Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-02-12
WIDOW AND MAID.


he2' queried the young man az he
reached the landing on which she was
standing. 81 thought heard him How
is Tom this morning2 Any better2"
She sat down in big armchair stand
ing by the window, laid her head on
the window sill and burst into tears.
at isn't as bad ~ that. is it?" he
finally asked. 1.-THE doctor has not given
him up altogether, has he?"
She raised herself up and wiped away
the tears from her eyes
There il little hope Bob. He didn't
say 40 in 80 many words. He meant to
be hopeful. but he failed. "
~ suppose he is still delirious?'
Eyes. He is az bad as ever. He still
keeps up that monotonous cry Of Mary,
Mary. At is 10 curious when no one
except himself knows who Mary is. Oh,
Bob, IL he should die without recognize
ing mel That is the hardest part Of IL
oil. He cannot last much longer unlcsa
change comes for the better. ~
Bob turned toward the window and
looked ont on the square. with its great
trees almost stripped Of their autumnal
splendor.
Something has got to be done. he
said half excitedly. "He cant die. He
is too good fellow, too bright fell
low, the kind Of man the world needs
most
''But what?" Mrs Thomas asked
hopelessly. 1.-THE doctor has done every
thing that he could do, and We couldn't
have done more. I"
Bob walked down the hall to tho 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
crouched in the big armchair.
"Tom is delirious We don't want
him delirious. That IL the point. Mrs
Thomas, isn't it?" said Bob.
Mrs. Thomas nodded her head.
III the delirium passed away. he
would sleepf"
yes"
well, that's it. Ho has got to sleep
soundly."
"Did you ever hear of cases where the
presence Of one particular person In q
sickroom exerted a great influence over
o delirious person.
~ might have. Bob; but never knew
any one who did il.
''Tom wants Mary" the young man
went on. land perhaps IL she came to
him she might save his life. think 1t
is worth trying; at any rate. 1t cannot
do any harm. l."
but who is Nary You told me that
you did not know"
"Ycs, know did don't know for
a certainty, but think could pick her
out in crowd. Tom never told me her
name but he told mo good deal about
her. Putting one thing and another to-
gether, think / may venture 10 say
who Mary is "
"And who is she, Bob?''
"She Is the unattninable, as Tom
called her. She is wealthy she Ia bean.
tiful and she is said to be good She IL
q leader in her set, and has as many
young men running after her M she
probably finds convenient Her father
IL the chairman Of the Great Southern
Railway company, in whose employ
Tom and are fortunate enough 10 be. "
MARY Summerhaycsl Why, she
would never come herel 1t is almost ri.
diculous suggesting such thing. You
don't know her, do your
'I'm sorry to say that don't. You
see am hardly in her set. Tom has
met her, though. He was sent up to the
chairman 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 him
greatly Interested in picture In the
drawing room, showed him her father 4
collection. When Tom came home that
night he told me about IL. He started
to tell me about the pictures, but when
he had finished / found that had heard
q great deal about Miss Snmmerhayes
and very little about the pictures
"And is that tho extent Of his nc.
quaintance with her?''
II believe she bowed to him in the
street one day aftcrwnrd
"She never would come here, Bob.
The idea Of asking her is absolutely ri
diculous.
''It does seem that, :" assented Bob re.
luctantly. But there does not appear
to be any other way out Of 1t. "
"You don't understand it, Bob. She
is young woman, not one whose age
would allow her TO visit the bedside Of
q 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. -
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
come If you put it TO her in that light. -
but can't ask her. Bob.
lyon must. He is your only son.
and he is dying.
The little woman burst into tears
again.
Come, don't cry, he said tenderly.
81 didn't mean to put IL so brutally.
Gnly wanted you to see II plainly. Z"
"But can't ask her. ! haven't tn
courage"
IF she comes at all, il will DO onl,
because you, as his mother, asked 1t
She will do 1t out Of sympathy witt
you, II she does it at all. 1t will be Oh
the impulse Of the moment. She won
stop TO consider the improperly Of tn
thing. couldn't create an impulse
We have got TO lead trumps and pla
trumps all the time. II she won't com
for you, she won't come at ali.
He stopped and looked at her an xioul