The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-12-08

l shook my head. Now that my at
tention had been called to it, no
opinions could help me. He was per-
fectly right, mi ght 60 very shortly,
or might live. till well on into mid
die life. AS the event has proved,
have lived, but am not far from the
end of my tether now.
care you of opinion" I asked, chat
my form of disease is likely to prove
hereditary"
l knew what his answer would be,
but l put the question as a forlorn hope.
"Of course. should consider that
it would certainly be hereditary; and,
what is more, it is extremely probable
that your wife would contract it also.
But why do you ask? You are not go
ing to get married again, are you?"
Il am engaged to be married"
"Well," he replied, "of course it is
an awkward thing to talk to man
about, but if you take my advice, you
will be a little more honorable than
most people are under the circum-
stances, and break the match off"
Il am quite of your opinion" l said,
land now will bid you good-day."
We'll, goodbye. Gosden. l don't
think it will be of any use my making
report to the board unless you wish
it. Don't worry yourself, old fellow
and keep your chest warm, and you
may see fifty yeti"
In another minute l was in Fleet
street again, and felt vaguely astonish-
ed that it should look just the same
as 1T did g quarter of an hour before
Most of us have experienced this sensa-
ton when some radical change of cir
cumstance has suddenly fallen upon
us. 1t seems curious that the great
hurrying world should be so dead to
our individuality and needless of our
most vital hopes. A quarter of an
hour before, l was man with a pros
pect of long and useful, perhaps a
most eminent career. Also 1 was just
going to be married to a congenial
wife. Now l was, as then thought,
doomed to'an early grave, and as for
the wife, the idea had to be abandoned.
l was in honor bound to abandon it
for her sake. and for the sake of pos
sible children.
Well, I walked to Charing Cross.
and took the omnibus as had intend
ed. l remember that there was a fat
woman in it, who insisted upon carry
ing a still fatter pug dog, and quar-
relied with the conductor seriously in
consequence. All this took place in the
month of December, and by the time
I got home it was beginning to grow
dark. l went straight into the study:
Fanny was there, and the lamp was
lighted. When 1 entered she flung
down her pen, and jumping up, came
forward and kissed me; and, as she
did so, thought what a splendid look
ing woman she had grown into, with her
intellectual face and shapely form, and
somehow the reflection sent a sharp
pang through me. Now that I knew
that l must lose her, it seemed to me
that I loved her almost as l had loved
my dead wife, and indeed I have often
noticed that we never know how much
we value a thing till we are called up-
on to resign it. Certainly 1 noticed it
now.
well, DEAR" she said, "have YOU
got it? Why, what is the matter with
you?"
"Sit down, Fanny" 1 answered, "and
will tell you, only you must try to
bear it as we'll as you can"
She seated herself in her calm, de-
termined way, although could see that
she was anxious, and 1 began at the
beginning, and went straight through
my story without skipping a word. AS
soon as she understood it's drift her
face set like a stone, and she heard
me to the end without interruption or
movement.
We'll, Godfrey" she said. in a low
voice, when at last had done, "and
what is to be the end of it all?"
This: that our marriage cannot
come off-and death"
"Why cannot our marriage come
off,"
Il have told you why, DEAR A man
afflicted as I am has no right to send
his affection down to future genera
lions. People are fond of calling the
inevitable result of such conduct the
decree of Providence, but it is the
cause of most of the misery of the
world, and as medical men know we'll
enough, wicked and selfish thing 10
do"
"The world does not seem to think
so. One sees such marriages every
day."
Eyes, because the world is blind. and
mad, and bad"
Il don't agree with you, Godfrey"
she answered, with passion. "Our lives
are our own, posterity must look after
itself. We have a right to make the
best Of our lives, such as they are,
without consulting the interests of
those who may never exist. If they
do exist, then they must take their
chance, and bear their burdens as we
bear ours. All this talk about the fu-
ture and posterity is nonsense. What
will posterity5 care for us that we
should care for it? We cannot affect