The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-07-15


she had never harmed a living creature
she would gladly free them of her pres
ence," and more canting talk like this
which did nothing to heal Rebecca +
sore heart.
AS matter of fact, the old lady held
onto life with tenacious grasp and
lived five more years of helpless in
validism, selfish to the last.
When at last Rebecca was free she
hesitated about recalling Dick, whom
she still fondly loved. What if he had
married since he had left her; men
were inconstant by nature, she argued.
Yet the remembrance of Dicks face
and his words as he babe her good-by
forced her to believe in his consistency.
Another doubt assailed her-she had
changed during five years attendance
i'm the sickroom, and had lost much of
her girlish charm; perhaps he would
not care for her.
Finally her love conquered, and she
wrote him letter which would have
brought him, Il happy. eager lover. to
her side. But in some unaccountable
way the letter was lost in transit. Dick
never received the message calling him
back to Rebecca, and she supposed, as
he did not return, that he spurned the
love she offered. Naturally she was al
most heartbroken, lost her faith in man
and never wrote again. He, on his part,
receiving no word after the death of
Mrs. Stoner, supposed Rebecca's love
had cooled, and rallied at the incon-
stancy of woman. But he never wrote,
even to upbraid her. Years passed and
home, but, though he and Rebecca
passed each other daily, there was never
speech between them. They we've now
middle-aged and each lived alone.
One night Rebecca in restless
mood started out for walk. She had
gone as far ms Dick Waldron's cottage
when she thought she heard a groan.
She stopped then, with fast-beating
heart, ran up to the door and listened.
The groan was repeated, and, hesitat-
ing no longer, she pushed open the door
and entered. Almost on the threshold
she stumbled over his PROSTATE form.
In moment she was on her knees and
lifted his head upon her breast.
Dick, my darling, are you hurt?''
she whispered, passionately kissing his
closed eyes and rubbing his cold hands.
Aroused by her words. he struggled to
rise, but fell back. But he knew her.
"Ah, Rebecca, you have been cruel to
me-" he murmured. Then, almost UNI
der his breath, he said:
"When pain and anguish wiring the
brow, a ministering angel thou
II fell and broke my leg and crawled
to the door for help" he began to ex-
plain, but tainted away.
When Richard Waldron recovered
consciousness he found the doctor be-
side him instead of Rebecca. Miss
Stoner saved your life, firmly believe
the doctor said.
Il know she did" echoed Dick. But
he meant something the doctor could
not understand.
The next day Rebecca received an
urgent note from her old lover begging
her to come to him. She could not ro
fuse, for, as she told herself, he might
be dying. When she saw him, pale and
suffering, but smiling gladly because
she had come, the sharp eyes softened
and the hard lines about her mouth
seemed to disappear, and her heart
beat with wild hope that after all a
new day of happiness was about to
dawn for her.
All that had seemed so incompre-
hensible to them was now cleared up,
although the missing letter was never
traced, and the village people were
shocked the next day to learn that Re-
becca had married Dick Waldron when
he was sick in bed. TOOK advantage of
his helpless situation" some openly de-
clared. Others derided, but some sym
pathized.
Rebecca heard this statement, but she
did not care. Dick had begged her to
marry him at once, and she felt she
owed ii to him--as well as to herself
to comply, and so she nursed him back
to life and the happiness they came so
near missing, and ii was still sweet, al
though it came so late.-Chicago Times
Herald.