The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-07-07

the world but Tom, Tom who had fol-
lowed his lifelong friend and sweet
heart to Chicago and who had refused
to be %estranged or put at a 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 and cheerful during the even
ing hours which were spent with her
lover. And she was undoubtedly and
u~ndisguisedly thankful, dearly as she
loved him, and greatly as she longed
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 a couple Of months.
just when her distress was greatest
and left her to face her misery and
her d~esolation 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 n 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 I am conceited enough to think
that you will be better when We are
married and I can take better care OF
you than I can do now"
Then, moved by a 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 1t annoyed
her.
why! Your cough has almost left
you, darling" he told her @ure enough,
it had, although she had been too
nervous and preoccupied to notice this
before), sand you don't look so much
i'll to me as worried and over-anxious.
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?"
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 1t about you, my dear
Miss Bentley" he most emphatically
declared, "for nothing of the kind was,
or is, true. You were a little run down
and nervous when you consulted me-
that was all and the cough which trou-
bled you so sorely was but a 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, If you please? II
occurred about three months ago. Lei
me see the book when you have found
the entry"
"Ah! Here we have it." he exclaim,
ed a little later. Miss Julia Larsen
was the visitor who preceded you, and
It 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 reverent
gravity, "just a 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 a year longer I'M
less some disease. as powerful as I'M
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 and
happiness. And that night Margaret.
who had never before believed in the
efficacy or desirability of prayers for
the dead-and who had found it al.
most impossible to pray at all while
the sense of impending dissolution
hung over her-passed half an hour
upon her knees by her bedside. pray.
ing-praying for that other girl in re-
lief of whose death sentence had
come no blessed reprieve.-Chicago
Tribune.