Phillips County herald., 1923-07-12
GOLDEN THREAD
BY MISS BEULAH ROSE
y . . -. !. - . !.
10 by MeClure Newspaper Syndieate.(
MADGE WINTHROP likened her

/ Ia ioSaiNt tihCNCithui NaiStNhNS W q
great, ghastly white cloth which was
so common and inferior that even the
loneliest mend!cant would have stepped
over 1t in disdain.
-Four years ago Madge's now de-
ceased mother had, in moment of an
guish at the death of her husband, told
her daughter that her life thereafter
would be like white cloth--a great,
dull, dismal, white cloth.
In one of the rooms of n hotel sRt
the girl, reading n letter that had just
come. Ii was from Ruth, who had
been her roommate some nine months
ago.
The contents of the letter distressed
Madge immensely. She did not want
Ruth to move to the part Of the city in
which she (Madge) lived
And now she was coming OF course
she was. She had invited herself to
call on Madge Immediately upon ar
rival, and well Madge knew no power
on earth could turn her from her pur-
pose. Oh, well Madge heaved sigh
Let her come. What difference did ii
make, anyway? Suddenly she thought
of something she had read somewhere.
Or had she heard of it? Why, yes
Ruth herself had told her about it
the golden thread.
Don't fret any more, Madge," she
had said, in n moment of unusual
gravity. Get that idea of cloth of
white out of your head" Then, Don't
you know, dear, there's golden thread
on every cloth of whitel All you have
to do is to look for it."
MadGe had been considcrate enough
10 take advantage of the suggestion.
She had looked, but her search had
been fruitless. Her cloth had no
golden thread; ii was white-all
white.
Ruth came, rs she had promised.
With her she brought good-lool;ing
young man whom she introduced us
Donald Bradshaw. her fance
where is Robert Easton?" Madge
asked her, when an opportunity Of
seeing her alone presented itself.
Weren't you engaged to him?"
"0h, i gave him up" Ruth con-
iided cheerfully. Hes to0-too-oh,
you know, Madge, he was always
bit too lively for me-
Ruth and the young man became
frequent visitors. Through her gloom
Madge perceived that she contrlved TO
have him accompany her very often,
IL fhns .-.ls In.
Ruih invariably made him the object
of the conversation.
isn't he manly lookingf" Ruth
asked, one evening
Madge did not deign TO reply.
Suddenly Ruth came near md pun
her arm around the waist OF the other
girl.
"Madge dear" she whispered, her
compassionate heart overflowing with
love and pity. "Madge, haven't you
found the golden thread yet?
DO you know, dear" Ruth went on
softly, you are tulnlng your life?
Madee, you are tearing the cloth of
white into shreds md are preventing
any possibility OF n golden threadr
Let me think II out alone" was the
answer. "Please go-I-l want to he
alone" And Ruth, considering the
matter In her own shrewd way, went.
II was some time before Madge dis.
covered that Ruth had forgotten some
thing-a letter. lnstinctlvely, her eyes
sought the address.
Robert Easton!" she gasped, her
mind replete with vague npprehen.
sions.
What was Ruth dolng7 Playing
fnlsei 10 whomi Mndge hesitated. II
was II hopeless mlxup. Suddenly she
found herself reading the letter, par;
Of which ran:
"And when my plan turns out sue
cessfully, Bobby Boy wen get mar.
rled-because you know, dear. ! just
couldn't be hnppy with the thought
that somewhere there is lonely little
girl with the unhappy vision of
CHASTITY cloth OF white. I've got 10
show her the golden thread first"
II WIS nm angry, wholly rcseniful
girl who stood up then. The whole
strntngem, the whole Infamous con.
spiraey, as She called II. dnwned upon
her. She wis alive now. Intensely
alive, and her pulses were tIngllng
with the pain Of wounded pride.
/ There was knock. moment
later, when she opened the door To
ndmit Donald bradshaw. her llps
parted wrnthfully. Hut, strange 10
say. she found herself powerlcss 10
r"monstrntc. Instead, she sunk into
chnir and gnspcd.
lie approached her. Ills eyes were
filled with what she now discovered
wns loye-loye of the pr0foundest
I kind.
I'm sorry lie npoloslged. "im
very sorry II hnd TO be like this. I
was pushed into II against my viii,
ind wanted Ia hAck oul, but-but
when snw you well Just hnd 10
stny. thnl'H NIL"
Slowly. ircmuuusly, she rose nnd