Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1930-11-14

before Royals marriage. Genevieve re-
ceived not only an advance in salary
and a generous bonus from her firm,
but was promoted to still more i'm
portant executive position in the es-
tablishment known as Lang's depart
ment store.
Success magazines began to print
full-page stories of the phenomenal
rise Of this young woman.
Local papers interviewed her and
the Associated Press carried a reprint
story Of her in papers the country
over.
The mother of Genevieve, who had
been a widow for twenty-five years,
and whose struggle had been hard
one, began to expand In her old age
like one Of those Japanese paper flow
ors which. dropped into water, unfold
their leaves. Pride in her girl was
the sustaining motive of these finish
ing years of her life. And yet deep
in her tired, old heart, the mother of
Genevleve saw, just as clearly as Gen
evieve herself, the kind of defeat that
success was bringing to her daughter.
When Genevieve was twenty-six, she
and her mother occupied a handsome
apartment in smart apartment hotel.
Genevieye's clothes were either tailor
made or French imports. She drove
her own roadster. She employed a
practical nurse as a companion to her
mother. She was regarded as the
trim, efficient and outstanding busi-
ness woman of her state.
There was even some talk of paying
her the complimentary gesture of put
ting her up for mayor, which Gene
We've declined.
She made countrywide tour In
behalf of her firm, observing the de-
partment store methods of the large
stores in the large cities. and on her
return wrote brochure that was pub
lished by the thousands and distrib-
uted to the personnel of department
stores the country over.
The year that Genevieve's mother
died. she was earning twenty thou
sand dollars year in her capacity as
executive.
The blow of this death was some
thing that smote her with an Intensity
that, even in her mothers declining
years, she had never foreseen. 1t left
her so incredibly alone. There had
not been so much time before to real
iZe the extent of her social isolation.
Her days had been crowded with &C.
tivities; her evenings so devoted to
attendance upon this mother.
Suddenly now, devastatingly. Gene
We've Johnson was face to face with
her loneliness.
And in this case the slogan mis-
fortunes never come singly" began to
prove itself.
In the year of her mothers death
Genevieve, driving her smart roadster
through the towns traffic. met with
serious accident. A truck, running
wild. crashed into the flank of her
car. hurting her some ten feet
out of it.
For four months she lay in a cast
Four months racked with pain; and
yet. in Il way, as she came to look
upon them, the four happiest months
of her life.
Royal Morgan, whose wife, before
his divorce. had gone off with a chauf
feur came to visit her daily. Some
thing, and something plus, of their old
relationship had revived itself Also
there was a new wisdom. new au-
thority, a new reserve to Royal Life
in the physically tormented months in
that hospital was suddenly sweeter 20
Genevieye than she dared to admit
But it was to cause puZzlement to
her doctors, the failure of the healthy
young body of this young woman to
respond as they expected it to do
The homes of Genevieve's body were
knitting all right. but inertia lay upon
her. She could not be coaxed into even
attempting to walk. Her doctors re-
garded her in Amusement and sug-
gested more mental effort.
Royal Morgan came to share in their
puzzlement. His entire life was
bound up in the recovery of Genevieve
Johnson. 1t frightened him to con-
template the continuation of her bed
ridden days on and on into no one
knew what uncertainty.
One day, in spite of his resolution
to conceal from her his terror and
anxiety, lie found himself sitting be-
side her bed begging her, with tears
in his eyes, and tears in his voice,
to concentrate upon defeating this
strange inertia in her. He poured
forth his passionate need for her re-
covery and companionship. He poured
forth his love for her.
1t was then that Genevleve, with her
happiness over her like an aurora, con-
fessed her plight Genevieve was
afraid to get well. Genevieve was
afraid that the old efficiency, sweep
ing back over her, might sweep him
away from her.
1t was the most heartbreaking, heart
hurting thing that had ever happened
to Royal Morgan. 1t made her so in
expressibly dear to him and so mex
pressibly pathetic.
XVhan CapoviavafC oopyo Iasoanoa ho