The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-04-30

She brought her sewing and sat down beside
the lounge.
ened to submerge him. "a single day
may make all the difference between
success and failure. You must remem-
ber that it's the life or the liberty of
cne poor old man against more money
than you ever saw. If you don't prom
Use to bring Kilgrow here to-day I'll
get up and go to him, sick as am"
Duncan yielded at discretion, secretly
proud of the invalid's pluck. "Mali
yerseP easy, Mr.. Thorndyke, an dinna
fash yersel' waur than we need. I'll
fess auld Johnnie down, gie I hae to
tie him neck an heels an lug him. Do
ye just be quiet, moo, an Martha'll
bring ye bit an sup"
Thorndyke sat up to eat the break
fast brought him a little later by Mrs.
Duncan, and he was able in the course
cf the forenoon to dress and go down to
the sitting-room. Elsie had been re-
preaching herself all the morning for
her part in the imprudent excursion of
the day before, and when the invalid
came down she installed herself at once
as his nurse and companion. Philip was
| made comfortable upon the lounge, and
when he was tucked in with rugs and
propped to the exact angle of restful
ease with pillows the girl ransacked the
ancient bookcase for something to read
to him. Philip saw and protested.
'You mustn't waste your time cod
ding me-" he said; "just bring your
work and sit here where can see you.
I'm not half as sick as might be, and
if you start in humoring me row there's
no telling what you'll have to endure
la ter on"
She brought her sewing and sat down
beside the lounge. 81 don't believe
you'd be very hard to manage"
"That's because you don't know me;
my mother could tell yea how eNacting
can be, though say it's chiefly her
fault for not letting me shift for my
self"
Elsie held her peace for moment
and then asked: docs your mother
know what you told dme yesterday"
"About my health? No."
Don't you think it was cruel not to
tell her?"
"No. Why should 1 add months of
suspense to sorrow that will be long
enough and bitter enough at the best?"
'She won't look at it thai. way; and
if the sorrow comes it will be ell the
harder to bear for not having known.
And that's at least one good reason why
you shouldn't give up; you know you
said you hadn't any yesterday"
Did I? Perhaps l should have made
nn exceptions; but I was thinking of
other things just then"
Whereupon the "other things" sum-
moned by name, came back to demand a
reconsideration. Philip resisted, inter-
posing the inertia of illness between
himself and the nagging of the self-ex-
amning impulse. 1t was much pleas
anter to lie back among the pillows
watching Elsie's skillful fingers ply
the industrious needle-pleasanter and
more restful. After a time he said:
you are all very good and kind to me
here"
Elsie looked up quickly. II shouldn't
think you'd say that-after made you
sick dragging you all over the noun
tain"
"It isn't your fault that haven't any
more vitality than transplanted chin
panzee; and, besides. the tramp was my
own proposal"
"But do blame myself. You didn't
know now far it was over to the Pocket,
aud did"
That's nothing; if wasn't so nearly
done for Il little walking wouldn't put
me down.
You mustn't get discouraged. Think
OF what you have to live for, and just
make up your mind you won't give up"
ais there so much?"
Isn't there always?-while Hlere is
good to be done and evil to be pre-
vented? You found one thing yester-
day"
Yes, if l can only live long enough to
set it right"
She caught at the hopelessness in his
voice, and answered it out OF heart
full of pity. you oughtn't to look at
it in that way. Why can't you turn Mr..
Kilgrow's trouble, and everything else.
into so many stepping stones to carry
you across to where you can feel the
solid ground under your feet again?"
There was a swift undertow of in
ference in her question that carried
him quickly out into the sea of i'm
pulse. "Do you really mean that3 Do
you think l should be justified in taking
the hSlp | need wherever | find it?"
"Why not? Isn't it right and neces-
sary that you should? Father says if
we will look around us We'll always find
something to make bridges out of, no
matter how deep or how wide the
stream is."
"And you think there is hope for me;
don't mean for mere existence
that alone isn't worth fighting for'-but
that l could win some of the better
things if I should gird myself for the
battle?"
Surely you could. What is there
strength and the will to win it?-noth-
ing that is worth having"
The fervor of her own appeal carried
Elsie out of herself, and, remember
ing only that man before her needed
help, she answered out of the depths
of a compassion which was as profound
and comprehensive as it was imper-
sonal. She saw, as only woman can
see, the besetments that were drag
giug Philip down into the quagmire
of despair; and the passionate desire