Mower County transcript., 1902-12-31

could see the doctors carriage before
the Gilbert house every morning. One
morning he saw the doctor go up the
steps with another man who entered
with him. The DOCTORS carriage re-
manned In front of the house that day.
until noon. In the afternoon Kirk call
ed to inquire, and the servant came out
at the back porch and told him Mr.. Gil
bert had been sinking rapidly. A cele-
brated physician from Boston had been
in consultation. and he said there was
little hope.
Kirk passed an almost sleepless
night, and next morning as he looked
across the campus he knew that the
woman he loved best was alone with
her grief. He could see the wreath of
flowers on the door, and it told him at
once that John Gilbert had passed on,
never more to be vexed with the strug-
gle Of the life that now Is on the
earth.
The: week following. was one Of the
most trying that .Malcom Kirk ever
knew. The funeral Of John Gilbert
was held in the seminary chapel and
attended by the professors and towns,
people generally. Dorothy's aunt was
with her. Kirk had no opportunity to
see Dorothy and be to her the comfort
he longed to be. 1t was agony to him
after the funeral was over to think
that there across the campus in the
great house was the woman he loved
passing through a great sorrow, and he
had no right to 60 to her and share
that sorrow with her. He felt as If he
could not break in on her grief to speak
even of his love. So the days passed
restlessly for him, and he tried to work
on his report, but made very little real
progress. He laid the miniature on
his table and tried to write with the
face looking up at him. but he made
no progress at all then, and the close
of the week found him walking his
room in great uncertainty of heart and
mind.
On Monday the week following he
was obliged to go down to Boston to
consult some authorities in Settlement
work, and when he came back the
next day the Gilbert house was closed.
and Dorothy and her aunt had gone to
Beverly.
It was the very next day that Kirk
saw in a Boston paper the name of
Francis Raleigh, arrived few days
before from Liverpool on the Cepha-
lonia. Looking over the columns a
little farther down, he saw in the To-
cal news from Beverly this statement:
'"Mr. Francis Raleigh. the Hermon
artist, recently arrived from years
study abroad. is the guest of Mrs. Ar
thur Penrose. sister of the late John
Gilbert"
That was all, but it reused Malcom
Kirk to instant action. He knew with
all the vigor and intensity of his deep,
honest nature that his love for Dorothy
Gilbert was now the largest part Of his
life. He had cOnsecrated his time and
strength to the ministry. He did not
deceive himself. He knew what such
| conservation meant. He faced, open
| eyed, the entire meaning of a minis
ter's career in home missionary
church "out west.''
But looking at it all through dis
passionate eyes he said as he walked
his study: ''She must choose between
| him and me. cannot go to my work
without speaking to her. My love for
her Is honest and true. and If God
grant that she can love me and share
| my life with me-
He left the rest unspoken, and, 60
| ing back to his desk, he sat down,
| trembling little as he put his face in
his hands and prayed that the hunger
| Of his heart might be satisfied. He
had made up his mind to act and act
| quickly, and once he had decided on
| his course he was free from all doubt
| as to it's wisdom.
He took the afternoon train for Bev-
erly and reached the place before dusk
Mrs. Penrose lived in one Of the hand
some summer villas near the sea. The
| whole place smote Kirk as with 4
! blow aimed at his poverty, his obscuri-
| ty, his whole future. And yet he said
! to himself as he walked up the steps
| that there was something in his life
| which money and all it's attendant ele-
gance could not buy, and he believed
that Dorothy Gilbert somehow, if she
| ever loved any one enough. would feel
the same way toward all the outward
| display Of wealth.
! The servant who came in answer to
| his ring said that Miss Gilbert had
gone out for walk and had not yet
returned. He at once asked for Mrs
| Penrose. When she came in where
Kirk was standing in the reception
room, she surprised him by greeting
him very warmly by name. He had
merely met her at the time of Mr.. Gil.
bert's illness, but not more than once
or twice and then very briefly.