The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-06-16

ing. on his knee, and he and the curate
| laughed and chatted with the little
girl to amuse her.
"There is q newly-made widower,"
thought Mary; 'and he doesn't seem
to mind much. 1 wonder il David
would (she had almost said "will')
| care so little"
Suddenly the older man turned to
the curate, and Mary saw his face
grown drawn in an agony of grief
"Did you ever bury any one you
loved desperately" he asked.
The curate answered, with appro-
PIRATE curtesy: "No, have been very
fortunate. I have always thought,
however, that the only wise way to
face such grief would be philosophi-
cally. knowing it as Gods will that it
comes to all.
| "You have never buried any one
you loved desperately. When you
come to do that you will not be think
/ ing of philosophy" said the other.
And then they spoke of other things.
Mary pulled down her veil to hide
l her wet cheeks.
| "Poor David he will mind; he will
not forget right away" she thought.
AS they passed Woodlawn she won
dered whether, if she died, they would
bury her on the hillside where David
could see her grave every day from
the train window. 1t would seem less
lonely for her, she thought. And then
her heart turned to her children, and
she wept for them until she was
aroused by the trains getting into the
Grand Central Station.
A half-hour later Mary stood in a
clean, bare little room high up on the
top floor OF quiet boarding house on
a side street. A young doctor with
wide awake, intelligent face was talk
ing to her.
eyes, Mrs. Robinson" he said,
gravely, 1.-THE operation is imperative !;
for it is the only way to save your
life. If it succeeds, you will become
O perfectly strong and healthy woman !;
if it fails, you will be spared the pain
of lingering death, for you will not
survive the operation more that half.
hour at most. l put the case plainly
to you. You must know all the cir
cumstances, oil the risks, that you
81 have decided" she answered,
steadily.
every well, I will have the nurses
here in little while, and the other
doctors will meet me here at quarter
before two. have spoken to them
about it. I was only waiting for a
final word from you to complete all
the arrangements.
He babe Mary go odmorning," and
left her alone.
Mary was naturally rather O coward,
especially about little things. Spiders,
worms and snakes, even very little
ones, made her almost faint; and she
was afraid to travel alone, or to sleep
in room by herself. But her pulse
was very steady now. 1t seemed to
her to say, "David, David, David" rs
it beat.
She walked over to the window and
} looked down at the people coming and
going in the street. 1t seemed to her
that she had entirely lost her person
J atty. She had really become this Mrs.
: Robinson she had told the dactor and
the boarding house keeper she was.
She was Of vital Importance to nobody
: about her. To the doctors aud nurses
she was Cease" and there were muny
ceases" like her in the city. The
hospitals were full of people who were
: going to die soon, were dying ever
now. AS she thought of it the black
2 pail of death seemed to settle over her
and oil she saw. and smother her.
, "My husband-my husband!" she
gasped; "can bear 1T without you p
2 Presently che sat down Mt little
table, and wrote a letter to him. She
put his full address with careful clear
t ness on the envelope. Then she VT otc
q note to the doctor, inclosing hel
, husbands letter in it.
, She undressed, and folded each gar
t ment neatly and laid it away in hel
little trunk. After that she put OF
! her dressing gown, and lay down OF
? the narrow white bed in the corner o
4 the room.
? She had never thought OF dyin,
? alone. In the feeting thoughts she
' had had of death David had Away
g been there to hold her hand But nov
: she was liable, even likely, to di
t alone. Poor Mary "Alone" meant L
t her "without David"
'Mrs. Robinson" said DR.. Ellis
+ when the assistant surgeons and nurse
. had come, 81 feel it due TO myself t
p ask that you repeat before these gen
tlcmen what you said in regard t
y your understanding Of the risk vol
j run in undergoing this operation. "
r. 'I know that l may die, but L wisl
. TO undergo the operation.
n "Thero is no one whom you wisl
{ TO sec, no one who should DO consult
D ed?"
r "No one"
d She drew from under her pillow tn
T. letter she had written and handed i
to DR.. Ellis.
n "When the issue of the operation i
Q quito clear, / wish you to open ant
n read this, she said.
Z She lay quietly while they put tn
i ether mask over her white face, no
+, struggling against it as some peopl
t do. Only once she sat up suddenl,
), and looked about her with wide ope
:, eyes, stretching out her arms and say
ing:
n ooh, if You will only let mo lie i
d my husbands arms will bear any
L A 4.