The Washington times., 1903-06-28

After fulfilling which latter duty ne
1 retired 10 his cabin and resumed the la
/ boriOus composition OF his letter
A glimpse of what he was writing would
have amazed any man who knew him.
For to everybody who knew him. with
one possible exception, DR.. Walden was
! matter-of-fact. rather unsympathetic,
wholly unromantic man. of nearer fifty
than forty; whereas the letter that was
slowly developing under his pen might
almost have been written by a sentimen-
/ tai youngster In the rapturous agonies OF
Z first love. Nobody would have credited
I the doctor with possessing the smallest
streak OF sentiment anywhere in his ro-
bust. substantial person. He never sus-
/ pected it himself even untils three years
( ago.
Three years ago he met in Ioudon
/ the girl he told himself he had been
/ looking for ali his life. She was nearly
twenty years his junior. but what did
that matter? Her people had been rich
and proud, and now, through recent
I financial disasters, they were poor and
prouder, but what did all that matter,
( either? He loved her. and cared for
nothing else If she could only love him.
/ He had been impelled 10 tell her so;
I for his ingreined hardness and self-re-
straint had failed him at the first touch
/ Of this bewiidering passion that. so
/ long a-coming. subdued him utterly at
1 last. She heard him with pity in her
4 eyes but not love; AMI she told him,
with only pity in her tones, that the
man she loved was dead and her heart
was buried with him.
/ Later he learned the story that lay
behind her words. and saw more hope
| in It for himself than she had given
him, for surely his living love Of Ter
could, In due time, win her away from
/ the memory Of a dead rival Beginning
TO Gatter himself that she was already
/ reIenting toward him, he had appealed
10 her again before he last left homo,
AMI she had seemed 20 waver-she ST.
fenced him TREMENDOUSLY, and lad
seemed to hesitate; and feeling that
each new day put a new barrier be-
tween her and her past and removed
one from betwixt himself and her. he
would not takes her answer then. but
begged her 70 think OF all It must mean
TO him and let him ask her for It. once
for all. when he came home from his
next voyage.
He was speeding homeward now. and
the letter was to prepare her for his
coming
He wrote # with so many pauses for
reflection that by 10 O'Clock it was still
unfinished. when. mindful OF his patient,
he relocked It in his desk.
No. Is was awake, but drowsy with
sheer weakness.
"The chests still troublesome he an
swercd. with feeble cheerfulness. but
I'm a trile better, thanks"
The doctor was not so sure of that.
We've got to keep your strength up
somehow" he said. adding. TO the
steward: Get some beef tea for him.
Barrow. I'll stay here while you're
gone"
The dim. stufy little cabin was silent
for a while. except for the labored res
piration Of the sick man, who present
~, becoming aware Of the doctors rumi-
nant scrutiny, reused himself to speak.
IF I don't pull through this. doc
tor"
Don't worry about that; you viii"
But IL don't-T'm not afraid OF
dying. I've been near 10 II too often for
that; and yet, now IL seems harder than
ever fl did before"