The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-02-18


momeDtary confusion, and Us sdid;
/ ''You must excuse me; / came to see
your father. l am very anxious to see
him and shnll be under obligations to
you II he can come down to Hope
House as soon as he returns"
he turned and walked out into the
hall, where he turned again toward her
and gravely bowed.
GOOD evening" he said coldly. He
said It coldly because his heart was
beating 80 fiercely that he was afraid
to betray his emotions She did not
say a word, only looked at him as he
| slowly walked to the door As he
opened II she said In a whisper, "Johnw
He never heard. Is love then both
blind and deaf7 Yea; It is sometimes,
when the lovers are both high spirited.
strongly individual and sensitive. And,
alas for John Gordon, he neither saw
nor heard, aud walked out into the
night, wretched at heart and cast down
, In his emotions. When he was gone,
Luella laid her head again on her arms,
and when Mr.. Penrose a little later
sent In his card she excused herself
from seeing him owing to illness. 1t
was the world old illness. which love
creates when it is bafied, buffeted, dis
honored or misunderstood.
! John Gordon had not been back to
Hope House ten minutes when VIII
liams called him up and said that Bar
ton was conscious and had called for
his friend, Gordon at once went out
and was soon by Barton's aide.
The nurse and doctor and Harris
were there and Gordon knew that Bar
toms hour had come. The nrst word
that Barton spoke was a request that
no be permitted to talk to Gordon alone.
The others went into the next room,
and Gordon kneeled and put his hand
on that Of his friend.
'John," Barton whispered in his old
whimsical manner "the old cough n
like a daily paper, II has the last word.
No use to reply or explain. The editor
can get back at you in the next num-
ber I'm done for as the pancake said
when II was turned over"
He stopped and with great effort
= raised up n little. Gordon supported
him.
"rherc, feel little easier. | never
wanted to die lying down. What
wanted TO say, John, there arc two let.
ters, love letters, John, from the old
lady. Ef1ngham, you remember They
are In my desk. Read them when
am gone The second one only came
! this morning. don't know what Is IN
4, It. But you open-and read IT,
Gordon was crying lie could moi
keep back the tears OF affection. Hi
love for Barton was almost like TIM
l OF the love between man aud woman.
i Don't cry. John, What's the differ
= ence; There's one thing hope-yo,
7 aud Luyllu- the coughs going 10 60
me. Don't let people look at me. I'm
not a handsome man as ! used to ht
There's one thing
9 The voice sank. and yet even I'm tina
u lust struggle the change from his al
parcut hppancy To the profoundcs
o seriousness was like the change frOu
g sun TO shade zone thing John One
you said / never. loved amy one. Nv
left some books aud things to Hop
. House. There's money enough to bur
Il mo directions In desk-don't have
procession over mile long" TIL
voice cam. back to its seriousness
= again. You said / never loved m
Q Oue- Grace Andrews -Juhu- on uu,s.i
stand The eye spoke the rest An
IN the tumumOus grief that iloodc
John Gordou's soul ne lillcd IN th
J. broken gaps OF thnt sorrowful bu
fragrant romance. The voice was
whisper when II spoke again. NO us'
d don tell her only add 20 her burden
d God bless her best woman In this CIT
} sho"--
y The voice went out altogether am
John Gordon realized that tlic spiri
/ OF that brave heart would soon ceas
u from all the earth's struggles. II
4 summoned the doctor again and th
q nurse and Harris came In. There wa
nothing 70 do. Gordon held his han
o ,s tho nlPht dcepened. Nenr mldnlgh
n lc rallied and whispered "a Gordon
e with smile: II love you, John. Gooo
. by."
p Az 2 o'clock hls spirit quietly wen
Is out like a child falling asleep an
D. Go.don rose and passed into the othe
lr room, trying to realize what all thi
meant, n richer man for this eXper
d ence OF human friendship, but a poore
r man for the loss out OF his earth strue
gle Of one OF the bravest, tenderes'
% truest souls hls manhood would eve
q know
n Dear Davidl" he said and let III
D. tears how unrestrained. "Your hops
Ie less love story. Hopelessf DID eve
man love a woman like Grace Andrew
D. without ennobling himselfr' And whe
~ q little later he went IN aud saw th
70 cold, pale face he thought he could Sc
g there the triumph OF loves great Wor
pr 10 the glory which II always leave