The Crittenden press., 1920-08-27
BRUISED REEDS
BY GERTRUDE CUSHING.

/ hhu Souttuu tHut III Is tuc tkpcIl-
ences and exercises Of the mind that
/ cause age TO appear In the body. II
Is the knowledge of good and evil and
the consequent eyer.incress sing obliyH-
tion to discriminate, together with ths
sorrow incident to failure, intentienai
or otherwise"
Then you think that II the brain
ceased at any given minute to develop,
from that minute the body would ~
main unchanged In line and color and
expression2"
Something like that"
"Can you cite n case In pointr
The question came from II third man,
who up TO this point had taken no part
In the discussion.
The three men, until the day before
strangers, were gathered In Il room in
q small hotel In western Massachu-
sets. A swapping wood fire flaming In
the CRATE, pack Of well.thumbed
cards and tall glasses containing some
steaming brew were helping to dispei
the monotony Of desperately stormy
evening.
Yes" replied the first man. "in Q
very few words. Do you remember the
oddly dressed young woman on the
station platform when We left the
train yesterday Well, this is her
story:
"She was a girl In this town when
was boy, some 20 years ago. The
winter she WAS eighteen she spent In
New York, visiting an aunt. In the
spring she came back engaged to be
married. In the fall her lover came
up for three or four weeks and the
wedding took place at the end OF that
time. They went TO New York to
live. We all liked him. and her let.
tiers home always sounded as though
she was entirely happy. The next
summer he received a letter calling
him TO mining district In Montana. IL
was said that II was business which
demanded his personal attention. He
brought her here TO stay with her peo-
pie until his return. and from that
day to this nothing has been heard
from or Of him. Whether the letter
was fraud, and that was 4 way he
took TO desert her or not, VI course. I
don't know. have never thought -,
however.
For while she put up a good aght.
Then one day she collapsed utterly
and cried continuously for hours. No
body could do anything for her. At
last II seemed as II something In her
brain gave way and Il complete change
took place. She stopped grieving and
declared her belief that her husband
would return soon to surprise her and
she must be ready for him.
Each day she dresses with the ut.
most care. and goes TO meet the New
York train. Her brain life ceased at
that minute. and In mind and body she
seems 10 be the age that he left her.
You've heard my theory. Now. what's
yours?"
There was silence for a minute, then
the third man spoke. He was a tall,
stoop.shouldered man, with extremely
white hair and eyebrows and a pecu.
liar sliding gait. A man old for his
years. one would have said.
Twenty years ago the l+th OF July"
he began, IL opened my eyes In a small
room In a sort OF improylsed hospital
ward In n mining town In Montana.
They told me that six weeks before I
had been struck on the head by a piece
OF stone from the arm Of derrick
which had sprung loose, was knocked
unconscious and had been practically
40 ever since. When looked at my.
self was as you see me now. To all
appearances an old man at twenty.
three
Il gained health and strength rapid
ly. aud soon began TO live again. but
everything previous 10 that moment Of
my awakening on that l+th Of July
was blank-an absolute void; and
with memory went all capacity for In.
tense feeling " any kind" He paused
drearily, then concluded Il sup.
pose that woman Ia my wife"
That cold.blooded statement brought
the second man erect In his chair.
suppose she isi My God. man. 10
that all you have to sayI What are
you going to do shout itr'
The third man rose slowly. thrust.
INK his long arms upward, his nsts
clenched as though In some dumb,
hopeless way he were challenging the
Infinite When he answered, his voice
seemed attuned 10 the play OF the ele-
mcn,S raging outside.
"Shes In fools pnradlse-of hope.
Let her stay there, What csn ! dof
I've got wife aud children In Clare
mont. Wyo. married the girl who
nursed me back To life" With that
he shutiied from the room.
ITO the devil with your theories''
burst from the second man rs he
raised his glass unsteadlly TO his lips.
The first mnn said nothing. but long
after midnight he sal before the SmoL
derlng ashes.