El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-31
Won by Waiting.

StssSssSsssssssssss;7sesS
The plain fact stared Will Spencer ev
err in the face that Helen Raymond did
not love him, and that Mrs. Raymond
had urged his suit and exerted her mater
nal influence and eloquence until Helen
had consented to be his wife, telling him
very frankly that her heart was in the
grave of her lover, George Vanhorn,- who
had been killed in a railway collision
nearly one year before.
Will Spencer WINGED, for he was rich,
very rich: but then he put to the wound
that soothing salve, Il will win her love
when she is my wife," that has wrecked
so many lives.
After the laspe of several months he
won Mrs. Raymond to his side, and so by
proxy wooed Helen and won-what?
cold, reluctant consent to be his wife.
Mrs. Raymond made a suggestion. IL
want you to go away for a month";" she
said to him. "and let Helen miss the con-
slant devotion that she has had since
your betrothal. Let her feel that void
has come into her life and how dull and
cheerless It would be il she lost you. The
wedding day is set for June 10. and this
Is April. Stay away until the 9Th or 9Th
, of June"
1t gave him the first really happy mo-
ment of his engagement when Helen said
gently. yet with shudder:
81 cannot bear to think of you on rail-
way trains, Will. Write often. that 1
may know you are safe"
Her lips met his in tender pressure
such as a loving sister might bestow, but
with far more affection than she had
ever before given him. The hope made
this unexpected absence endurable. and
! for two weeks life held more pleasure
than it had done in all the days of his
courtship.
Then came a blow-sudden, sharp,
overwhelming. He was in a large west
his hotel man on clutches asked for
charity. The voice was familiar, and In
a shock of horror the face struck him..
George VanSornp'
Let me go. Spencer!' the crippled man
pleaded. 81 didn't recognize you. Don't
you know l am deadY"
81 know you are coming in here with
me-" VIII said gently, substituting his
arm for one of the clutches and entering
the hotel. where he had a room. He
would not let his guest speak until he
had ordered n supper and made him COM
Portable. Then, turning to him. he saw
that he was weeping.
"See what n woman you make of mel"
the poor fellow said You thought
was deaI?'
"Yes. All your friends think SOL
at was n narrow escape, and 1 wonder
why / was spared. Nine months in a
public hospital have left me crippled and
incurably i'll. They would not keep me
after could get about on crutches, but l
have begged or starved. and it will not
be for long! l would not let any one
know for fear it would get to-to-Hel-
emp
You want to hide from herr"
"Yes-yes! What would her life be
tied to mine? You will not betray me,
Spencer?"
"But you may recover"
mo. 1 should be only a wreck il
could. but cannot"
Will Spencer literally could not speak.
This man asked of him only the silence
that would give him his wife. And then.
true, unselfish love triumphed.
"She will never marry me" VIII
thought ruefully as he folded a long.
long letter. But she shall not be cheat
ed out of what little happiness life may
still hold for her."
He wrote, too, to Mrs. Raymond a let
ter that caused that respectable lady to
grind her teeth, but which she obeyed.
packing her trunk and accompanying
Helen in the journey westward. 1t was
Will Spencer who met the two at the de-
pot and accompanied them to the board
ing house. where he kept Mrs Raymond
in the parlor after sending Helen up
stairs alone. 1t was VIII Spencer who
smoothed away every difficulty, engaging
rooms for mother and daughter and qui-
city effacing himself.
George Vanhorn was resolute on one
point lie would not marry Helen. He
had no hope of recovery. but if the unex-
pected should happen he would not risk
running Helen's life by binding it to his.
''Oh,' she would cry, "what an / to
deserve the love of two such menu
Mother, it humbles me to think how they
love me-"
And by this love her courage was sus-
tanned through the three months when
she and her mother smoothed George
Vanhorn's path to the grave. Will Spen-
Ger never spoke of love to her. giving her
up entirely. but upon her lover he law
ished every kindness wealth could pro-
cure or friendship dictate.
1t was three years later when he came
home from a European tour and called
on Mrs. Raymond.
Mrs. Raymond. sir. is dead" the serv-
ant told him. land Miss Helen's living
in - street She's come into some
money from her uncle. sir. and Mrs. Ora
dy took this house. sir"
Come into some money! Well, she
did not need him. He would wait awhile.
But in a few days little note reached
him:
1T was unkind to let me hear of your
return by accident. Will you not come to
see me?"
And when he went he could not keep
the love out of his eyes or his voice. and
she-at last, Her eyes dropped under
his gaze. her cheeks bluShed for him,
her voice faltered with tenderness. And
k< b., hn