The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1900-07-13
AnUnexpected
Repr;;ev,y..

Friendships, so she had no friend In
the world but Tom, TomHwho, Had fol-,
lpwed his lifelong friend and sweet
EReart to Chicago and who had refused
70 be estranged or put at a distance.
Pc she ate out her heart in loneliness
and misery by day and by night, and
wore her nerves ;to pieces trying to.
DC gay and cheerful during the even
ing hours which were spent with her,
lover. And she was undoubtedly and
undisguisedly thankful, dearly as she
loved him, and greatly as she longeda
to pass every possible remaining mo-,
,ment of life at his SIDE, when. an i'm
perative business call took him away
! from Chicago for, D couple of months.
Just when her distress was greatest
and left her to face her misery and
her desolatiop alone-alone, but free
from the necessity Of seeming glad,
nightly, for his sake. or Of making
such strenuous efforts to retain her Sc
cret. But when Tom returned at the
the end of the two months, to find her
SO changed and unhappy looking that
he was shocked and startled, he sur
prised from her., somehow or other,
the mournful story which she had in
tended to keep to herself still longer.
DO you know, dearie," he told her
when the first greetings were over,
that am conceited enough to think
that you will be better when we are
married and can take better care Of
you than / can do now" I'd
Then, moved by sudden, uncontrol-
liable impulse, she told him all-that
they would never be married, that she
was doomed to death shortly, and was
even now slipping out of existence
with every hour. And Tom met the
miserable announcement with an in
credulity so utter and complete that
it comforted even while it annoyed
her. a.
WAY! Your cough has almost left
you, darling" he told her tsure enough,
it had, although she had been too
nervous and preoccupied to notice this
before), land you don't look so much
ill to me as worried and over~anxiuus.
Then, too,. the doctor didn't tell you
all this directly; you only overheard
him saying it. How do you know
that he was not speaking OF some one
else?" 81 II. sfiit g.
Which was just what the doctor.
once they succeeded in obtaining an
interview with him, was fAin to admit
that he must have done. -
Il never said it about you, my dear
Miss. Bentley" he most emphatically
declared, for nothing of the kind was,
or is, true. You were little run down
and. nervous when you consulted me,
that was all,and the cough which trou-
bled you SO sore1y was but q lingering
touch of the influenza which had pros
trated you, Will you,' to his assist
ant, look up, the date. OF Miss Mar
,garet. Bentley's visit il you please? 1t
occurred, about three nadnths ago. Let
me &C. the 3, = whsa you nate found
J "Ah!: Here We nave It" he exclaim-,
ed. little later. Miss Julia Larsen
was the visitor who preceded you, and
~ muSl udtC VCGu VI uO1 SAoI ~lES
speaking when you stole march up
on me in more senses than one. And
she, poor girl, slipped away just as
expected her to do, and in spite Of all
the efforts which were made in her
behalf. She died." with q reyerent
gravity, '.just week ago tomorrow.
and you," nodding encouragingly to-
ward the thankful and trembling Mar
garet, will live to laugh at your re
cent fears for many year longer uh1
less some disease, as powerful as I'M;
expected, should succeed in putting
you to rout." ya- s.e.r~sx !
They went out into the summea. SUP
shines the two lovers, hand in Ihandt
and silent from sheer gratitude and
happiness And that night Margaret.
who. had never, before believed in the
eficaty aor desfrabflity of prayers for
the dead--and who had found it al
most impossible to pray at all while
the sense of impending dissolution
hung bYar ahet AApassed 1half an hour
upon her knees by her bedside, pray
ing-praying for that other girl in re-
lief of whose death Ysentence had
come no blessed renrieve.-chicagc:
Tribune. d