The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1900-07-13

friendships. so she had no friend In
the world but Tom. Tom who had fol-
lowed his lifelong friend and sweet
heart TO Chicago and who had refused
TO be cstrangod or put at distance
So she ate out her heart In loneliness
and misery by day and by night and
wore her nerves TO pieces trying to
be gay ana 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 longed
to pass every possible remaining mo-
ment oi life at his side when an i'm
perltive business call took him away
from Chicago for a couple OF months.
Just when her distress was greatest
and left her 10 face her misery and
her desolation alone-alone. but free
from the necessity OF seeming glad,
nightly. for his sake. or OF making
such strenuous efforts to retain her So
cret But when Tom returned at the
the end Of the two months. TO ind 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 20 keep to herself stlll longer
DO you know. dearle." he told her
when the FIRST greetings were over.
that | am conceitcd enough 90 think
that you will be better when we are
married and I can take better care OF
You than can do now"
Then moved by sudden, uncon,rol-
liable Impulse. she told him all--that
they would never be married. that she
was doomed to death shortly. and was
oven now slipping out of existence
with every hour. And Tom met tho
miserable announcement with an In
credulty so utter and complete that
IL comforted even while II annoyed
her.
"whyi Your cough has almost left
you.darllng." no told her tsure enough.
It had. although she had been too
nervous and preoccupled to notice this
beforel. "and you don't look so much
IN to me as worried and over-anxlou-.
Then, too. the doctor didn't tell you
all this directly: you only overheard
him saying II. How do you know
that he was not speaking OF some one
else?"
which was Just what the doctor,
once they succeeded In obtaining an
interview with him. was fain to admit
that he must have done.
81 never said II 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.nnd the cough which trou-
bled you so sorely was but lingering
touch OF the influenza which had pros
trated you. WIN YOU" to his assist
ant, look up the date OF Miss Mar
garet Bentley's visit. II you plcase3 II
occurred about three months ago. Let
me see the book when you have found
the entry"
"Ah! Here we have H." he exclalm-
ed little later. Miss julia Larsen
was tho visitor who preceded you. and
II must have been OF her that I. was
speaking when you stole a 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 a reverenI
gravity. "Just week ago tomorrow
and you" nodding encouraglngly TO-
ward the thankful and trembling Mar
garet. will live to laugh at your re-
cent fears for many year longer un'
less some disease. ms powerful as un'
expected. should succeed In putting
you To rout."
They went out into the summer sun
shine. the two lovers. hand In hand
and silent from sheer gratitude ant
happiness. And that night Margaret
who had never before believed in tn,
efficacy or deslrablllty Of prayers fol
the dead-and who had found II al
most impossible to pray at all while
the sense OF impending dissolution
hung over her-passed half an honl
upon her knees by her bedside. pray
ing-praylng for that other girl In re
lief OF whose death sentence hat
como no blessed reprleve. -chlcag'
Tribune.