Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-09-16
WIDOW AND MAID.

him up altogether, has ne!
She raised herself up and wiped away
the tears from her eyes.
"There is little hope, Bob. He didn't
say so in SO many words. He meant to
be hopeful, but he failed. "
~ suppose he is still delirious?"
"Yes. He is as bad as ever. He still
keeps up that monotonous cry of Mary,
Mary It is SO curious when no one
except himself knows who Mary is Oh,
Bob, if he should die without recognize
ing mel That is the hardest part Of it
all. He cannot last much longer unless
a change comes for the better"
Bob turned toward the window and
looked out on the square, with its great
trees almost stripped Of their autumnal
splendor.
Something has got to be DONE" he
said half excitedly. "He can't die. He
is too good fellow, too bright fell
low, the kind Of man the world needs
most.
"But what?" Mrs. Thomas asked
hopelessly. "The docror has done every
thing that he could do, and we couldn't
have done more
Bob walked down the hall to the door
Of the room in which the sick man lay,
and put his hand on the knob. Then he
turned quickly and came back to the
window, and the little figure in black
crouchedzin the big armchair.
''Tom is delirious. We don't want
him delirious. That is the point, Mrs.
Thomas, isn't it," said Bob.
Mrs. Thomas nodded her head.
eff the delirium passed away, he
would sleep?"
eyes"
swell, that's it. He has got to sleep
soundly."
''Did you ever hear Of cases where the
presence of one particular person in
sickroom exerted great influence over
a delirious persona"
"Imight have, Bob; but never knew
any one who did it."
''Tom wants Mary" the young man
went on, "and perhaps if she came to
him she might save his life. I think it
is worth trying; at any rate, it cannot
do any harm"
"But who is Mary? You told me that
you did not know"
eyes, know I did; don't know for
certainty, but think I could pick her
out in crowd. Tom never told me her
name, but he told me good deal about
her. Putting one thing and another to-
gether, I think I may venture to say
who Mary isl
''And who is she, Bob?"
"She is the unattainable, as Tom
called her. She is wealthy, she is beau
tiful and she is said to be good. She is
leader in her set, and has as many
young men running after her as she
probably finds convenient. Her father
is the chairman Of the Great Southern
Railway company, in whose employ
Tom and are fortunate enough to be. y
MARY Summerhayes! Why, she
would never come here! 1t is almost ri.
diculous suggesting such a thing. You
don't know her, do your"
''I'm sorry to say that I don't. You
see / am hardly in her set. Tom has
met her, though. He was sent up to the
chairman's house one day with some pa.
pers requiring Mr.. Summerhayes' sig
nature. He had to wait about half an
hour, and during that interval Miss
Summerhayes. who had found hin
greatly interested in picture in the
drawing room, showed him her father
collection. When Tom came home thai
night he told me about it. He startet
to tell me about the pictures, but whel
he had finished found that had heari
a great deal about Miss Summerhaye.
and very little about the pictures. +"
"And ia that the extent Of his &C
quaintance with her2'
IT believe she bowed to him in thu
street one day afterward."
"She never would come here, Bob
The idea Of asking her is absolutely ri
diculoua /"
cit does seem that, !" assented Bob re-
luctantly. But there does not appea,
to be any other way out Of it."
"You don't understand it, Bob She
is a young woman, not one whose aPt
would allow her to visit the bedside Of
strange young man. You don't realize
the position it would place her in"
perhaps not When her fathers
office boy was sick, she visited him and
carried him fruit and flowers. though. y
eyes. but he was only boy Tom il
young man, and that makes great
deal Of difference.
II dare say it does Still, this is q
matter Of life or death, and she might
come If you put it to her In that light. -
.'But cart ask her, Bob
"You must. He 10 your only son,
and he is dying"
The little woman burst into tear
again.
! "Come. don't CRY. /" he said tenderly.