The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1922-08-24
THE PHOTOGRAPH
BY MoLLIE MATHER

Janey sat looking at her adoret
friend.
"Why,' she asked impusively, "dt
you never have your picture taken
Lollie? / have not seen one in tn,
house, and you would" Janey's eyei
were caressng, make such q Lowell,
picture"
Miss Mollie Deming, spinster, smiled
| "No one would value my photo
| graph, unless 1t might be you," she
replied. my relatives would doubt.
less write polite notes of appreciation
| when they received them, and rele
gate them to some unremembered cor.
Aer."
"You know better than that" Janey
jeered.
She jumped to her feet.
Anyway, l want picture and l am
going to have 1t. You look especially
lovely today, like some sweet shepherd
ess lady, with your soft crinkly white
hair, and your true-blue eyes. Poor
Terry will be glad Of job. He really
should have been an artist In the city.
Sentiment, holding him here, alone pre-
vented"
Mollie Deming laughed, when she
and the girl Jane were at home again.
"Terry posed me SO many times and
was altogether painstaking, that his
efforts should be rewarded with sue
cess" she said.
"You looked" Janey mused, $50
80 f,,l ntt
there-Molllel Do you know, that is
the way your eyes always impress me.
by their wistfulness? Tell me. please,
did you have an unhappy love affair."
wonder so much about you at times
I suppose, because l love you. / would
be your confidante, Mollie."
The older woman gazed tenderly,
thoughtfully into the eager young
face upraised to hers.
"People would tell you-your own
mother may have told you, Janey-that
! was In a careless, unthinking way,
noted years ago for my conquests. 1t
WAS at the time considered clever to
faunt ones captMting power. And
I-well, we'll, there were many young
men who came to my uncle's home,
and l, uncle's ward and charge, played
q merry game of hearts with them
all, my own heart ever untouched in
the game. Some day, hoped 20 find
my true love, to marry and settle
down to life of devotion. And when
he came, my own love, l knew him;
knew him instantly, by the thrill Of
Joy that filed my days. And he loved
me. That, l did not doubt. Why
doubt the sincerity of this man, when
others had been sincere? | think
lived In a dream" Miss Mollie's eyes
were misty, across the years still
her voice trembled Its sorrow. II live
on In that dream of the past" she
ended, sadly.
Janey's hands went out to her. "He
died them" she questioned-"you
lover?"
81 almost wish that might tell you
so," Mollie hesltated
mo" she added 'for the first time,
/ will speak the truth. 1t was thought
that John Douglas, like others, had
been Tilted. But one knew. and after
John disappeared this friend of his |
came and told ne the truth. 1t was
! whom. John Douglas had jilted |
heartlessly and with purpose. The
friend said that he had been instructed |
to tell me that John deliberately |
planned my punishment, as he had
deliberately, and oh, so skillfully, |
acted his part.
"He was charming In manner, you
see, and well known for his winning
way with women. SO, coming to our
small town, and hearing of my merry,
fiirtatlons, John Doug
las confidently and successfully planned
the retaliation Of winning my own
heart, to cast 1t as carelessly away.
But this could not guess, as he held
me close In his arms and bade me
goodby, until tomorrow.
Tomorrow he promised gently, 4
will come back to you. Tomorrow,
my dearest, watch for me-
$50, through all the tomorrow have
and waited; and have lived
how YEARLY no one may know--my
When Janey framed her friends
and placed 1t upon her
dresser, she was moved dlstressfully
later to hide that same photograph
away. For the sadness of Moliie's
pictured eyes had provoking trick
Of brir cling quick tears to her own.
THAT man" exclaimed Janey con-
Fancy being true to the
memory of such creature"
Ther one day, as Janey entered un-
Miss Mollie's sitting room.
'he faced picture. And the two
central figures facing the picture con
inued. happily, Oblivious OF her pres
,nce.
1T was fate I" the distinguished ap.
)earing man was saying. and even In
Ter establishment Janey responded
Iympa thetically to the sincerity of that
Yoice.
"When l thought that | had utterly
ost you, Mollie-when the neyer-ceas.