A GIRL’S GREAT LOVE

Evening Star, Issue 20376, 7 January 1930, Page 9

A GIRL’S GREAT LOVE

A SHORT STORY [By Clive R. Fenn.] [All Rights Reserved.] Nan turned away from the couch where they had placed the injured man. She heard what the doctor was saying as in a dream. , T . _ “Sight gone. No hope, I fear. Hero, nurse-: —” There followed a number of instructions as the terrible injuries Tom Lang had sustained were attended to. . There was hardly a sign of lilc. Kan Morris had followed on from the mill where she worked. She was thinking that VNell might have come, for Nell and Tom were engaged to bo married. Poor Tom! Perhaps this accident would open her sisters eyes to the truth. ~ She went a step nearer to the bed, but the nurse motioned her away. “ There is nothing you can do, said the womap. The doctor did not seem even to know the girl was there at all. Nan made her way to the door. “Nell docs not care.” she murmured. “ And he—ho never thought of' mo. Outside the cottage hospital there was a crowd of the curious, eager to know what had happened. Nan slipped through the throng unperccived. It Was evening then.' No good returning to the mill. Namade her way homo, to find Nell sitting at supper with their mother. “Neill Haven’t you heard? “Yes. Poor Toral” " There was a hard ring in her voice. Nan dropped wearily into a chair and peered into the fire. “He’ll get all right again,” said Nell. She had risen from the table and was gating down. Nan darted her .sister a look. She never loved him, she thought sadly. , ' With their mother it was always Kell —Nell, tho spoiled one, who remained at homo. Kan worked. She tried not to think, but at that moment she caught sight of Nell’s dainty white hand, on which a ring sparkled—Toni’s gift. ** I am going to bed, mother/* said Nell. She said it with a drawl, as she stretched her arms wearily. “I hope there will bo better nows of Tom.’ She left the room. “ Nell is feeling it very much,’ said Mrs Morris when Nan and she were alone. « « » * Nan could not sleep. Tom lying there—dead perhaps. Ho had been kind to her in tho old days, before he had seen Noll when she came back from her aunt’s in town. Of course it was right. “I am only a mill girl, and. ho is sp clever.” Again she was thinking of him lying there helpless, and the doctor’s words recurred. He would bo blind! She started up, listening. It was very late. She fancied someone had called.

Nan rose hastily and slipped on some clothes.

Bang! Bang! Bang! once more. The girl was down the flight of stairs and fumbling with tho bolts. As sho dragged open tho door she saw the tall figure of tho cottage hospital nurse. “Miss Morris?”

“ Yes,” panted Nan. “ That poor fellow, Tom Lang—he’s dying—he is asking for you—for Nell —his sweetheart. I have run all tho way from tho hospital. Quick! There is not a minute to lose.” Asking for Nell! Nan clicked back a sob. “I will fetch her.”

She drew back; tho nurse entered the passage. Nan was at her sister’s room door. Mrs Morris called to her. and tho girl heard her mother enterin*, tho apartment behind her. Nell’s bed was empty—had not been lain in. The faint light of tho grey morn was ghostly as it streamed through tho window. The blind had nob been drawn. “Mother! What does it mean?” Rhe looked wildly round, and then darted to tho dressing table. “ Quick. Miss Morris!” eamo from below.

Nan was at the table. A letter, n lumpy letter, was sticking in tho cheap mirror. It was addressed to her. She tore It open. Dear Nan, —I cannot marry Tom I am his ring, and am oil with Jim Brinton, whom I Jove.— Nell. “ Mother!” cried the girl. Mrs Morris clutched at tho back oi a chair. “It is terrible,” sho said feebly, “ terrible. _Mr Brinton, lie did show her attention—l—”

