The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-08-17

AOt Quite SoOu SuOuSu lOt &NduthS. Atc
was very fond of her, and she was hap
pier still until the other woman came.
Such a woman, Tatters! as beautiful
as an angei-you couldn't blame him
if you could see her. Nadine didn't
blame him, either, but it broke her
heart. They say people sometimes out
live even that trouble, but it isn't true.
not with a nature like hers If yoG
could only help her to forget, just for
q little while, Tatters, I'd love you as
long as i've"
Tatters kept his charge faithfully,
out it was vain to hope for success
where human ingenuity had failed.
Ted helped evade the dreaded climax
by reading all the newspapers carefully
before Nadine saw them to guard
against her seeing mention of his re-
turn, for which she watched and wait
ed, as dying man longs to be shriyen.
She put off the southwark fight day
by day. and meantime grew weaker.
paler and sadder; and Tediand Tatters
went about watching her with troubled
eyes.
Winter came with rush of icy Dir
and furry of snow that sent the fraiI
ones hurrying southward to kinder
climes. The others could not we'll be
spared from the busy round of socia.
life, so Ted went with his mother and
Nadine. The world lay shrouded in
white vestments through which the
train plowed u narrow track bearing
them farther and farther from their ac-
customed scenes. Tatters sat in Ma
dimes window looking wistfully out OF
The window at the flying panorama OF
skeleton trees and hedges till the train
stopped at wayside station. Ted took
him out for little walk, and HI,
scudded along the narrow path snifcn.
the frosty air delightedly, and present
~ disappeared under the car wheels, te
be caught up by someone on the op
posite side.
Ted heard a mans coaxing voice say
"Heilo. my beauty. Look. Tess, isn't
that perfect little beauiy?" The an
swer was delighted little feminine
exclamation, then a lady stepped, out
CT the coach and confronted him. fol-
lowed by Dion, who looked very wan
and weary beside that radiant visiol
Ted looked into her face and forgoi
everything but the thought that Ma
dine must not see them. He got pos
session of Tatters and walked the
length of the train and back before ht
dared to confront Nadine, andlthe traii
pulled off with.a few preliminary shocks
when he swung aboard the smoking
car. He sat staring duly before him
until he was recalled to realization oil
things tangible by keen sense of i'm
pending danger.
There was a shrek of escaping steam
q sickening crunch of wheels, an explo-
sive crash, then he was seized by somt
blind force and flung down amid the
debris of wreck. Tatter's doleful lit
tie whine recalled Ted's scattered
senses. He woke to find himself lying
in poor little roadside hut, where
they had carried the deadand wound
ed. Dion's wife lay not an arms
length from his couch, and beside him
sat Nadine unhurt.
TT is not fatal?" Dion asked in u
husky whisper.
The doctor moved away very softly,
but the dying woman read the bitter
truth in his eyes, and shivered with
mortal terror.
"Dying!" she cried, incredulously.
"Oh, no. 1t simply isn't poss:blel il
can't be; why should be chosen when
SO many others don't care to live! Oh,
no, not / life is far too sweet to diet"
| Tatters whined andl thrust his nose
close to Ted's face, and he opened his
eyes and smiled understandingly, then
| the clear, tuneful voice broke the
deathly silence again. "Dion. If it
should be true! am afraid TO die with
an unconfessed lie on my soul. 1t was
all my fault that she left you. want
ed you to believe Nadine unfaithful.
You'll forgive me, Dion, won't you. 1t
was because / loved you so-and she
couldn't have cared one hundredth part
as much as / do. You loved her, didn't
you, Dion? Yes, knew, but tried to
forget. If ! should die you will marry
her. Dion, / love you SO that wish
only for your happiness.
"But will not die. Dion, ! will not!"
the young voice trailed off in half a sob.
then woke again very faint ard tremu-
lous, like the echo of distant music.
"How dark it has grown!" it muir
INJURED. "Have they left us alone at
last, Dion? Come closer, cannot see
you"
There was no more sound or motion
from the darkened pallet; the long
lashes futtered down and lay like rays
of darkness on driven snow, and the
childish lips parted in faint, sweet
smile upon which death had set his
holy seal as If God had, forgiven her
guilty soul.
Roses everywhere! Stately bride
roses under fringed canopy of maiden
hair fern, long-stemmed beauties.
queens of hearts in such lavish com
fusion that Tatters was obngedto walk
very circumspectly through the maze
OF blossoming stuff to the window
where Ted stood with folded hands.
breast high, to rose bower.
There were white rose petals on the
sidewalk leading to the front entry and
three little urchins were chattering de-
lightedly over their trophies of an easy
conquest.
Tatters found little bare space on
the window and looked Nut too, but
failed to discover anything of signal
importance. So be frisked about until
Ted reused himself and took the fluffy