Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-05-24

"Ican't let you" began Mary.
work, Mary admitted. .sFor tonight
Mrs. Robinson has kindly promised to
stay with me, and tomorrow must
find some nice. respectable person.
~ will send in proper nurse at
once, said the sailor. speaking in
rough but kindly accents. "Skilled
nursing is half the battle in such cases
as these never did believe in make
shift nursing. It's the very-the very
mischief. He had been going to use
another word. but changed it out Of
Difference to Mary with very percep-
tible effort over the substitution.
81 can't let you" began Mary, at
which he put up his hand imperatively.
"Now, Miss Mary. none of that, If
you please. I'm your friend. and
trends are allowed to make themselves
useful to one another in times Of trou-
BILE all the world over. I'll take it all
on myself and will account to your
mother for the liberty I'm taking when
she's we'll enough to discuss such
things. So now I'll be off and will send
in suitable nslrse at once Goodby |
Good bless you, my dearl"
He roughly pressed her hand and was
gone in moment, leaving her stand
ing looking desolately after him, She
shuddered as she thought of him as her
possible, nay probable, husband j; he was
80 bluff and burly and grizzled, so loud
of voice, so red of face. SO dominant.
He Jared upon every fiber of her being.
But 1t was useless to fight longer against
fate. even in the person of man who
was utterly and entirely distasteful to
her. She had struggled with all her
might against the sacrifice of her souls
best instincts. but to no purpose The
threads were drawing closer and closer
around her, and if her mother recovered
and still demanded the complete sacri-
fee of herself against which she had SO
passionately fought she had given her
word and must carry it through to the
very end
Before couple of hours had gone by
awhile capped nurse in dainty uniform
had arrived at the little house and had
installed herself in charge of the case,
and when Mary got home from her work
the following afternoon Mrs. Hamilton
had recovered her senses again and was
pronounced to be vastly improved.
Her first mumbled words were as a
deathknell to Mary's heart you
promised, she said thickly.
eyes, yes; l have not forgotten, {"
Mary said hurriedly. Don't think of
that, dear; only get well and will do
anything you like.
The sick woman gave a murmur of
satisfaction and closed her eyes again.
Mary turned away and went to the
window, where she stood looking out
trying to keep herself under control.
Her face was white and set. her hands
shaking and cold. So her mother had
not forgotten; the sacrifice would have
to be made and she must at no distant
time sell herself into slavery which
would be a living horror And this was
the end of all her toll, of all her am
billions, of all her brilliant hopes and
vivid dreamings Small wonder that
her heart seemed as if it had turned to
water within her; that her soul seemed
numb and dead. as if she had lost herself
in deep and treacherous morass from
which she could never be extricated. try
and struggle as she would.
need not dwell upon this part of
Mary Hamilton's story. The hot and
dusty summer days dragged drearily by.
each one bringing the inevitable nearer
and nearer. Mrs. Hamilton slowly i'm
proved in health. Mary went to and fro
to her work. the white capped nurse re-
manned in attendance, and Captain
Conway lowered around the little house,
hold like good angel, an angel with a
red, weather beaten face and with a
very large circumference
The end came all too soon. He spoke
to her one evening, told her his hopes
and fears-a great many hopes it must
be owned and very few fears it must
be confessed. And Mary told him hon
estly that she had never thought of him
before her mothers illness as a possible
husband, told him she had never thought
of marrying him or any one else thank
ed him, with tears in her gray eyes, for
his goodness to her mother and promis-
ed that if he would not expect too much
Of her she would do her best to be a
good and faithful wife to him.
Captain Conways answer was char
acteristic of the man. He told her with
all the assurance and confidence of an
Adonis 30 years his junior that he
was perfectly satisfied with her prom
Uses; that he would teach her to love
him when once she was really his own.
Mary shuddered. but allowed the r.