The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-05-12

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. o.o.o.,.o.es2s9y2.0
* BY ALICE MACK. ~
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THE doctor looked into the woman's
brave eyes and slowly pronounced
her sentence. @5. r
..The operation must take place with
in q few days Or"
Cor what?"
cit may be too late to operate at all"
'And-I will get through. it safely?"
II hope So"
"'You are not sure. You think there
is risk?" -.
.taThere is always a risk in every
operation" he answered, eyasively. ..
Tell me the truth, doctors I can
bearsit." az Il UT 4
The old man looked into the desper-
ateseyes and put his hand gently on
the woman's shoulder.
'.You are brave woman. will tell
you the truth. This operation will be
a very serious one-in fact, there is
only, a chance that you will survive it.
But there is chance, and for the sake
of 1t you must not lose heart" q
couldn't l wait till next month
just for few weeks longer? 1t surely
would not make any difference If it
was postponed till then"
'eMy child" the doctor answered, "if
f0v
even one week, you will lose one chance
of recovery. Besides, YOU will srffer
such agony that your life will be un-
bearable. Let me advise you, and
make up your mind to So through II
Immediately" W a I s -
Immediately p? ~
.sWithin the next few days. YOU
must go into the hospital tomorrow to
be prepared for it."
Then he explained the arrangements
he would make for her, and after lis
tening In dazed, half-stupfd fashion,
Elizabeth said "good-by" to him. and
YEARLY went out in the cold and dark
ness of the evening.
She drove along in hanson with
tears running down her white cheeks,
and her heart -rebelling at the cruel
hand of Fate that had so unsparingly
dealt her this blow. Had she deserved
it? Was this trial sent to her because
she had set one man upon pedestal
and worshipped him to the exclusion
of the whole world? Or was it because
she, like fool. had thrust away with
laughing eyes the happiness. that had
been held out to her, and the gods had
guessed it was only a freak, and were
Furnishing her because she insolently
played with the best thing they had
to give? Six months ago, when David
Moore had started to tell her how dear
she was to him, she had stopped him
with laugh, and had warned him that
it would be wiser to wait till he re-
turned from abroad before he decided
that she was the "only woman in the
world" She did not know why she
had done it; why, when her heart was
craving for his love, she had coquetted
and warded him off. But right deep
down she knew that it was for his own
sake to give him a fair chance of see
ing other younger, more beautiful
women, before she let him tell her that
she was the best of all.
ell be back in six months, Eliza
BETH he said, holding her hands
tightly, and looking into the sweet
gray eyes. "I'll come straight to you
You will listen to me then; you will
then believe that am in earnest .
And, so he left her.
And now the six months were at an
end; for that morning telegram haG
come telling her of his arrival in En-.
gland and to expect to see him to.
night.
She had lived every hour of her life
in these months for David; everything
she did was for his sake-was to please
him. And now, when the time hal
really come, and he would be with hel
in few hours, she must gather ur
her strength and send him away with
out word of love. without a sign o.
regret.
It was because the pain had waget
SO fiercely through the night that sh,
determined to go to a doctor to beg fol
something to give her relief, for tn,
time at least. She had gone, and has
had her sentence pronounced.
Although he had not actually said so
Elizabeth guessed that even if she di,
survive the operation she would Away
be weak, delicate woman. And in he
great love she decided to sacrifice eve,
one hour Of joy-she could never bea
to be a drag on David, she must sen
him away again without explaining tn
reason. - s
When she arrived at the house W Ter
she lived in Kensington, sho trfne
down tho lanina under their red Shade