back to the time his IA
Their had started the business. John
Price died, leaving a motherless daugh-
ter. Peyton exerted himself to pay all
1ue respect to the memory of this faith
full old business servant. This had
brought him in close contact with the
borrowing daughter. Peyton felt it a
duty to make some provision for the
lonely orphan. He asked her to be-
come his wife. There was a spirit OF
patience and gen~tleness about the
Young girl that won his admiration.
He had no time for love, he told him
self, but he surely needed someone
to make a home for himself and those
dependent upon him. Nellie fitted into
the situation completely, to his way
of thinking. She fluttered, and her
eyes wore a -Aeseeching expression as
Peyton told her of his wish to marry
her. The man did not read in the
same the earnest longing of an untrain-
ed heart for love, and tenderness, and
appreciation. She was lonely, she was
glad to be offered a home, but, more
than that, she craved for affection.
81 will give you everything that
ought to make a woman happy" Pey-
ton told her. "There is my mother,
old and failing, and the two little
orphan children of my sister. Would
you feel it too burdensome to become
mistress of my home and look after
these helpless ones?"
you honor me greatly" replied Mel
lie, "but am l worthy Of, or equal to
the occasion? You were a good friend
to my father, Mr.. Peyton; you have
done everything possible for me to soft
en- the blow of his death. Who would
not feel bound TO you and to your in
terests after thatT'
'Then you are willing to cast your
lot in with mine?" asked Peyton plain
~.
Eyes, Mr.. Peyton," and Nellie be-
came the mistress of the old family
home. 1t was trying at the first, for
old Mrs. Peyton was loath to give up
70 old ooo an1 foah1anace Tho chill.
dren, too, at first resented the guild
ance of a stranger. A month after
they were married Peytnn came home
one evening with news that troubled
Nellie greatly. His firm had a branch
in Brazil its manager had peculated
and absconded and had left the bust
ness in a complicated condition. Some
n must go and straighten out af-
fairs, or the entire investment would
be lost.
81 have decided that the Brazil end
of our business needs me more than
this end" he told her, land I shall
leave tomorrow night"
81 hope it will not be a long alb
sence," said Nellie, and his heart
warmed at the manifest sincerity of
her words.
81 fear so,' he replied-'at least a
year. 1 shall leave you amply provid,
ed for and I want you to sustain no
onerous duties. If the are of moth
er and the children becomes too strenI
uous, promise me that you will make
some arrangements to tighten the
burden"
"Your mother, the children" cried
Nellie, her true eyes b~etokening the
genuineness Of her emotion. "Why,
they have become half of life to me!
I really think they are beginning to
love me as 1 do them. And the other
half is-you,' and he quivered as her
hand rested upon his own and he
realized the sterling w%orthiness of the
woman he had welded lovelessly.
At the end of a year Peyton was still
at the reSnote coffee plantation, the af-
fairs of which he was whipping back
into shape. Every week there reached
him a letter from Nellie. Its tone was
wifely and affectionate, but mainly de-
Iallll2 lnlOEIldllOu llIdl TIC dS a JUST
ness man would appreciate. Once a
month he replied. Many a time, when
half i'll from climatic conditions and
worn out with overwork, at the thought
of home and comfort he was half mind
ed to cast business and gain to the
winds. He was buoyed up, however,
by photographs Nellie sent him of his
mother and the children, happy faced
and healthy, and by a letter from his
mother telling of the treasure of the
household, Nellie, who seemed to pos
sess a magic for making everybody
c%ontented.
At the end of two years he left the
plantation like a man released from
a prison. He would surprise the folks,
and he reached home at dusk TO find
his mother alone. She greeted him
with joy, almost Immediately begin
ming to extol the angel in the house