The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1900-09-13

Thev found Mr.. Gilbert lying on the
floor unconscious.
on the other. and for q moment there
was wild fear in Dorothy's heart that
her father had In some way killed him
self. His business failure had been
the great humiliation Of his life.
Kirk put her mind at rest
"He has had a shock or stroke Of
some kind" He lifted the body up.
placed 1t on the lounge and instantly
ran out Of the house for the doctor who
lived only few doors away.
When he came, he pronounced the
case serious. but gave Dorothy hope.
Malcom Kirk came back, but In the
excitement he could do nothing but
express his sympathy and finally 60
back to his room after the presidents
wife and some others had come In to
stay With Dorothy for the hight
Mr.. Gilbert had been typical New
England business man Of the old
school When his failure came and
be had begun to recover from the first
effect Of the blow. lie had no thought
OF any other course but to pay dollar
for dollar Of his honest Indebtedness
To do 1t meant the loss Of his beautiful
home In Hermon. Dorothy felt as he
did about 1t. He had no fears on her
score. The integrity and frmness Of
such a moral course were never In
question with either Of them. So he
had come back from where he had
been staying with his sister, and the
night Kirk called he was busy in his
library arranging the business Of the
Hermon property, going over all the
details Of his recent loss and making
what provision he could for the fu-
ture. He was nearly 55, still, as he
supposed, in the prime Of life, and he
manfully determined to begin all over
again. He could leave Dorothy with
her aunt, who was alone much Of the
time and needed her at present, and
himself struggle into place again with
honor untarnished and the good name
Of the firm free from commercial stain.
So the honest sturdy publisher
thought rs he sat at his desk with his
papers before him. Then suddenly,
just a little after Dorothy had ceased
to play, he felt new and awful pain
seize him, he reeled In his chair, vain
ly tried to call out for help and sank
unconscious to the floor.
The next few days were days Of
great anxiety to Malcolm Kirk. He
could see the doctors carriage before
the Gilbert house every morning. One
morning he saw the doctor 60 up the
steps with another man VIZ catered
with him. The Doctors carriage re-
mained in front Of the house that day
until noon. In the afternoon Kirk call
ed to inquire, and the servant came out
ut the back porch and told him Mr.. Gil
bert had been sinking rapidly. A cele-
brated physician from Boston had been
In consultation, and he said there was
little hope.
Kirk passed an almost sleepless
night. and next morning rs he looked
across the campus he knew that the
woman he loved best was alone with
her grief. He could see the wreath Of
flowers on the door, and 1t told him Mt
once that John Gilbert had passed on,
never more to be vexed with the strug-
gle Of the life that now is on the
earth.
The week following was one Of the
most trying that Malcom Kirk ever
knew. The funeral Of John Gilbert
was held In the seminary chapel and
attended by the professors and towns
people generally. Dorothy's aunt was
with her. Kirk had no opportunity to
see Dorothy and be to her the comfort
he longed to be. 1t was agony to him
after the funeral was over to think
that there across the campus In the
great house was the woman he loved
passing through great sorrow, and he
had no right to 60 to her and share
that sorrow with her. He felt as II he
could not break in on her grief to speak
even Of his love. So the days passed
restlessly for him, and he tried to work
on his report but made very utt1e reot