Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1923-08-31
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, AU
Old Maids
Confessions
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BY ANTHONY REIMERT
20, 1923, Western Newspaper Union1

NG, lSz5, western newspaper OnlOn.D
TT WAS a few weeks before Mary
4 Tyson died that she fell into the
habit of talking over the past with her
sister Ann. Both women were well
past seventy. They lived in the cot
tage that their ancestors had occupied
from time immemorlal. They had just
enough to support them. Two old
maids, prim and conventional, isolated
lives that had intense, narrow inter-
ests Of their own.
They had always lived in half hos
tility toward each other, too, as sisters
do so often; and yet they would not
have been happy away from each
other. When Mary felt that the end
was drawing near she began casting
her mind back over the past. There
was something troubled her
Ann" she said one evening, you
never had but that one beau from the
city, Charles Richards, did your"
"Never any other man." answered
Ann. 81 never cared to look at an
other man after sent him away"
"Why did you send him away, Ann"
1--WE quarreled There was another
woman, and he-he stopped answering
my letters. But could have got him
back If I'd wanted to-" she added,
with flash OF her old spirit
"You let him goP'
Il let him go. Why should I humble
myself to any manT
Ann" said her sister, after long
pause, I've got to tell you something
1t was my fault you lost him"
"Your fault2" Ann echoed.
81 was jealous of you. You were
thirty then and l was thirty-five.
was ill-favored, and you had always
been the beauty. God forgive me. l
couldn't bear to have you get married.
leaving me alone for folks to mock
at and call an old maid. I was
wicked woman, Ann"
"Tell me-" Ann leaned nearer the
invalid. "What did you do2"
why, you know those letters he
used to write you from the city, Well,
II intercepted one of them"
Mary"
"Oh, let me go on. l must tell you
all now I've begun. I used to steam
his letters and read them, and they
were so beautiful just couldn't bear
his loving you whom l had no one.
And I used to read them, and then l
learned about your Quarrel. And
there came letter from him, telling
you that 1t was all a lie about that
other woman, and II didn't give you
that letter. destroyed It."
MARY"
"rve repented In dust and ashes
ever since, but never found the cour-
age to confess 1t to you. He wrote
you---"
Yes, what did he sayT
HE wrote you asking you to forgive
him for all the past and saying how
he loved you. cried over 1t all night,
although destroyed It, He said that
If you didn't answer him he'd go away
and never trouble you again"
Forty years ago and more How odd
It seemed, to look back upon those
times-and here they were, two aged
women sitting side by side before
their fire.
But If you would forgive him, you
were to answer him and let him know
whether you'd go into town and marry
him. Now it's off my conscience Ann.
can you forgive me2'
Mary, listen mlnute" For the
elder of the two sisters was rocking
in an agony of self-reproach and hui
initiation.
81 can't die happy until know that
you can forgive me, Ann, for having
bllghted your life"
Ann leaned forward and put her
hand on her sisters shoulder.
81 forgive you freely, my dear" she
answered. "But how | wish that you'd |
told me all about this before"
~ didn't dare. didn't dare" the |
other moaned
Because, you see, there never |
really was such n person as Mr. Rich
ards. I wanted a beau so much Mary, |
and II Just pretended to have one |
And every time ! went into town / |
used to write out those letters myself |
and mall them to myself here. And It |
was my own letter you destroyed"