Smyrna times., 1894-09-12
0utwitting Fate.
BY MRS. NJ. L. RAYNE.


and had refused to let Mr.. Bentham
accompany her. 1t was in vain he
urged, argued, coaxed or commanded;
his wife insisted that he should remain
at home until the expiration of week
when he would be at liberty to follow
her.
II will take Katie with me and leave |
Johnny to come with you. Then if |
anything happen
"But nothing is likely to happen"
commented Mr. Bentham. ut is alb |
surd to suppose that some special"-
1--WE will not all be killed together"
calmly pursued Mrs. B. 81 never want
to put all my eggs in one basket, and |
l am not sure, Edward, that it would
not be better to leave both children
with you"
mo, thanks" said Edward hurried
ly,"that would hardly be fair division.
If Katie had one of her Nightmares, it
would require more skill than l have
to manage her."
"But you always dose her. I'm sure
| always depend on you. But she is
not likely to have any more Of those.
| think l will take her with me-you
see that by going in instalments, as it
were, there will be at least one parent
left to bring up the children"
perhaps it would be better for YOU
to take both children, Anna, then if
anything happened 10 me you would
still have the family"
ut might be" mused Mrs. Bentham,
"bUt looking at it the other way, /
might be taken with the children, and
you would he left entirely alone. That
would be too cruel-fOr you"
"rhen we do as we seem to have de-
cided, l suppose-gO in detachments.
It will spread US over a good deal of
| ground;and it seems to be a challenging
of fate rather than means of safety"
Il am not fatalist, hut | do believe
in taking common precautions for
safety. If the cars run off the track
when ! am going, they will not be
likely TO, when you follow, or vice
versa. If the steamer sinks, you and
Johnny will be left to tell the story.
Whole families are swept off the face
of the earth because they persist in
travelling together"
II would prefer, Anna, that we
should be together if anything such as
you suggest happened.
THAT is sentiment, Edward" an
swered his wife; IF one is taken away,
the other must take up the unfinished
work which the one has left, and con-
tinue it to the end"
Are you not putting yourself in the
place of Providence, Anua ?" asked
Mr.. Bentham; you seem to have ar
ranged our little scheme of existence
on plan of your own"
"Yes, according to the intelligence
that Providence has given me-" said
his wife, and there the discussion ended
The next day Mrs. B. began prepara.
tiOns for her journey to a distant city
where she was to take passage on 9
/, steamer for Europe. Her little gir
was to accompany her, and Mr.. B. was
to follow a week later and sail in the
! next steamer.
r BY this arrangement Mrs. Benthan
: felt satisfied that catastrophe would
be avoided, but her husband was dubi
Gus; he was not afraid to have his wifi,
travel alone so far as her persona
s safety was concerned, but she haC
never made the trip and, and he knew
a that there were many things he cOulC
: do to make her comfortable, and assis
her when she was among strangers
However, be acquiesced in her decision
and hoped she would not regret it. Fo
his part, he could have no life withou
her, and little Katie was the apple @
his eye.
Mrs. Bentham had no doubts of tn
wisdom of her course, and persevere
in it to the bitter end.
When the cars had started, and sh
= had said goodbye to her husband an,
little Katie in section of the sleeper
feeling of indescribable lonelines
took possession of her, and a new ide
presented itself;
"Why 10 the world" she said t
Katie, didn't l have your father go o
>. ahead, and we follow the next day
Then he would have been there to n
=, ceive us and put US on board tn
= steamer. How perfectly stupid of N
n not to think of it,"
" TITS too late now, mamma" sal
n Katie; II fink it would be ever so mic
to have papa right here with us now
mo, indeed" said Mrs. Benthau
hurriedly, "he is safe at home, and wi
n take care of little brother"
Katie began to cry. ~ want n
IT. papa," she moaned
1t was very veXatiOus, and h,
Io mother ordered the berth made u
and at an early hour retired with h
child. But not to sleep. Her hes
ached sadly, and Katie was restles
and breathed as if she were going
7 have one of those terrible nightmare
/ Then she recalled the fact that she hi
V forgotten the dose that always cur,
her. The bottle was at home in Il
little medicine closet In her room.
might as well have been in Fiji.
Sure enough, the symptoms increas
and soon the child was in high fevt
moaning and troubled in her sleep, al
! the porter was called and asked if
had any remedies at hand-such
camphor or paregoric. Now, the orr
til nary porter deals only in ice-water a
shOe-blacking, but this one was out
the ordinary. He said with rheto
cal flourish:
MADAME, the indications are th
your little girl is inclined to SPORT
3D. ness. If you will modify your alarm
will produce a remedical medicine"
He then disappeared, and return
=. with "a dose In small medicine tu
y. bier.
- "Why," said Mrs. Bentham, smelli
of the mixture. ''it's the very sal
thing l have always given the chi
How did you happen to get itP"
, IA gentleman--a friend OF mine W
y has little one the same As yours,
~ madam, disaeeommodated me- with q
alleviating draught."
katie. wake up and swallow II
' dear,n sald Mrs. Rentham, lifting |
struggling child who was In the clutpl
Of an unseen disturbing power,
~ want my papa" walled the III
+ n ono, hut she swallowed the dose aud
Y few minutes sank into reatfpl slu
~ ber.
Mrs. Bentham was worried, and ,
not sleep, She remembered that
packing phe had brought nearly eve
,tes thing Of her husbands aud JOhnu
with her, aud II the weather ohanl
ma. they might need other clothes,
WV there was absolutely nothing 60 eat
the house, but, OF course, they 90
10 20 restaurant for their mel
f0A Somehow her disposal Of fate did
A. seem 80 clever, looked at II In
II alaht nv tina llNhL nf A raflraad Ia,