The morning call., 1893-10-22

the 0utsrOken question that leapt up
flercely and passOnatelv in Jim'S, the un-
spoken answer which Lois gave back In
return? No word was spoken: yet IN that
supreme moment of each life heart spoke
10 heart, and each understood without the
aid OF words the others thoughts.
For one long moment they looked at each
other, and then the bushes which had
dyed Lois cheeks faded away and quiet,
beautiful smile came into her face. She
bent her head lower, lower still. till jim
felt her light breath on his cheek. q
loosened tress of her hair tonch his brow.
"Jim," she said In a low voice full of in
eXpressibe tenderness and love. you
would not take the kiss you asked for yes.
terday because Twas unwilling. See, |
give it to you now, dear, willingly, with
all my heart" and she bent her head still
lower and their lips clung together in
long. silent kiss.
Doctor, tell me the truth" Jim said
late that evening, when Lois, who had
gone to and from one shanty to the other
all the day, had said goodnight and left
him to the doctors care. will my arm and
be cripple all my life? Come. man." as
the doctor hesitated, speak out I'm not
child or woman. 1 want to know the
truth"
ut is impossible to tell at present." the
doctor answered evasively, and Jim gave
an odd smile.
"Ah. l understand" he said
He did not speak again for some time.
and the doctor. fancying he was asleep,
and being worn out with his long ride and
want Of rest, lay down on the mattress in
the opposite corner of the shanty. By and
by, however, hearing him groaning and
tossing restlessly to and fro. he rose
again. and asked if the pain was worse.
AYE, almost unendurable. Can't you
n
torture?" Jim said impatiently. Haven't
you any morphia or chloral, or anything
that will give me few hours sleep? |
shall go mad before morning If this goes
on"
The doctor hesitated.
II could give you a sleeping draught,
but am afraid to do IT," he said. 'Your
nervous system has had severe shock.
and your hfart isn't over strong to start
with. 1t might be dangerous in its present
state to give you anything of the kind"
''Well. mix ME a drauglit, anyhow; l
won't take it if l can help it," Jim said,
impatiently; and the doctor. who was
half asleep. did so. and placed it on the
box that stood by the bed and served as
table.
''Don't take it if you can possibly help
it. Goddert." he said, and Jim promised.
The knowledge that oblivion and sleep
were within his reach brought a tempo
Jim lay and endured it in silence and en-
We'd the doctor laying on the mattress at
the opposite side of the shanty wrapt in
the deep sleep of exhaustion. But as the
pain lessened the brain cleared, and his
mental faculties. which It'll now had been
deadened by suffering. regained their
usual strength. Jim thought of many
things as be lay awake through the long,
| slowly passing hours. and longed for the
| day to break; thought of the past and the
| future, of his wild. reckless life, of lost
opportunities, of sins forgotten until now;
and the black record of those wasted years
rose up before him, full of terrible re-
proach and condemnation. Then from the
past, his thoughts turned 10 the future, to
the question he had asked the doctor. to
! the evasive answer he had received. Jim
understood what lay behind that answer
as we'll as the doctor himself. A cripple!
Jim Goddart, who had gloried in his
strength, who had never known days
illness in all his thirty years OF life. a Grip
pie! Lame and helpless. an object of pity
| to few. of cOntemptuOus scorn to others!
! A cripple for life! Better, oh, far better,
To have died out on the vedt; and yet, if
so, and if he had died there. he would
never have seen that look in Lois eyes,
never felt the pressure of her sweet lips to
his own. All. that kiss, that supreme mo-
ment of bliss. was worth living for-nay,
more, was worth dying for. he told him.
self! But what of the future? They had
| been friends, but they could never be mere
friends again. Where were those lines of
| Swinburne's he had once read and-a
wonder for Jim. who did not care for
poetry-remem bere6:
Take hands and part with laughter,
Touch lips and part with tears
| All, friendship between Lois and Jim
was impossible now. They had touched
! lips. they had read each Others heart.
| nd fa "a 70 ha
| them again.
| He was to be cripple-a helpless Grip
pie for the rest of his life! The thought
was torture to him. He could have
shrieked aloud in impotent rage and pain
as he tossed restlessly on his mattress.
and his wounds burned and throbbed
| afresh. Would the morning never come?
Would that sleeping log in the opposite
corner never wake? Then his eyes fell
On the rude table by his side, and he saw
the draught which the doctor had placed
there before he slept.
Don't take it unless you are absolutely
| compelled; it may be dangerous" he had
| said. Jim remembered the words as he
stretched out mis- uulnjured arm and took
up the glass from the table. He looked al
| it with an Cdd smile. There was oblivion
there for the present, anyhow; perhaps
who knew? ?-forever!
II guess Pll risk it," Jim said slowly,
ana tUen u6 TdlScu tuo grass 10 HIS lips ana
drank.
"Ded in his sleep: sudden failure of the
hearts action; not TO be surprised at un-
der the circum stances"
So the doctor told the first anxious in
quirer who came as soon as the dawn
broke. pale and weary with her long vigil,
to ask for news Of the sufferer, and then
he added kindly, as he saw the deadly pal
or that came into the girls face and the
wild despair that flashed into her sweet
eyes at the words: Better so. If he had
lived he would have suffered terribly and
would probably have been a cripple for
the rest of his lfe."
Lois looked at him with wild. dilated
| eyes. She did not speak, but she motoned
him 10 stand aside and allow her to pass
| alone into the shanty. Noiselsssly she
Gro ssed the floor and stood by the bed and
turned back the handkerchief with which
the doctor had COVERED the dead man s face.
Calm. beautiful and impressive it lay back
on the pillow, with closed eyelids resting
on the pale cheeks. with the faint shadow
of smile lingering on the lips-the lips on
which her kiss still rested! There was the
look on his face which nature meant it tn
wear, on which his mothers eyes had
rested with pride long years ago-the look
of his lost youth and innocence. For long
time Lois stood and looked at him in
| ho.,k h,n \