Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1898-02-09

exclaimed tenderly. without stopping
to think. But, somewhat to his sur
prise. she neither reproYed him nor
looked indignant. Instead, he could
have sworn that her voice trembled
little as she uttered her calm and judi
cious reply.
Yes she responded with unexpect-
ed gentleness and acquiescence, Il
think she was. She has been dead 50
long. you see, can speak of her just as
though she had never belonged to me
at all, and | really do think she was a
nice little thing. so faithful to the ri
diculous little ideals that seemed of
such vital importance to her am sur
prised now, when | think of her ocea-
siopally, to remember how really good
she was, or tried to be, and really, am
fond of her memory, too. Would you
believe" turning upon him impulsiye-
", with a smile and glance so precisely
like those of the girl under discussion
that he started involuntarily, that |,
practicing physician and surgeon The
fancied that she laid an unnecessary If
slight emphasis upon the last four
words), within two milestones of my
thirtieth birthday, would be foolish
enough to do as | did yesterday? |
came accidentally upon the satin slip
pers | wore at-at that ball, you know,
just before-well. long time ago
Just seven years" he interrupted,
softly; but she did not recognize the in
terruptlon, and only went on with
heightened color:
and put them on to see how my feet
would look in them now. Why, l
haven't worn satin slippers or danced
for an age. And | fancy l almost
dropped a tear over the pretty, foolish
things. What do you think of that, ana
l a practlcng physician for nearly four
yearsY
You are physician, then? You
took your degreeY he queried gently.
refusing to notice either the palpable
and defiant challenge of her manner or
the interrogation with which she ended
her unstudied confession, and quite I'M
mindful of the fact that he was perfect
ly aware of her professional status and
could even have named the date and
place of her graduation. well, well.
/ can hardly grasp it. 1t seems so as
tonishing somehow. cannot fancy the
dear little girl we were talking about
taking up a profession of that kind.
She was such dear, timid little thing.
Not so brilliant as you, of course, but
so tender and loving. She could never
have borne to inhict pain-physlcal
pain at least-upon others, even II it
had been for their ultimate good.
She"
Il took up the work because 1t was
the hardest for me of anything | could
imagine, and | fancied it noble-then-
to compel myself to do the things you
shrank from, whether other people suf-
fered with you or not" she broke in
impulsively, with a smile of mingled
pity and regret for the girl who had
passed through this state of mind. 1T
hurts me to conduct or witness an ope-
ration even now" she added.
"She was so tender-hearted and affec-
Tomato" he went on quietly, tacitly de-
Ginning to recognize or accept any eN-
PLANTATION which she might offer, 'and
she would have made-you don't mind
my speaking Familiarity of her now that
she is dead? No? Then l will go on.
She would have made such loyable
wife for some lucky fellow if she had
only lived. The man whom she
married could not have helped being
happy, and a fairly good fellow, even if
he had tried Her love-" lowering his
head and voice reverently as he ut
tered the word, ''would have con-
strained him to right ways even against
his will--her love and her beauty.
Those starry, earnest eyes of hers
seemed to look ones soul through and
through and find out only the goodness
in it after all. She was too pure and in
nocent to see anything but good, dear
little saint. 1t is not often that one
sees or knows such a perfect woman as
she would have made. have never met
WITH Sutn ulotilti, mt
The girl-she was nothing but a girl
still, in spite of her - years and her
physicians diploma-looked down at
her hands in silence as the roast was
served, and his glance followed hers.
They were beautiful hands, smooth,
white and well shaped, but-the girl of
whom they had been speaking pos
sessed hands like those of little child.
and he missed the rosy dimples which
used to crown the juncture of each
slender finger with the dainty palm.
Perhaps the woman beside him OWNED
ana resented it. At all events she with
drew the altered hands into her lap and
faced him with all the tender softness
of the last few moments banished, and
with the newer air showing forth
again.
"She must have been delightful in
deed. am glad to have had the prlvi-
lege of knowing her." she exclaimed
sarcastically, "even if, at the time of
our acquaintance, did not realize one
tenth of the loneliness and saintliness