CUPID SHUTS HIS SYES

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 307, 28 December 1922, Page 10

CUPID SHUTS HIS SYES

(SHORT STORT.I

(By ASHLEY MILKER.). She wasn't a bit pretty. Becky herself knew that, poor little eoul. The eves of the other girls reminded her of it as they glanced uncritically at her. And the eyes of the men eeemed to tell her that she looked very ordinary. Yet Becky's day of adventure came; a tiny adventure which another girl would scarcely have noticed. But Becky treasured "it because it was the grey-eyed man who shared it with her. The grey-t-ved man, whom she saw for the first time that day, was her ideal. He , stepped out of her daydreams into real life. ' was travelling to business in a tram<*ar, being the only person in the big compartment until the conductor entered for fares. Aβ the conductor was asking her a question a man boarded the moving car by swinging himself upon the footboard from the road. Becky answered the conductor's question, and the man on the footboard threw away his cigarette and walked confidently up the car. Becky's back was towards hin> as he paused and looked around. "That's extraordinary!" h< , said, as Becky turned. "I made sure I heard my fiancee's voice. Was that you talking just now?" "Yes," said Becky, with a startled glance into his grey eyes. Ivor Pollard smiled. "] beg your pardon," he said. "Your voice is wonderfully like hers." And with a bow he made for the top deck. Afterwards, especially on wet days, Becky saw him riding in the same car as herself. Usually, his sweetheart was with him; a tall, flaxen-haired girl, proudly beautiful. Becky pretended to read, but often her envious eyes were upon the- other girl's lovely face. >hr> envied her, not for her good looks, but because she had won the love of the big, grey-eyed wonder-man who seemed to think the world of her.

Then, for a day or two, Ivor Pollard travelled with a bandage over his eyes. Afterwards, for a long time, Becky never saw him. But the pretty girl, after travelling alone for a time,* began to join the tram and leave it in company with another man.

Becky let her wistful thoughts go searching after Ivor Pollard. What had happened to him?. What did the bandages over his eyes mean? Why •wa? his sweetheart now keeping intimate company with another man?

At last, finding herself sitting next to the pretty blonde, Becky dared to ask "where the grey-eyed man was.

"Oh, you mean Mr. Pollard?" murmured the beauty, with a. faint disdain on her face a's she noticed the insignificant girl who had addressed her. "He fpoke to you once, didn't he? Aren't you the girl he mistook for mc, because yonr voice is so like mine?" '■Yes!" eaid Becky, eagerly, almost proudly. "Something rather awfuj happened to him." said the other girl. 'He's going blind. I think he is blind now. The doctors can't cure him." Becky's eyes tilled with tears. Tlie other girl stared. Then Becky asked how he was 'Bearing up under sueh v an affliction. "He was all right the last time I saw him. He lodges at the C'orby House Pension, and it's rather a long nay from niy home." With that she turned to greet lier new admirer, and forgot both Becky and the man who was going blind. ■Bauky worked that day with her thoughts all the time on Ivor Pollard, '•ften as she travelled home that night she shut her eyes tightly in order to imagine what it was like to be blind. LV few hours later, screwing up her rourage, she took a tram to Corhy House IPension |nd asked for Mr. Pollard. A pleasant maid servant spoke .1.0 her, ■nd they talked of the stricken man. "He's almost alone in the world," said tlip maid. "A man friend oallg to see him sometimes, but apart from that lie has no one. It' you're a friend, why don't yeni go »nd sit with ltiiiir .It would be a mercy. He's alone now in the back sitting room. You could go ■ lid read to him and talk to him; lie's been by himeelf all day.'"

'Becky nodded, and went into the room. As she opened the door she was trying to think how. she would manage to make him remember her. But the moment she spoke his downcast face lit up with pleasure.

"'Cora!"' he peeped, holding, out his hands. "'On, this is too good to be true! Ever since you were here last week, I've been thinking that yon iiitended to throw mc over. You talked as if you couldn't bear to be with a blind roan. dear. But love has brought you back!"'

Becky stood as if rooted to the ground. He had mistaken her voice again for that of his sweetheart! That light of joy on his face was his sign of reliei that he had not been jilted at the moment when he craved most for loyal love. '

Her lips parted to speak. She wanted to teil him that, she was not Cora. But lier pitying heart could not endure the thought of what such a revelation would mean to him. Her voice had brought the light back to him. Could she fling the ehadow upon his soul again?

Then, because she was timidly afraid to make up her mind, she spoke of ether things. Ivor's bandaged eyts seemed to be looking at her, as his head turned in the direction of her voice. His lips twitched.

"Be nice, kiddy," he said, rather brokenly. Tβ not asking for pity, but you can't imagine what the last ■week has been like to mc. To lose my eight and then lose you! Tell mc that haven't lost you. Cora! I'll bear this blindness, if it really comee, easier than I could bear the thought that you'd turned your back on me—because I went blind."

