The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-11-06

murmur and the Doctors II anything
will. It's our only hoper and the p0r
there's fell on their retreating foot
| steps.
when Royal looked consciously into
Sweethearts eyes for the first time in
weeks he tainted. when he recovered
the doctor withdrew rEd then. though
the girl begged him not 10 talk, he In.
sisted upon telling her the truth-that
he had not run 10 her assistance, az
we all believed, but had in his terror
utterly forgotten her.
I'm coward" he protested in
agony, and not fit 10 look in your
face
Then Sweetheart, at her wits end
for his safety, said-what had In no
wise been in her mind a moment be-
fore
"'Well, I'm going 10 marry you any.
how; I've sent for minister, and
wen be married right here in half an
hour. II what you've been telling
me now is true, ana not some night.
mare Of weary brain, you're hun.
dred times Drawer than we all believed
you-Just the telling makes hero Of
you
"A light seemed 10 break over the sick
man-perhaps, after all, there were
different kinds Of cowardice. He lay
very still for a while, thinking, in his
weak, dazed way-and then:
DO you know, Sweetheart he said,
i think somehow I'm not afraid of-Of
animals any more; couldn't we have
"A lion at weddingr
Sweetheart laughed.
Wouldn't dog door a cowr
"'No,' he returned, with the child
ish persistency Of the weak, i want
lionn
"'Well make tour OF menagerics
on our wedding trip she smiled.
mo he pleaded (hc had evidently
accepted unquestionlngly her arrange
ment for immediate nuptialsJ; 1T will
be a long time before we can take
wedding trip-and / want the lion at
the wcdding-now"
"Then the doctor came back, and
took in the situation, after word or
two. His patient was cured even be-
yOnd his hopes, but he clung TO the
whim, which was, in truth. just the re-
heX phantom Of his madness-he
craved childishly now the one thing
he had all his life dreaded.
"Would bear dor the old man
asked, as If the sick mans desire
were the most natural thing conceiy-
able
"'Ycs, bear will do Royal an.
swcred, for all the world like a little
child deciding upon new toy.
Sweetheart opened her eyes, but
held her peace
IAN right, wen have one here 10y
dayIight-aud the ministcr'll be- here,
too, and you'll be we'll man before
you know it,
at was certainly the wcirdcst cerc-
mony ever seen. The December dawn
was just creeping through the shut
tcrs-thc bis brown cub, whose mother
the clergyman from the other side OF
the mountain had killed two winters
before and which had since lived in
his house and grown up with his chill
drcn, sat Solcmnly on the bed. ROys
arm about his neck, while his other
hand rested in SwCcthoart's, ana the
himself stood before the
three, reading the service, For some
incXplicahle reason the cub seemed 10
take n violent fancy 10 Roy, and was
reluctant TO leave him when his mas
tCrs duties were over, SO we let him
stay. and Royal fondlCd him as he
never had even n dog in all the other
years Of his life. When at last he
was able to I've moved and the Cali
fornia trip was rcplanned for the three.
the cubs master was induced TO part
with the pet, and when last heard
of thcm-thcy had settled near Bos-
ton. | think-thc big brown cub was
still one OF the family. which had been
increased, also hy little Royal, whose
hc was and who loved all
four-footed things as he did his own
kith ana kin."-Ncw Nor& Times.