The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-11-02
just the
Difference
to. isss. western Newspaper unloa.p

~ MONAhD SSNOLkA
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%. isss. Western Newspaper unioa.,
CLARA ABINGDON sat facin.
Charles Kean over the table of tn
restaurant In which she had sat witl
him twelve years before. wonds1n,
whether 1t was all q dream. thos'
twelve years.,
She was studying his face. notinl
the changes that the years hal
wrought. Kean's hair was thickl,
sprinkled with gray. there were lines
but lines Of ccmmand-abopt his moutl
and eyes. He looked stouter. he lookef
prosperous. And he was prosperous
she knew. Yes, he was a different mar
from the one whom she had refused
20 her eternal regres-in 1911.
Then she had been full of her stage
career. She was to be a wonderful
actress. To that career everything
was to be sacrificed. She might, she
Thought. marry, later, some famous
'man-never young business man like
Charles Kean.
Now-ehe 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 a teashop
with. She would do almost anything
to escape the drudgery Of stage life.
Except marry an impossible man.
There was. of course, limit. But
Charles Kean was on the right side Of
that limit She wished that she had
known II 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.
It's no use, my dear boy" she had
told him. Il have my career to think
OF. l am not going to consider marry
ing for years to come"
Il shall wait forever II 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 q prosperous
man, and not the usual stamp of busi-
ness man, but one who had travelled.
who understood things.
Yes. 1t 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-five; but still
she was woman worth the winning.
She realised that. She was not throw
ing herself away-neither was he.
Well matched, both Of them.
Charley was speaking:
II waited, Clara, dear, for many rea-
sons. But there has never been any
woman in my life whom cared for ~
I did for you"
"It was wonderful of you, waiting
all these years, Charles" she an
swered in low tones. III I had really
understood"
"You-you refused me, Clara. Our
lives might have been so happy"
"oan'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 saying3 She
listened. and at first she did not un-
herstand. He was gathering courage
as he went on.
I II was hopeless. thought you were
gone out Of my lHe forever. And then
well. Mildred and 1 cared for each
other in a way, though I am sure she
cared more than I did. wanted
home and children. 1t was all so un-
satisfactory, Clara, that marriage Of
mine, for you were always In my
heart"
SO he had been married.
"Never mind the past, my DEAR" she
said. I'VE have only each other to
think Of"
"Tfhts what hoped you'd say.
can take an apartment for you-Mil-
dred viii never find out about you,
and"
She looked at him in horror. "You
mean-your wife's alive?" she asked.
"And you are suggesting that-I didn't
understand-Oh, no, no. Charles. that
isn't In my line at ALL"
And, looking at him In dumb terror
she realized that fate had always des-
tined their separation; twelve years
before, because she would not marry,
and now because he could not. That
was the only difference; all the rest
was a dream.
~