The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-29
WHEN NARY DIED.

Ihad not met my old schoolmats in
three years. Wehad been good friends
since We were boys, and though letters
had told tho principal events OF our
lives to each other, still letters, even
ct their best, leave much to be said
when friends meet face to face. had
not heard from him directly in many
months. but unexpectedly having bus
mess in his city my wife had enjoined
upon me to learn every detail from
him OF the last days OF his wife. who
had been her schoolmate and conf
dante also, and to bring hin, and his
baby back with mo for good long
visit.
After the first greetings he led me to
his private office, telling the clerks we
We're not to be disturbed by any one,
or on any business. and there wo sat
down facing each other for along talk.
We were both rather slow in coming
to the point, but at last l said:
''Tell me all about your troubles,
Tom"
II don't know where to begin"
Begin with Mary's sickness. I am
interested in it all.'
"fW'hen the baby came there was
not a man in tine world with whom l
would have changed places. l had
previously seemed to be weighted
down with forebodings OF evil, but l
kept these carefully to myself, except
to enioin the physician to--take no
risks, and to charge the nurse to be
very careful. Mary seemed to be at
all times confident OF q happy ending
and OF the dawn of happy ela for us
both when baby should be with us.
When the baby was here, sound OF
body and starting of assi determined
to live, and Mary apparently out OF
danger, banished al my fears and
went around the house and through
my work as il had wings. You have
children; you know how man feels?"
nodded assent.
81 went home one night as happy
as man could feel"
"How old was the baby?"
Five days. / walked home that
evening thinking how happy was, and
pitying the men who had neither home
nor wife or baby awaiting them. Iran
up the stairs with light feet, but still
lighter heart, and was met with a
hush from the nurse. What is the
matter? Is she asleep?'
She has had a chill, and now has
a very high fever. Isent for the doc
tor and expect him here every mo-
ment.'
'"That was the beginning. / fancied
it was a change that the physician
would soon overrule for good, and /
was only anxious, not alarmed"
"What did the doctor say?"
"He said but little. Ibid not ques-
tion him so closely as might have
done. In the morning I saw her fever
was still high, but had no suspicion
OF danger. The physician asked for
something that would compel me to
go down stairs with him to procure. |
chatted with him lightly until we were
in the living when he closed the
door behind me and said: 4 only ask
ed for that in order to get you out
of the room. Your wife is
yer very y,na sick <. My bsast Ettoppaedd ped
not thoroughly understy bat he
said, but his manner fria Inc.
You do not mean to say 81 ban.
gerously sick?' I said. sHs is
dangerously sick My God, tNkssAole
world seemed to drop away fro iel
You may think you know Jus
youwonld feel if placed there, but sfs,
don't. The imagination of man can-
not picture it, and nothing could
say now would be able to make you
realize it. Every prop, every plan in
life was as if suddenly taken away.
"You remember Mary?"
remember her well.
II had been married eight years; we
had grown together; we had adapted
ourselves to each other. She had
studied me and knew me better, much
better, than knew myself. Our lives
were as the life of one. We read the
same books, loved tho same people,
enjoyed the same fancies, and we're
absolutely one. My future necessarily
included her as every mans 8 must
take in his wife, but in q larger sense
it was made OF her. She had not
only been ali that wife could be to
the man she loved, but she had
brought good things out OF me that l
never supposed l possessed till then.
But here were the doctors words
sounding knell in my ears, and his
manner was far more serious than his
words. She is not going to die?' /
asked, hoping that the direct question
would compel an answer in the~nega-
tive, but he only said, She danger
ously sick What is~1t?' | asked.
Blood poisoning. as that SO terribly
dangerous% 'Yes' They recover some
times, don't they?' occasionally a
woman pecovers, yes.' What am i to
dor You had better send for her
parents Was it SO bad as that? All
eise he had said did not strike the iron
30 deep as this did. My impulse was
to fly back to her, take ner in my
arms, and defy death. But, no; l
must not alarm her; he said he would
be back in a few hours, and nothing
but harm could come of exciting her
then. I telegraphed tor her people; I
sat beside her nigh6 and day. saw
her fade away; ! saw her die
Here he broke down. begged him
not to continue then, but he said it
was relief to tell me all, my wife and
myself having loved her.
II don't know much about the com
ing OF our friends" he went on. 81
paid no thought to them. Mary seem
ed to look upon their being here as q
matter OF course. Icould not tell her
she was going away. When saw her
after she was told, she only said, Poor
Toni and kissed me. She seemed to
glide away from this world into the
other as night breaks into morning
Once she said. Tell the baby about
me, and the last 1ynrds she snnka