The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-11-09
Just the
Difference
Bv MORRIS SCHULTZ


CLARA ABINGDON sat facing
~ Charles Kean over the table of the
restaurant in which she had sat with
him twelve years before, wondering
whether it was all a dream, those
twelve years.
She was studying his face, noting
the changes that the years had
wrought. Kean's hair was thickly
sprinkIed with gray, there were lines
but lines of command-about his mouth
and eyes. He looked stouter, he looked
prosperous. And he was prosperous,
she knew. Yes, he was different man
from the one whom she had refused
to her eternal regret-in 1911.
Then she had been full Of her stage
career. She was to be wonderful
actress. To that career everything
was to be sacrificed She might, she
thought, marry, later, some famous
man-never a young business man like
Charles Kean.
NoW-she had learned wisdom with
the years. She knew now the travail
of hard work that never leads very far.
She knew she would always be
mediocre. She had saved a little
money, and she would probably event
ually amass enough to open teashop
with. She would do almost anything
to escape the drudgery of stage life.
Except marry an impossible man.
There was, of course, a limit. But
Charles Kean was on the right side Of
that limit. She wished that she had
known it twelve years before.
He had pleaded SO hard, too. He
had been madly In love with her. She
had not loved him, but she had pitied
him.
tits no use, my dear boy" she had
told him. 81 have my career to think
of. l am not going to consider marry
ing for years to come"
81 shall wait forever If need be-"
answered Charles Kean.
A few days before she had met him
again. He told her that he had never
forgotten her. He had simply waited
until he felt the time was ripe. Would
she dine with him in the restaurant
where they had talked and parted?
Clara had felt very warm thrill at
her heart when he said that. OF course
she had assented. And in the inter-
vening days she had decided to marry
him. She would be more than salts =
fed to be the bride of a prosperous
man, and not the usual stamp of bust
ness man, but one who had Travelled,
who understood things.
Yes, it all seemed like dream, those
twelve years that had passed. And
she saw her own face reflected in the
mirror opposite her. She had changed
too, of course; her face had grown
mature; she was thirty-ive; but still
she was woman worth the winning.
She realized that. She was not throw
ing herself away-neither was he.
Well matched, both of them.
Charley was speaking:
81 waited, Clara, dear, for many rea-
sons. But there has never been any
woman in my life whom I cared for as
I did for you"
"It was wonderful of you, waiting
all these years, Charles" she an
swered in low tones. eff had really
''You-you refused me, Clara. Our
lives might have been so happy"
"Can't they be happy YETI" she ven
tured.
He was looking at her thoughtfully.
'That's what dared to dream" he an
swered. Only"
What was that he was saying? She
listened, and at first she did not I'M
derstand. He was gathering courage
as he went on.
81 was hopeless. I thought you were
gone out of my life forever. And then
well, Mildred and I cared for each
other in a way, though I am sure she
cared more than I did I wanted a
home and children. 1t was all so I'M
Clara, that marriage Of !.
mine, for you were always in my
leart."
So he had been married.
"Never mind the past, my DEAR" she
said. 1--WE have only each other to
hink Of"
That's what l hoped you'd say. I
AN take an apartment for you-Mil-
lred will never find out about you,
md"
She looked at him in horror. "You
nean-your wife's aliveT she asked.
And you are suggesting that didn't
no, no, Charles, that
sn't in my line at all ]"
And, looking at him in dumb terror
he realized that fate had always des-
ined their separation; twelve years
,efore, because she would not marry,
md now because he could not. That
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