Nan stamped her foot. Sho could only think of Tom. then. _ - “ I must go and tell him, ’she faltered. “He is asking for Nell ” She held the ring the letter contained, and hardly knowing what she did she slipped it on her finger. The nurse offered no remark as she hurried on by the girl’s side—-no comment even when Nan said miserably “ I must tell him the truth.” In a room with _ shaded light Tom Lang lay at the point of death Nan was on her knees by the bed. “ Nell,” ho whispered—“ Nell—good of vou—not forgotten. I’m blind—l The voice trailed olf impotcntly. His hand was on hers, and it seemed to her that he gave a sigh as he noticed the ring. He sank hack. The doctor was there. Nan was conscious that something had happened. The silence was less acute It seemed to her that the danger was past. At the works they were very good to ' her. Sho was_ given leisure to look after the invalid. The following day the injured man was bettor. • Ho seemed to Nan to b« looking at her, but sbe knew that I could not see. * • • • “ It ie good to know you are there, Nan,” he said, “but where is Nell?” The girl gave a sob. Of course he could not have continued in the mistake. “ Sho will be here?-” he asked. “Yes—she will—be hero.” “When?” “ Soon.” “ Why docs not she come? ” Nan slipped off the ring. It had served the night before, when the crisis was on. Now it was useless. A great struggle was passing in her soul. The question was repeated. “ Why does not she come to me? ” “Nell is ill.” Tlie lie came with difficulty. “ 111? Poor girl! ” ' There was a pause. Tom tang spoke again, the words coming with difficulty. “ I am going to set her free, you know. It fas in my mind—it seems long years ' ago. She can’t marry a blind man, can she? ” “I don’t know.” And it was in her heart to tell him that her love would never have stopped short at any sacrifice. But then he never cared for her. dll. , “Is Ncdl,hotter? ” “ Yes, rather better.” There had been no news of the runaway girl. Day after day Nan was at the hospital—working on half time, telling herself it was her duty to sit with Tom, for he was lonely and miserable when she was not there to talk to him about Nell. How could sho ever bring herself to tell him the truth about faithless Nell? She would _ not dare—no, never. It would be liis death. Sometimes when the doctor spoko hopefully of an operation for his sight, Tom brightened up; but then the weakness came again. “It is strange,” ho said, ono_ day—“us both—Nell and I—being ill like this. You give her my mesages?” “Yes.” “ And the flowers I asked you to buy for her? ” “ Yes.” “You eee, I am pretty well. off. I had saved a goodish.bit. But you are crying!” “ No, no.” “You are, dear. It has been a ter-rible-time for you.” ■ ; If he had but known! Poor Nan! Her mother, fretful and weary, and sho the mainstay of the house, working early and late- “ You don’t mind sitting with me? ” he shid pitifully, “No, I don’t mind, Tom, dear.” “ You are so good.” He caressed her toihvorn hand. “ Nell used to be so strong,” ho said. “ Yes, but ehe has quite changed.” “I am sorry. You think sho will be able to see me soon ” “ Yes, soon.” Nan fought with herself. She wanted to throw her arms round the poor lonely man who was forced to pass so much time alone thinking of Ins love. She wanted to tell him that though Noll was false, she, Nan, was true, that nothing but bis love mattered to her, that sue would slave her life out for him gladly only for a look, a pressure Of the hand, the notion that she was noL absolutely indifferent to him. Hut she could not speak. The secret had to be buried in her heart, never to be known to anyone in the world. Why could he not see? lb was amazing to her that ho could be so deceived, but she bravely held to tho fabrication because of what the doctor had told her, that the invalid should be saved from worry of all kinds. And then u subtle change seemed to her to come to Tom Lang. There were days when he never hardly mentioned Nell. “You work, too hard,’’ he said to her. “ Oh, no,” she replied brightly. “Work is, the very best thing.!’ She Was _ sorry the minute after that she had said that, for Tom gave a deep sigh. She laid her hand tenderly on his arm. “You will ho going back to work some day, Tom,” she said. “ In wonder,” ho said. “ I am sure of it.” “I want to bo useful to you,” ho said. “ To me? ” she queried. “ Yes, I was thinking of you just then.” She murmured the name of Nell.

