The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-10-17
O V THE C0NOUERQR.

I never knew her till she was dying.
She was dying, they told me, and then
I began to discover her value.
I was in, the sitting room and the doc
tors were saying:
"For Gods sake go to her now, Mar
tin"
"Why?" I said, for I seemed bewil-
dered. I was trying to understand what
it could all mean.
"Is the man a brute ?" burst out the
doctor.
[ looked down at her work basket on
the little table by me. There were my
gloves I could not find this morning. I
had been in a rage with her last week be-
cause the buttons had come off, and what
is the good of a woman if she can't keep
husbands clothing in repair? I had
thrown the gloves at her and gone out
and bought another pair with the money
she had asked me to give her for some.
thing or other.
Don't you hear what I say? I tell
You she's dying, and she's been asking
for you"
'Nhy? What does she want with
me ?" l heard myself speaking, but I felt
queer; | was trying to understand what
it meant. She was dying. Strange!
"Don't argue with him." said her sis.
ter, who had come over to see her yes
terday, and was stopping-I hardly knew
why, "He's utterly heartless, and my
darling, my darling's dying of a broken
heart! He's killed herr" She began to
cry, so that I could not hear what else
she was saying. I felt myself looking at
her; she hurt me.
The doctor turned away sharply, and
walked out of the house. Then it dawned
upon me that Phyllis wanted me, and
she vas dying.
Il think I'm going up to see Phyllis"
said +.
Leeta gave a little scream, as if my
indifference was more than she could
she did not know how stunned
l felt.
The sun was shining in through
Phyllis window. I don't generally notice
such things, but it struck me now that 1t
looked pretty and comfortable. Then I
turned to the bed, and Phyllis great eyes
were fixed upon me.
swell, my DEAR" said I, for nothing
else came into my head to say, II hope
you are feeling pretty we'll this morning"
l stopped suddenly. for l remembered
that they had told me she was dying.
She answered nothing, but her eyes
to the core OF my bosom, COM
me to speak.
"It's a nice day; I'm thinking of run
ming over to-
What was I saying?"
Great heavens, Phyllis, why don't you
speak?"
She turned her head, and the nurse
hurried forward, giving me a look that
drove me out of the room. Women are
queer; they never seem to understand
a fellow.
On the stairs I met Leeta.
"Stop!" she cried, "you shall not 20
until you know what I think of you.
if only it could do my darling any
good! Coward and wretch = = y
you've killed her, you've killed one of
Gods angels. y Oh, what shall I
She loved him, she worshipped
him, and he-he's killed her!!"
"Look here, Leeta," said I, "I'm not
SO1IS ~ SCA1lu Ll11S. L uOu y huOW "lldL
you mean. You must be hysterical."
With that I pushed past her, and shut
myself up in the sitting oom.
Wherever I looked there were evil
dences Of Phyllis. The smoking cap she
lad embroidered for me, and which I had
into the corner. Had my care.
hurt her?) Her poor little at
at sketching, hung in dark places,
perhaps because I had not expressed
admiration. Her work-she was
busy-hec house bag, her memo
slate. I looked at the list Of
things she had scrawled upon it:
RS gloves to be mended.
Old dress to be sent Mrs. D.
Call on old Smith (beef tea this time).
R. liked the Welsh pudding.
R. wants his summer coat for Tuesday.
l shut the drawer with a bang.
It was five years since I led her home.
That day she had looked 80 young-long
ago it was, 1 had almost forgotten it. I
her in this room-I had given up
soon enough. I was not a senti-
mental man, and I always made a point
concealing my feelings even from the
wife of my bosom. She was sensible, and
had taken me as I wished. She never
never wept. She suited me
exactly, and I didn't think she minded
me exploding now and then; in business
l had to restrain my natural irritability,
so I let it off on her, and she had never
made a fuss about it. Broken her. heart?
Pshaw! Was Leeta delirious? A brute!
A heartless monster? Coward and
wretch? What names they had been
calling me! But Phyllis was dying; they
said she was dying.
If she would come down to me, I would
take her into my arms and tell her that
she was the only thing on earth 1 loved.
| couldn't do without her. no one else
knew my ways. No, 1 couldn't tell her
all l was thinking; I was amazed myself
as l began to realize her value. Her sis.
ter called her one of Gods angels; she
was more, for she was a woman. And
had broken her heart-my God. how!
An, If she would but come down, I'd tel
her: I'd tell her. I oughtn't to have con-
cealcd my feelings so Completely; I never
dreamed that she would think 1 had
ceased to care for her because it wa not
ny way to be sentimental. I had got
into the habit of speaking toughest when
I felt softest. I had got into q lot Of