The herald., 1921-08-25
TEARS, IDLE TEARS
BY ISABELLE ENGLAND.
SoooNooooDooo0o popopop9p0
fN6NCOOOG0G OCOGOONOOCNd
&c. 1921, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate

On her small, shingingly immaculate
back porch, almost completely screened
by morning glory vines, sat Miss VII
lis, red-noSed, red-eyed, and smiling
dismally. Even had she been seen, no
one who knew her would have been
surprised, for weeping was quite as
much a habit with Miss Willis as
combing her scanty hair in a tight,
uninteresting pug on tie very top of
her sedate, uninteresting head. One
never would have guessed that
Smiling Lalia" (as the younger, less
respectful, citizens of Blue Hill had
christened her, with a delicious thrill
of naughtiness) had ever been pretty
and-in love. Yet such is the case.
If, perhaps, you ever chance 10 visit
the small insignificant town of Blue
Rock and catch a glimpse Of poor Miss
Willis, with unappreciated salty tears
dripping In a fOrlorn way from her
long, vermllion nose, you will not
smother a care-free smoker, as others
do, but instead feel a bit of real pity.
/ suppose you can judge better II
you know the facts. Anyhow, this is
her story as she told it to me, amid
tears and tea, on a cold wintry after
noon:
"Once, many years ago, long, long
before you came on earth 10 turn the
heads of tickle. unlovely males. T. (wi h
a modest blush that caused her to re-
semble nothing SO much as an over
ripe tomato) was young and pretty,
just like you, Molly, dear" q quivered
with mortifcation.) II was blue-eyed
and rOsy-cheeked, with few bleached-
looking freckles scattered around and
upon my nose, but not as disfguring
as yours. To look at me now, you
never would think / was the belle Of
the town, but l was, and John
was my best beau, for we all had 'em
then.
John was q handsome boy, Molly,
and i guess l led him twisted trail.
When John was Is his parents decided
to send him off into the wiles of the
city for an education that he didn't
need, for John was clever, too. At
first, while my blue eyes remained In
his memory, he wrote-and such lovely
letters l have 'em all done up in a
box, scented with lavender, on the
top shelf of my pickle and preserve
closet. But gradually he remembered
only the squash-tinted freckles, so he
stopped writing.
~ loved John, and because I was
young and silly l imagined he still
cared for me. AS the, years passed by,
/ guess l must have faded for when
he at last came home" (she paused
dramatically while held my breath)
"handsomer than ever, looking like
he'd just stepped out of bandbox. he
didn't seem to see me, but sort Of
looked right through me. 1 was glad
he could not, really, because I'd eaten
cheese for dinner, and John never
could tolerate cheese, especially home
made.
"rd have run up to him, in spite Of
his January stare, but a slim, scantily-
clad young woman, with hitching-post
heels and yellow hair was holding my
Johns arm as IL II were her own. They
all kissed each other, John, his pa and
ma and that clinging-vine female.
began to feel kind of small and insig-
nificant. not to mention injured, in
spite Of my new Powered muslin.
didn't see John again, while he was
home. but a few weeks later I read
an account of his wedding-his wife
wore white satin and carried yellow
roses. I went to bed with an ice-pack
on my head.
sFor four years I had faithfully
waited for Johns return. 1 had
disdainfully refused three suitors, all
well Off young farmers-and one had
offered me a washing machine for a
wedding present! I've always pinned
for one. My home town soon became
unbearable. Johns wife and her high.
flung city friends monopolized the
whole town, so just packed up and
came here; and here I've been for 20
years Of oldmaidhood, feeding the cats
and sweeping the back porch and
crying"
ventured: "Yesf
"Crying," she repeated, with an
extra sniff. Eyes. Some day John viii
realize his mistake, when it's too late
Wqll1S3ou have some more tea. be
centure out, Molly? Well
Eyes were a little damp, possibl!
C6use l could almost picture tn,
EARS running of her nose into her tea
and the lavender-scented relics in tn,
SYrocarvo and pick1a r1oeof