Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-30

| tains. A woman was going to Mrs
Hasbrouck's door. Olivia's mouth
primmed. Nobody ever comes
| here" she said to herself.
She sat down and tried to think
when last anybody had come to her
door. Not yesterday, not the day
before or the day before that. On
Thursday there had been scissors
grinder and she had sent him away
gruff1y. Beyond that she could not
remember when she had received a
visit from any one.
Nobody likes me-" she thought.
I'm without a friend in the world.
What is the matter? What have I
ever done that people should feel so
toward me?"
Steps were coming toward her
own door. She arose and stood
waiting for a knock. None came,
but under the door travelled vel
low card with printing. There were
more steps. Olivia ran to the win
dow and saw the woman who the
moment before had mounted Mrs.
Hasbrouck's steps, going down her
own.
ooh! She was only an advertis.
ing AGENT she said.
She went forward and picked up
the yellow card. She did not need
her glasses to read the lettering:
stop and think If you are not
loved by any one maybe it is be-
cause you don't love any one. You
must give If you would receive. In
sure your house in the F'ree-For-All
Insurance company"
What sellr' Olivia thought. Yet
she kept the card in her hand and
continued to look at it. stop and
think" She was thinking. Her
thoughts went on in spite Of her.
"Why, don't know that I've even
tried to love anybody since George
died" George was her half-brother,
whom she had mothered from the
time he was born. Her hopes, her
heart, every motive, thought and
wish Of her being were bound up in
| George. He promised much. Life
was going to be so different present
ly because of him. She was going
| to be we'll taken care of-"well tax
en- care of''-that was his favorite
phrase. 1t thrilled her every time
| he said it. She had never known
what it was to be taken care of, for
it had always been her portion to dc
for others. From the time she was
ten she had to wait upon her ailing
mother. Then soon after her ia
| theirs second marriage Georges
mother had died and she had him
and George to look after. George
was a sturdy, robust child. Who
would suppose that he would go
with lung trouble at nineteen? And
her father had suffered a long ill
ness. Sickness and trouble and pow
erty. Olivia had fought with these
monsters until it seemed she had not
an ounce Of strength left in her
thin, straight body. But she could
have borne all the rest if she could
have kept George. He would have
been thirty now, a fine man. 1T
seemed that she had nothing left to
love or live for when he was gone.
She looked again at the card in
her hand. No, she did not love any
one. How could she? And nobody
loved her. One could live without
| loving, but one could not live with.
out being loved. And yet one could
not be loved without loving. One
must first love. 1t was an odd ar
rangement. II am so lonely, so be.
reft," she thought. II would try
anything for the sake of having
some one taking a little interest in
me-"
| But what could she do? She had
lived so long to herself that she was
timid. She felt afraid Of people. Be-
sides, she had nothing to give. Why,
she had all too little for herself.
And, she was too frail, too unskilled
| to earn so as to have more. Had
she not already given all that was
in her to give in service to others?
Yet giving and loving seemed to be
akin. Love was a gift.
"Oh, If I could only love some
one" she sighed.
She laid the card aside and went
out of doors. Between her tiny yard
and the adjoining one there was a
fence. Through an opening a child's
hand reached, clutching at one of
her narcissis flowers. The instant
the child saw her he withdrew his
hand. "Take it," Olivia said. She
reached down and plucked the bios
som and held it out to him. but in
stead Of taking he scurried away,
crying.
Olivia felt rebuked, abashed. She
looked at the yellow flower in de-
spair. Then she dropped it nearer
the fence. Maybe he'll come back
and get it," she thought helplessly.
II beg your pardon. but may I
have drink of water?"
At the sound of the voice Olivia
turned. 1t was the woman with
the insurance cards. She was young
and pathetic, and she loeled ready
to faint. "It is so hot" she muir
INJURED, land I noticed that you had
a we'll"