The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-10
gle Mask of
Blindness
e@E0
BY GERALD THORNE
Copyright. 1919. by. the Western Nsws-
paper Cnion.)

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(c0pyright. 1919. by the Western Nsws.
paper Cnion.)
She had never loved Arson Bardett
in n true sense. and such thing as
becoming his wife had never entered
her thoughts yet. when misfortune
came upon him. there was born in the
nature % Leila Raleigh pity. mingled
with mistaken duty, that amazed her
mother and sisters.
"a shall make any sacrifice necessary
as a friend" she told them. III poor
Arson is to so through life helpless,
blind, and asks me to share his trou-
bles will marry him at his bidding"
LEILA, you talk wild" scolded her
sister Adelaide. you never really
cared for Arson. He has no claim up
on you. Ii is sheer folly"
'But feel so sorry for him" SAID
Leila. HE certainly paid me more at.
tentlon than he did to other girls"
And out of an impulse of sympathy
You would tie Yourself to a man unable
to make even n living? Leila. this is
all sentiment" declared her mother.
Nothing more was said at the time,
but Mrs Raleigh knew that Leila was
Il person who. always acted upon her
convictions, though neither romantic
nor heroic Intensely loyal to her
friends, sympathetic aud tender-heart-
ed, Leila had exaggerated her sense
Of duty towards a man who had never
spoken to her one word of love. A
strange condition of affairs had come
aboHt. There was an athletic club In
RosSIuore TO which nearly every young
man in the town belonged. 1t had
been started and mainly supported by
Wilton Porter who had been left quite
a fortune. Burdett, too, was mem
Der, and one day, while practicing
with the Indian club. Porter lost his
y grasp oh ope .of them. andy it Whitfield
through tlpsN air with terrific force.
Burdett stood directly in the path Of
The flying missile 1t landed squarey
between his eyes, he went down Ike
" S''' an" ','e Si'u0Ne" anu "o'''"e"
o'''' Ne''' ''''o"r" '"e"'''io"' i'"u'
VI 'IuN'""7 "i'N'eiH' re ni"'u'''s al '''e
hospital whittier Burdctt was con.
veyed until the physician assured him
that the patient would live. Pouer'S
u'"'' SUM '""',er ~ ne was 'o''l
.,''' 1t '"3Ne' az ''"u7'' '''e NERVES ."
''' rH'N i''u oeeh I'"I"lSHe' anu AM
son nu''e" '"'s'' ne p''"" Tor nue.
y h'sli ca'lher sensitive young man
All mo JOY OF NE seemed To nave de-
parted Tor Porter lie gave up all OF
ms i'me To the care OF burdett.
"HopelcSsly bEnd, perhaps report
ed an expert oculisE, although the
chSe Is OF variety mat mas seen some
remarkable cures but through time
a'ohe.
IN the meantime Porter had become
acquainted VITA Lena ltlei@h, rom
me I'rsl ne "aH attracted by her ANA.
although lac knew That she ana Bur
ueIt Mcre friendly he never suspected
mat there WAS amy mutual affection
between them.
Leila kept secret even from her
mother and sisters that, while she was
not rs yet engaged To Burdett, there
was tacit understanding between
them that some day they would marry.
she however had become dISappoInt'
ed in Burdett a position had been
offered by manufacturing concern
out of sympathy for his aflliction
where he could answer calls at tele-
phone. Il don't have to drudge he
told Leila, audacIousIy Porter has
plenty of money and is acting princcly
ahout it. lie took away my Sisht-let
MIN pay for 1t.
One day Burdctt called upon Leila
ard asked her to marry him. He told
her that he had an opportunity TO Sc
cure a pretty little farm in Florida
where they could ENJOY HE without
anxiety. lie asked her to thihk 1t over
ana give her answer the next DAY