And suddenly Becky found herself epenking to him in the words that ought, to hay« come from hi* sweetheart's lips. At least, Becky felt that she was saying things that Cora might have said: but really, it was her own heart that >poke.

"You've done mc no end of good, coming hem to-night Cora," said Ivor, "How's everybody we know?"

Becky thrilled with fear. In a quiver of >ii«niay. slip turned the question aside anil took up a book to read to him. Whilst slip read. s»he wondered what was going to happen. If he discovered 'be deception would he feel that ah* han rai«ed his hopes only to d««h them to the jrroiind again': Had she been heartiest- rather than Jrfnd?

"Tell mc about one person, any-how." •aid Ivor, when she finished reading, and (old him she .must go. ''How it, our little

friend with the eoft brown eyee, who travels in our tnuncar so often! The on* I once mistook for you. Somehow, I often think about her. Doea she etill go to town in the eighrt-tthirty car?"

Becky's pulse leapt. He thought of her as 'his "little friend"! He remembered her and thought of her! With a breaking voice, she blurted an answer and left him.

The next morning. In the tram, she made Cora speak to her. She made humble confession of what had happened at Corby Houee the evening before. She implored the proud beauty to go iback to Ivor, if only out of pity for him. But Cora smiled and shook her head.

'You seem to "be taking my place pretty well,' »he sneered. "I should think you'd suit a blind man! Carry on, my dear."

Again, after that failure. Becky tried to win the girl's consent. But Cora continued to refuse, until she ignored Bevky altogether.

Nerved by despair. Becky went back to Corby Houee and again allowed Ivor to think" that she was hie sweetheart. All the time (She dreaded that he would ask her questions which she could not answer. But he allowed her to guide their talk as she wished. In a quietei mood, he listened and sometimes smiled as she tried tq cheer him with hope of what the doctor* might yet ibe able to do for his threatened eyee.

Then, one evening, foe begged her to marry ihim. Would ehe not marry him now when he was in such bitter need of a companion? Becky asked her heart for the answer. And very softly, very resolutely, she replied: — "I will not marry you yet. Ivor. But if the doctors fail to cure you and you're certain to ;bc blind for the rest of your life—then I will mairry you! If you want mc then. I'll become your wife."

Ivor lifted her hand to 'his lips and premised' a kiss upon it. lie was smiling when she ivished him good-night.

The next time she called at Corby House she was startled to learn that he had gone to a'great specialist for advice. The latter had sent him to a well-known hospital for an operation. The proprietress of Corby Houee. a kind-hearted woman wiho was deeply interested in Ivor's fight for recovery, told Becky she must call often to hear the news of him. lror had promised to send messages for her. A day came. aln>ut a month later, when a message was waiting for her. ''Please wait in the front sittingroom."' said the proprietress. "I'll bring you the news soon." Becky waited. Suddenly the cloor opened, and a maid asked her to follow her. Becky went wonderingly into th«! quieter room behind: and as the door was opened she saw Cora there. "Halloa, what are you doing here?" snapped Cora. "Have you heard that they've cured Mr. Pollardj" "Xo! Have they?" cried Becky, excitedly, forgeting herself in her delight. "Are you sure?" "Of course I'm sure." ea-id Cora. "He wrote to mc himself, asking mc to come here to-night. And between ourselves, I've decided to renew my engagement to him. Don't mention a word to him about the other man you've seen mc with. He "' She' stopped talking as the door opened. Ivor 'himself walked into the room with a green shade over his eyes. But ag lie lifted hie .head, they could ccc his uncovered eyes looking at them. "Ah. Becky!" he said, walking towaia? her and holding out his hands. Then, ■whilst Becky marvelled that he stiould know her name, he clasped her in hie arms and kiseed her. Cora gaeped with indignation.

"Allow mc to introduce you to my in tended wife. Cora," said Ivor, coolly.

"She cainc to mc after you had jilted mc in my blindness. She promised to marry mc if 1 remained blind. So I thought I'd let you be here to congratulate us. and to know tli*t you're as free of mc as you hoped to 'be when you imagined I wa* a ruined eightlees man."

(,'ora, only waited long enougUi to recover her breath; then ehc flounced from the room. Ivor drew Becky into his arm*.

"I knewl/Vhe whispered. 'After that first evening when you came here, 1 guessed wlu> you were. It was an easy guess when 1 remembered how similar your voice m to Cora's. Besides, you don't talk like Cora, although your voice w so much Jike here . . ' Yes. I guessed who my pitying nngel was. And at first I was startled and almost angry. Afterwards'.wlien you promised to marry mc if J remained blind, I knew where love was." "And where was it?" she breathed. "Just here.' , he said, and kissed her again.