Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-11

were i'll, the kind, but gossipy little land
lady began to tell in broken Italian Of
OF tho young foreigner who had come to
her a fow weeks before, and who shortly
after had been taken i'll with a fever, and
now was very i'll indeed. She
said the young man had no friends and
that the good doctor often came away
looking very grave indeed. After that
day many a dainty bouquet or basket Of
luscious fruit found its way to the sick
man, while tho landlady often told tho
young gentleman of the tall, sad faced
lady who had sent the gifts. One day, as
this same lady stepped out of her room
prepared for q drive, she met the doctor
returning from a visit to his patient.
The doctor advanced toward her hest.
tatingly.
"Nou are an American, missl' he said
at last.
Eyes. sir"
Margaret answered 30 pleasantly that
the doctor continued with more assur.
ance, at the same time waving his hand
to the room ho had just left.
"There is q young gentleman In there,
miss, who is not long for this world. He
is an American also. 1t is very hard to
die so, miss-so great distance from
ones people, and with no kind friends. "
"You are right" Margaret answered
gravely. at is indeed hard. My father
spoke yesterday of going In to see
the gentleman. He is out just at present
but if ! may | will go in now"
After a moments absence tho doctor
returned and conducted Margaret into
the room. The curtains were closely
drawn, and coming from tho light into
the darkness she was blinded for q mo.
ment, Not so with the sick man. Look
ing up to greet his visitor he uttered a
sharp cry and the one word, "Margie."
Margaret stood as if stunned, and then,
down besideit and buried..her face in the
pillows. The poor doctor with a con.
fused look turned and hastily left tho
room. There was q moments stiffness,
broken only by Margaret's low sobbing.
The form before her seemed to be tho
wreck of q once strong and beautiful
manhood. The sick man was Arthur
Carlson. He raised his thin, wasted hand
and tenderly stroked the bright locks on
the pillow beside him. "Poor little
Margie," he said family, ''you will soon
be free now."
Then, Margaret never knew how, she
forgot everything connected with the
past, she only remembered that the man
ly ing there, sick unto death, was her
husband. At last the proud spirit was
humbled, and she confessed what she had
kept 80 ~jealously guarded in her own
L.nnat f1- az lnrw slnh Ah,,. ~ IL,
cried in her agony, so, my husband,
only forget the past and try to live for the
future. God helping me, / will yet win
your love-"
The white face on the pillow lit up
like the countenance of the dying who
see heavenly visions. The excitement
of the moment gave Arthur back his
strength. Raising himselfon his elbow,
he lifted the bright head beside him un.
til he could look into the love-lit eyes.
In n moment they read the mistake Of
years in each others face. Each had
loved, each had misunderstood. "Great
God! is it possible" but the momen.
tary strength forsook the frame of the
sick man and he fell back on his pillow
like one dead.
lho oOStoI, BULL IhuCu COllubeu, uut
waited in the hall, from which he was
now swistly summoned to the sick room.
For many days the Pickering flame Of
life burned low, but it was fed from the
fountain Of love in the breast which nov
80 often pill0wed the weary head. Tit
kind old doctor worked and watched al
he had never done before, and he ant
the little landlady held many awhisperes
consu ltation in the hall about the turf
which affairs had taken.
At last death was conquered. But it
was not for many weeks-not until Ar
thur was strong enough to ride out by
the sparkling blue sea-did the twospeak
of the past. Then, when they had put
it away forever, Arthur drew his wife
to him very tendeIly and said: "Our love
was born 80 long ago that it almost had
no beginning, and now, thank God, il
will never know an ending.