There was a sad smile on his face. Foi the time the girl was alarmed. Even then it was in her to think that some day Noll would come back, though how and why she had riot considered. IV. Ho had no suspicions, but as tho weeks glided by, and lie was able _to bo taken back to the modest lodging where lie had lived since _ coming to Motford, be grew more silent a"s to Nell. ’ , Nan watched him wistfully. He relied more and more on her. It was a relief to her to be with him in the pretty cottage kept bv Mrs Bates, a woman who haa been let into the secret, and who could bo trusted to remain silent. Tom watched for the girl. She took him for walks along the shady lanes, and he spoke of his work—and sometimes of Nell. Tho latter’s prolonged absence had to be explained away in another fashion now. Illness would not do any longer, and Nan bravely took it upon herself to invent a fresh _ tale, convinced as she was that the life of the man who had been betrayed depended on the keeping of the deception. “ Nell has gohe away,” she said. “ We thought it best.” “I see,” said Tom quietly. Nan felt that there was a shade more independence in his voice, that he no more carried himself like a man who is the victim of one all-mastering idea, the slave of a hope. “Poor Nell.’.he muttered. That was ail. Ho began to speak of Nlan, and of hei work. “ They toll me.” he said, “ that I shall bo able to get back, my sight by degrees. Mr Baxton was here to-day, a.ul ho spoke as if I should soon be ablo to return to work.” ‘ “ I shall be glad.” said the girl. “ You are so good,” said Town “It seems to me that you never think of yourself, always' of others. I don’t know where I should have been but for you. Dear, dear girl.” There was a new subtlety in -his voie, and the girl drew slightly awdy from him, ready to forget that he could not see.

And matters continued' to improve. Thanks to the action of Mr Daxton, tho head of the firm, the operation to his eyes was undertaken by a specialist from London, and one day, when Nan called at the cottage, it was to sea Tom standing by the window, his eves shaded, but gazing at her. "“It is like a now world to me, ho said gravely. “Nan, dear, I am so glad to be able to see you.” Ho said nothing about Nell, and Nan was thankful that he did not, for the letter that her sister had at last condescended to send to her mother revealed her as heartless and insincere. “I want to thank you, Nan, dear, for all your kindness to me.” , . Ho took her hand and kissed it, but Nan drew back quickly a flush overspreading her facet . “But, Nell?” she murmured, thinking that it was duo to him to recall the absent girl. _ / Tom shook his head. “ I don’t think, dear, that we will speak of Nell. You see, I know,” f‘ You knew?” cried Nell affnghtedly “How did you know?” “ It was one evening, long ago, when I was seated there.” He pointed to the Windsor chair. “1 thought of Nell. How foolish I was! And you were there; you, tired out with serving others. You dropped to sleep with the book you had been reading to me on your lap. It fell to the ground. You began to talk in your sleep, and then X knew—knew that Nell was no longer anything to me, that you were keeping the storv back for my sake, thinking onlv of’me, telling me every day things about the girl who never cared.' His voice as husky and queer. Nan regarded him strangely, hut though she opened her mouth to speak no words would come. “I want to thank you,” ho said again. “There is nothing I would not do.” “ I am so sorrv,” said Nan, struggling with herself, striving«to keep calm, as sho told herself that it all meant nothing, and that the man before her should never know what lie was to her. “ Tom, dear, I expect Nell will be very sorry one day. You loved her, you know.” “I never loved her,’ he cried passionately. “ When I was attracted by her I did not know what love was, Nan darling. It is you who have taught roe that, who have shown me thri truth.” “Tom!” *■ It is true. You shielded her. I doV; think that there ever could bo anyone in tho world liko you.’’ , “But, Tom, I am not liko Nell, she was so Beautiful, and I kept on thinking that she would ho sorry and- come back.” “ lb is nothing to mo.” He caught her to him. She was sobbing now. “Tom, you don’t know what to say. It can’t be true. You don’t know—l _I ”

“ You are not going to send me away? Why, every day, for long past, my Jove lias been for you, only you. “ Oh, Tom, I never thought—never hoped; but if you are sure,” she was clinging to him, “ for it would have been all the same, dear, whether you were blind or could see; but in the old davf, Tom, you never looked at me, and I knew j wasn’t pretty like Nell.' “No, you are not pretty like Nell, ho said. “You are so beautiful that yon could not be like her, or anyone els-' Nan, dearest, I know all now, and my accident was the luckiest chance that could have como to me, for it opened my eyes to the truth.”