Ellsworth American., 1921-01-19
Jeanne's Friend
BY MILDRED WHITE
"a. 1920. western Newspaper Union.)

could help you. jeanne" Peter re-
gretted.
He reached out his hand to pat
hers. Jeanne laughed tremulOusly.
Dear old Peter" she said, "your un-
selfish life has been spent helping 9TH
ers. l wish that some good gift might
be your,own." And then Jeanne flushed,
at thought of the one good gift which
Peter had so earnestly desired and
which she had refused. The mans
love for her dated back very far-tO the
days of pinafores and school books.
Peter had been much older and wiser
than she and the little girl looked up
to his superiority. Almost she had
fancied that the deep affection which
filled her heart for him might be love; ;
almost she was yielding to Peters
gentle wooing, when Lawrence came.
Lawrence was young and dashing and
all that Peter was not. Lawrence,
fresh from the great city medical col
lege, had come out to the little town
to be her fathers helper, hoping some
later day to continue the practice
which the beloved old physician must
lay down. Lawrence wished to "grow
with the town." he told Jeanne. and
the brilliant. unaccustomed charm of
the youth drew the girl captive. Never
had she met one so confidently mas
terful. Jeanne was engaged before
she realized the fact of Peters ab-
cir cha ha1
her friend.
Lawrences demands upon her com
panionship had carried her along in a
blissful whirl. When the young doc
tor went back to the city for the win
ter she remembered Peter repentantly
and sent for him to confide her joy.
Peter smiled his patient smile. He
was glad, he said, in her happiness.
Then he spoke honestly. It had been
his hope to win that happiness for
himself-Jeanne must know that?
Yes, Jeanne knew. She was compar-
ing as he spoke Peters slightly bent
figure with that other one so erect.
Peters kindly. near-sighted eyes with
those eyes bold and dark She sighed
in sympathy with Peter and dismissed
him. When the astounding news of
her fances betrotha to another young
woman appeared in the adjacent city
paper. 1t was to Peter that Jeanne
ran, stunned and breathless.
Peter cOmforted her with
heart saddened as her own. Law
rence's brief letter was all self-con-
demning
~ was engaged to this girl before
L ever met you, Jean" he wrote.
~ am bounder. Never should have
asked you to marry me, but you were
so sweet"
brought his wife to live in the town.
that the fact left her quite indiffer-
ent. And when Lawrence himself met
her on the street, she put out an in
different hand finding herself after
ward smiling the amused smile of con-
tempt.
But Jeanne had deep and serious
problems to face those days, for the
beloved old physicians life was end
ing. peacefully. as he had lived And
when Peter ventured to assist her in
the later silent home. with the arrange
ment of her affairs. they found more
evidences of the old doctors charity
than evidences of his thrift Jeanne
knew that half the bills had been re-
ceipted gratuitously. while the other
half might never be paid
"And I did not know" she told
Peter sadly. "that father had been
obliged to sell our home. He kept
that from me. Now" her voice broke
utterly. 81 shall have to go away. I
don't know just how I expected to go
on living here but 1t would have been
comfort to know that the old roof
might still cover my head"
1t was then that Peter repeated his
wish:
"If there was only some way that
could help you, Jeanne"
Her hand curled up to clasp the one
resting upon it.
"Peter," she said, "when think
iO" Soui iiiS huS bSSh NSNOlCu w III
valids-first your old father, then the
poor crippled sister-and how you were
held there, tied to village law prac-
tice, how you spent your evenings and
ever spare hour in housekeeping
duties, in those few rooms above your
office, and how you never had real
home to enjoy, oh. Peter, my heart
aches for you! Perhaps 1t is now
when I have no home, that I under
stand.
"Peter. dear, do you suppose that
this person who bought fathers house
and allowed him to rent 1t at a low
rate. would still rent 1t to me? l
might find something to do here. /
might be able to manage. Will you
find the person, Peter, and ask him?"
Jeanne's friend smiled.
II know the fellow" he answered
slowly, land I'm afraid that he would
not rent again. Jeanne. You see. he's
a lonely, old, sentimental bach who
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