Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1904-12-29
! A NONANS SACRIFICE.

| ~ UR next-door neighbors have ar
W rived, Clay" said old Mrs Grin
die to her son, the doctor, as he
| came in from his round Of visits with a
weary look on his pale, handsome face.
Arrived, have they, mother? 1t
will be better than having an old emp
| ty house for neighbors, you think, ell?
Well, l hope it may prove So"
The old lady shook her head doubt
ingly.
They seem to be only men and boys,
| except q slip of a girl, who fitted
about here, there and everywhere, Civ
ing orders as though she had my gray
head upon her young shoulders"
The doctor laughed; but it was a
| tired laugh, and the old ears, listening.
were keen to detect the sound of wear
! mess.
You are tired, my boy she said.
mo, no." he answered. Not more
than usual. BY the way, mother, had
letter from Marjorie to-day. They
talk Of coming here next summer; but
She says it is impossible to carry out
my proposition of Il marriage in June
that her fathers eyesight is falling
! more and more rapidly, and that she
could not think Of leaving him."
'How long has your engagement
lasted, Clay?"
-Four years." lie said, despondingly.
) Markham's health you would have
been married long ago. Why can he
, not make his home with you?"
Il have proposed that to Marjorie;
, but she will not hear of it. She has an
| absurd idea that l might wake some
| fine day fancying him burden, and
all my eloquence to the contrary has
! been SO long wasted that have ceased
| to exercise it"
The summons to dinner at this mo-
ment interrupted them, and after the
| daintily served meal. seated before Il
blazing fire, in dressing gown and slip
| pers, DR.. Clay Crindle mentally con-
! graduated himself that his duties for
! the "a hours were ended.
But his congratulations were prema-
ture. A quick, sharp ring at the bell
startled him from his reverie.
| A lad stood on the threshold as the
servant opened the door.
MY father has been suddenly taken
Ill., he said. Il saw the doctors sign
this afternoon, and sister Eva told me
to ask him to come in at once, please.
We live next door-only moved in to-
day"
"All right; will be there in FIVE min
utes," the doctor called out
Again drawing on the boots he had
! been so glad to draw off. mentally
! matchmaking neXt-door neighbors in
| general and this case in particular, he
started on his unexpected Grand
! He had no need to ring the bell. The
boy who had come for him had sta
toned himself at the open door, and
motioned him to the stairs.
| At their head stood q girl. In that
moment he thought her but child; but
her air Of quiet dignity, as she held
out little, cold hand Of welcome, and
simply said, MY father you will find
very i'll, fear" made him glance again
| into her face, to see if indeed his moth
er's words were not true, and on these
slight young shoulders was not set a
gray head.
| Silently she led the way into the
room where the sick man lay He had
| taken a heavy cold and had been sud
denly seized with acute rheumatism.
| Instantly DR.. Crindle's professional
! eye saw that the case was well-nigh
| hopeless. He forgot his fatigue, his
annoyance, as he struggled with all his
| skill to battle the grim enemy, but In
vain. AS the morning sun came creep
Ing into the room long, low wall well
| coined it from that dimly lighted cham
Der, where a dead man lay.
The doctor lifted in his arms the
! slight, unconscious form, which had
! stood by his side SO bravely through
! these long hours, and bore it from the
place.
A week passed. The grave had re-
ceived its own; the house was silent
and gloomy. Eva took little note OF
anything save that 4 kind, motherly
face was constantly beside her, and
that many times a day some one en-
tered her room who brought with him
! an atmosphere OF strength and rest.
She grew to look for his coming and
to sink back into the old apathy when
he had gene; but she could not have
told whether he was young or old, or
described his face or form. Yet it was
this which made her look upon Dr.
Crindle and his mother as old, tried
friends. When the mists scattered at
last, and she knew that she must take
up life again, this newly laid burden
resting in all its WEAKNESS upon 1t, it
Vas to these friends she looked tor ad-