The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-05-07

girl to amuse her.
"There is a newly-made widower,"
thought Mary; "snd be doesn't seem
to mind much. / wonder il David
would (she had almost said "will')
care 20 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: MOL have been very
fortunate. / have always thought,
however, that the only wise way to
face such grief would be philosophi-
cally, knowing it rs 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
! her wet cheeks.
| Poor David he will mind he will
not forget right away" she thought.
1
dered whether, If ghe died, they would
bury her on the hillside where David
could sec 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
clean, bare little room high mp on the
top floor of quiet boarding house on
n side street. A young doctor with
wide awake, intelligent face was talk
ing to her.
"Yes, Mrs. Robinson" he said,
gravely, "the operation is imperative;
for it is the only way to save your
life. III it succeeds, you will become
a 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 "A half.
hour 1t most. put the case plainly
to you. You must know all the cir
cumstances, all the risks, that you
may decide wisely"
al have decided" she answered,
steadily.
Every well, l will have the nurses
here in little While, and the other
doctors will meet me here Mt "A quarter
before two. have spoken to them
about it. l was only waiting for "A
final word from you to complete all
the arrangements"
He bade Mary go Cd morning, and
left her alone.
Mary was naturally rather q 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" as
1t beat.
She walked ove- 20 the window and
,.1w ii Al. We lOOp.5 .i1liir- -...s,.
:, ing in the street. 1t seemed to her
that she had entirely lost her person
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 tease" and there were many
Ceases" like her in the city. The
hospitals 'ere full OF people who were
! going to die soon, were dying even
now. As she thought of it the black
pail of death seemed to settle over her
and all she saw, and smother her.
"My husband-my husband!" she
gasped "can | bear 1t without you?'
Presently she sat down Mt little
table. and wrote letter to him. She
put his full address with careful clear
ness on the envelope. Then she wr ote
"A note to the doctor, inclosing her
husbands letter III it.
She addressed, and folded each gar
ment neatly and laid it away in her
little trunk. After that she put on
her dressing gown, and lay down on
the narrow white bed III the corner OF
the room.
She had never thought of dying
alone. In the heetlng thoughts she
had had of death David had always
been there to hold her hand. But now
she was liable, even likely, to die
alone. Poor Mary! "Alone" meant to
her "without David"
"Mrs. Robinson" said DR.. Ellis,
when the assistant surgeons and nurses
had come, al feel it due to myself to
ask that you repeat before these gen
tlemen what You said in regard to
your understanding of the risk you
run in undergoing this operation.
al know that l may die, but wish
to undergo the operation.
"Ihere IS no one whom you wish
to see, no one who should be consult
ed?"
"No one"
She drew from under her pillow the
letter she had written and handed il
to DR.. Ellis.
"When the Issue of the operation is
quite clear, | wish YOU to open and
read this" she said.
She lay quietly while they put the