The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-08-16
THE PASSING SUMNER
Chapter 27.

chapter II.
There may be something ridiculous
about first love affair, and first
tragedy. If so, it is all the more pa
Lhetic. Dora may have gone through
that curious state known as calf
lovep-if so, she felt it all the more
keenly.
For Dora was 81 years old. and Is
in emotion, a bad combination She
could feel things so much more keen
ly. Besides this was her first friend
ship with either a man or woman.
And she had glorified it out of all
proportion TO its Importance.
He is so gentle" she said to her
self, and overlooked the fact that he
was obviously weak
He is so thoughtful" she said
again, and did not know that his yield
ing to Gladys had been anything but
thoughtful
HE couldn't hurt anyone she
thought to herself as a defense for
his not hurting Gladys, and oblivious
to the wound he had given her
Over and over she wondered why
Morton had suddenly ceased to like
her.
Gladys is so much more attrac-
tive" she decided
In her diary she wrote once:
Self analysis should be pitiless,
otherwise no one can reach an under
standing of herself If I were nov
elist writing story with myself as a
character, I should say-'Dora has
hair as limp as her disposition. She
has nice eyes q really have, but that
doesn't count, since l don't know how
to use them. Gladys doesl, a straight
nose with a little character and no.
quite large enough, a muddy skin and
a mouth don't know what sort of
mouth, l don't like it at least She
has a weak voice and a self-effecting
manner. She has nothing about her
to interest other people Chats prov
ed, for no one is much interested in
me. NJ. was, but he didn't lasD."
Occasionally during the summer she
added another item to this sweeping
self condemnation. She became quiet
er and quieter as the days went by.
Even Aunt Maude grumbled now and
then
For Heavens sake child, do open
your mouth once in awhile haven't
heard you say a thing but yes or
mo- for weeks.
Which was almost literally true.
Every few days she saw Morton.
She tried to avoid it, but could not
without causing the family to notice.
She had sense enough to see that the
family would be only too ready to
seize on this as the reason for her
complete lack of spirits, so she kept
up an excellent imitation of a casual
and friendly manner when he was
around
Once she wrote:
IF l could find some faults in him
I might care less. But | haven't been
able to. It wasn't his fault that
Gladys was so much more attractive
than l."
Under this she added, later:
I'm not sure now that want to
find any faults. Life would not be
worth living if one did not have an
ideal. One need not possess the ideal
necessarily"
Still later, showing the greater res
ignation that came with the passing
weeks, she wrote:
after all, why should the Ideal ever
be embodied in a human person, man
or woman? My ideal woman I've
never met. nave, VI bdiAA - -
{ met the ideal man. But he isn't mine
IN love Isn't it much better to keep
them both vague images, as they were
before? No one could be disappointed
that way"
And once she wrote:
II came out of my dream world fol
n little while and fell in love. That's
over now-the feeling that l NIGH
find in a real person what l found be
fore only in made up people. Now
must go back to the world in my
own mind for my friends and my com
panionship.
THE only tragedy is that the dream
world is less satisfying than it uset
to be. | do so want to know one MAJ
and one woman who would care TO