The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-09-11

.0SChuCC BIC was SAONAAA6 ONS
and less able to provide for her
self, Miss Madge now sat in a
room even Shabbier than its
predecessors. Her battered rocker
creaked ominously, and she won
dered, in the light of what the
doctor had said, whether or not
she would be able to play her
trick.
The trick was simple enough
She had only to look out the
window, and throw her eyes out
of focus, and almost niraculously,
the walls on the other side would
fade away, and there would be
her vision. She didn't care any
more, where she waS-aS long as
she could recapture it.
Like most things of its kind,
the vision had a story. Long
years before, Miss Madge had
lived on a hillside farm with her
sister and parents. Across the
valley from the farm, miles and
miles across, the blue mountain
thrust itself into the sky.
When it was Swathed in mist,
or so clear on a bright day as to
seem one-dimensional, she loved
it, She would sit for hours, and
it seemed to her that she and
the mountain knew each other,
and understood one another's
thoughts.
SONG ON LIPS
Larry, tall and keen, had loved
it. too. When he came, walking
ten miles to court her, he always
had song on his lips. They
sang it together, and as Miss
Madge sat in her rocker she
hummed it.
will you come with me, my
Madgie dear,
To yon blue mountain free:
Where the blossoms smell the
sweetest;
Oh, Madgie, come with me-"
He had left for the Alaskan
mines, and never come back. When
her father sold the farm, things
had seemed to drift apart for all
of them. For % years life had
meant one job after another for
Miss Madge, each a little harder,
each paying little less than the
one before.
Her heart twisted inside her, as
she recalled again what the doctor
had said that afternoon. He was a
nice young man, that doctor at the
clinic, and Miss Madge knew that
it was hard for him to tell her
what he did. Hard, but the only
thing.
MUST QUIT WORK
I'm afraid Miss Dutton, that
you'll have to give UP your work. ;
Miss Madge had twisted her
fingers nervously.
do you-do you mean, doctor
that I'm not to sew any more?"
I'm afraid not. In fact, you are
never going to be able to do any
work requiring the use Of your
eyes" The young doctor looked
away from her, and Miss Madge
could see the muscles Of his jaw
working.
I'm not-not going to lose my
sight" Sheer panic gripped her.
The doctor turned and looked di
rectly at her.
"Yes-your eyes will be sightless
in four months, perhaps sooner"
Now she didn't know what to
do. There were homes, she knew.
for the blind and old and helpless
Charitable places where they did
their best to keep you as happy as
they could. And that would be all
right, if she could keep her vision
She didn't know that without
any sight at all it would be easier
for her to visualize the blue noun
tain. She feared that without her
sight she would lose this, too. Two
great warm tears courSed down
her faded cheeks. and the world
seemed to press against her.
BREAKS OUT IN SOBS
It was as if something inside
her heart was growing, and grow.
ing. choking her; Until finally she
Sobbed brokenly again and again,
sobbed to the bare walls, for there
was nobody to hear her. and in
the building none would have
paid any attention anyway.
She suddenly realized that she
was a little hungry. and almost
eagerly prepared to go out. There
would be so few more times that
she could go out to do her little
marketing, such a short period be.
fore she would have to move in q
grooved without, perhaps,
without the blue mountains.
All thetradesmen along the lit
tie street knew Miss Madge.
LOVELY COLORS
She went into the Italian green
grocer's and bought some broccoli
and a melon. They were very
cheap because Giuseppe knew
where to go, after the big hotels
and restaurants had bought from
the wholesalers. to get the bits,
here and there, OF choice stock left
over.
A trifle over.ripe, sometimes
other times little green, that was
why the big buyers had passed
them up. The wholesalers were
glad to sell them to Giuseppe for
little more than nothing. And
Giuseppe's customers were Of g
sort that knew how to make the
best use of such merchandise.
Miss Madge devoured the fruit