Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-29
TERRY HUMBLE,
Blacksmith.

observation-disclosures.
i Very proud indeed Ii he to advertise himself
as 'black-m to the Warren horse ranch, the
best-known biooded stock farm in the west,
and Mrs Sara Warren Sutor's big blooded bays
always get an extra finish their shoes from
his own careful hand. And how is Modoc3"
he asked Sara day, he frightened shoe
on Champions foot. II hear he may be helped
By the new doctors from the east
ave have great hope that he will be restored
to health she replied earnestly as she gath
| cred the lines closer. poor boy, he has suf-
fered so long and SO bravely. Twenty yearsl
1t is life time, and she drove away.
''1ts most worth it, though, to be loved as
Hunkle, blacksmith, as he went about his work.
|
| Helpless and hopeless" The eminent and
| renowned specialists in spinal diseases brought
| at enormous expense to Laredo expressly to
consult under the most favorable circumstances
possible upon Modoc's had delivered their
| diagnosis and departed. There never had been
any hope at any time of even temporary cure.
The case had been hopeless from the time the
big-hearted boy haG ridden in front of the
stampeding cattle to save little curly headed
| girl. The spinal cord or nerve had been par
| italy paralyZed in the fall from Pawnee.
| Helpless and hopeless" murmured Modoc,
bitterly, as he sat in his big wheeled chair on
the vine-envClved veranda and saw in the dis
lance the dust cloud following the eminent and
renowned specialists receding wheels
| ''But not homeless nor loveless," said
! gentle voice, a young girl with slender, sup
| plo form bent over him and laid in his bands
| bunch of Junes rarest roses, letting her fingers
rest lightly on the wasted hands before she re-
| moved them.
! mo, | thank God for that every hour" and
| he turned his grea, black ewes up to hers, the
| alteration shining in their depths, irridating
| face whose dark handsome beauty framed in
| masses of raven hair had been refined and
/ mn tia1 hut W AF into hi
''Do you suffer much this morniugt Your
| forehead is SO hot, said Babe she laid her
| cool hand among the black locks strayng over
! the broad white brow. "Ah. does it hurt so
badly as that2 am sorry she said, as she
| felt him finch under her light touch "Per-
haps the perfume OF the roses will annoy you,
aud thought their beauty would please you.
| Are they not lovely? Shall / take them away
now"
NO. / like them-because-you brought
them" he said, little hurriedly. 'They
most beautiful but love them best because
they remind me of you. Iou-the doctors told
you that need no longer hope for even par
| tial restoration to health; that my life may be
| long one, and am always to be burden and
| a care"
Dear heart, we knew long ago that our
noble sufferer must suffer to the end. Papa
wanted 20 have the best advice possible, how
ever. and fear it has been a mistaken kind
ness, since it has destroyed the little hope YOU
udO lou KNOW we uOn I MINK you are n Dur
den or care, Nodoc; we love you. Life would
be an awful blank without YOU and kneeling
| by his chair Babe leaned her elbow on his knee,
80 that she could look up into the pale, sad face
In the old childish way. And Mizoory! What
| would poor. patient MiZoory do IL YOU we're
taken out of his life? His hands would be
empty then. and I'm afraid he would die, too.
| Oh. We all need YOU too much to think of you
a burden, and-oh, Modoc, don't talk that way.
1t breaks my heart, and the golden-crowned
| head went down among the roses MOdoc's
! lap. just think what great, strong, hand
| some man you would have been if it had not
| been for me. | should think you would wish
| had never been born. Don YOU almost hate
me sometimes! she asked, gazing wistfully up
at him again through her tears.
| Hate Won. little one!' he repeated dreamily,
as his thin fingers pushed the curls back from
! her heated face. Hate you? |? Why the
one CLEAN of sunshine through all these couded
/ Years has been the thought that the suffering
/ have endured has kept close TO my side the
little girl who crept into the heart of the rough,
haI d youth. who, until then, had never known
/ the love OF human thing. There have been
times when have Rugged nv hurt to nv heart.
| fearing tina. its healing might bring separation
| from-those | loved. The feeling of utter
/ dependence is hard to bear, and sometimes the
| pain is bitterer than death, but / have now
! what might not have If / were strong and
well-the affection and esteem of those about
me and-yonr love. No sister could ever be rs
] w,
| fearing he had said too much.
And is our love worth all this suffering?"
| asked Babe tendeFly.
"Ye3. and ten times more" Modoc caught
the hands busy with the roses and held them
| passive in his feeble grasp. my heart wasn't
! hurt where my back WAS. Babe, and it would
have to be of flint if it did not feel and recip-
| rocate all the love and tenderness that has come
from yours to me, but little girl-I-loye YOU
as do not love the others. | love you as
man loves the sweetest, dearest. tenderest
thing that ever came into his life. a man
loves the woman he would make his wife.
| have no business to tell YOU this in words l,
poor, helpless cripple, but | know that it will
| not make dark one single hour for you, you
| must have suspected my love for years, and
from your gentleness and gratitude you have
| tried to make me happy, and you have sue
ceeded. l ask nothing more OF you, sweet
heart. just let me love you on to the end, and
be to me what you have always been, the
brightest thing in my whole perverted life.
will even try not to be jealous when he comes,
though God grant l may go before he puts in
an appearance. You-you will always love me
little, Babe" he pleaded, as he turned the
blushing face up to meet his gaze.
There is no he in the case, Modoc, she
said gravely, there never will be now, though
l never knew until today why my life has not
seemed to need what other girls SO ardently
desire, lover. Do you truly love me, just Us
you did when was little troublesome child
ahd say On the OF your cniiE ialu my
head on Your shoulder to be comforted for
childish troubles and heart aches2"
Ten thousand times stronger than then,
little one" replied Modoc family, wondering
why she made him suffer so.
And do you remember how l used to put up
my lips to be kissed and say Il loves 90, Mo-
dot?"
Yes, he felt that he could not endure much
more.
Babe stood instant beside him. blushing
and sweet as the half-b blown roses in his lap.
/ Then, leaning a little she said very ten
derby: II m too big to sit on the arm of your
chair now, but one never gets too big to kiss
people who love them and as the sufferers
arm crept about her slim waist she pressed her
soft. red lips on his forehead and whispered
shyly: Il loves you, Modot, even as you would
be loved"
A Case of Sham Pain.
From Life.
| Il 4NE