The Newtown bee., 1901-11-08


young girl, SO like that Ogden Greene S
wife had been Is years before that
Thedosia involuntarily exclaim ''Phoe-
be, cam to the door. Beyond her
Theodosia saw the white-capped nurse.
Her voice trembled.
"Does-does-W Wesley Brooke live
here:' she asked
The young girl nodded.
"Yes. But he is very i'll at present
No one is allowed to see him.
Theodosia put up her hand and
loosened her bonnet strings. as if they
were choking her. She had been sick
with the fear that Wesley would be
dead before she got to him. The re-
lief was almost overwhelming.
''But l must see him. she cried
hysterically-She, calm, eaSy-goin ing
Dosia historical. I'm his wife-and,
oh, if he had died before l got here"'
The nurse came forward.
''1n that case | suppose you must, -
she said heSitatingly. But he does
not expect you. l must prepare him
| for the surprise"
She turned to the door of a room
opening off the kitchen, but TheodOSia,
who had hardly heard her, was before
her. She was inside the room before
the nurse could prevent her. Then
she stood, afraid and trembling, her
eyes searching the dim apartment
hungrily.
When they fell on the occupant of
the bed TheodOsia started with the
shock of bitter surprise. All I'M
consciously She had been expecting to
find Wesley as he had been when they
parted. Could this gaunt, haggard
creature with the unkempt beard and
prematurely gray hair, and the hollow,
beseeching eyes be the ruddy, boyish-
faced young husband of her youth?
She gave choking gasp of fear and
shame and pain and the sick man
turned his head. Their eyes met.
Amusement, incredulity, hope,
dread, all flashed in succession over
Wesley Brooke's lined face. He raised
himself feebly up.
'DoSia." he murmured.
Theodosia staggered across the room
and fell on her knees by the bed. She
clasped his head to her breast and
kissed him again and again.
''Oh, Yves, Yves, can you forgive me?
I've been wicked, stubborn woman
and I've spoiled our lives. Forgive
me-"
He held his thin, trembling arms
around her and devoured her face with
his eyes.
"Dosia, when did you come? Did you
know l was sick?'
Ewes, l can't talk till you say you've
forgiven me.'
"Oh, DOsia, you've just as much to
forgive. We were both too set. l
should have been more considerable"
''Just say L forgive you, Dosia," she
entreated.
81 forgive you. Dosia," he said gen.
tly, land, oh, it, so good to see you
once more darling. There hash t been
an hour since left you that l haven't
longed for your sweet face. If l had
thought you really cared I'd have gone
back. But l thought you didn't. 1t
most broke my heart. You did,
though, didn't you?'
"Oh, yes, yes, yes" she said, holding
him more closely, with her hair falling.
When the young doctor from Red
Butte came that evening to see his
patient he found algreatimprovement
Joy and happiness, those world-old
physicians, had done what drugs and
medicine had failed to do.
''I'm going to get better, doc" said
Wesley. My wife has come and she's
going to stay. You didn't know 1 was
married, did you? I'll tell you the
story some day. proposed going back
East but Dosia says if it's all the same
to me she prefers to stay here. I'm
the the happiest man in Red Butte,
doc"
He squeezed Theodosias hand as he
had used to do long ago in church and
Dosia smiled down at him. There
we're no dimples now, but her smile
was very sweet. The ghostly finger of
old Henry Ford pointing down through
the generations, had lost it's power to
brand with it's malediction the life and
happiness of these, his descendants.
Wesley and Theodosia had joined
hands with their long-lost happiness.