The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-12-31
WIEDERSEHEN.
BY IDA sHEPLER.


 denly, Dr. McGregor felt his hand arr rested on the door of that luxurious waiting room crowded with suffering humanity, each patiently waiting it's turn for the decision of this famed specialist upon its own particular trou- ble. A face had come before him, a vague cry as of one he loved, and | in deep anguish had come to him. | Quickly closing the door upon the wait | ing room he walked to a window of | the room facing the street and looked anxiously out upon the hurrying | throng. Why had this strange feel | ing as of nearness of trouble come to him?
 Tall and compact, goodly of face, with the strong virility of youth ra- diating his whole being, was Dr. Mo- Gregor. Men said that he had come early into fame because Of his winning presence, and his tenderly sympa- thetic tone and way with women, but women themselves felt that his sym pathy was for the whole race of wom- ankind. and that for one special wom- an he had no real love. no care. How little they knew. th Back in his life. when from the granite hills and a barren home, he had struggled up to win a place in the world. had been born an ideal picture in his mind of the woman he would some day win. Good and honest she would be-that went without a thought. Softly dainty of form, gra- cious of manner. with slumbrous dark eyes. and curling tendrils of dark hair. That was her picture ,sketched from a dream. In time he came face to face with her-at the bedside of her dying father--and she was the be- trothed of another. and that man, Dr.. McGregor knew o'be secretly one that no good woman could love did she once guess at but half the life of sin he lived.
 Madeline Lester had not guessed the love and interest she had awak- ened in the heart of her fathers phy- sician. but another had and this was a large. fair-haired woman, the wife of Madeline's only brother. Together the brother and sister shared the home of the father, and equally shared tho large fortune he had amassed, when he was gone. That the wife of Eldon Lester was a noted adventures all people but the Lesters seemed to know. That the moment her husband came into his inheritance she set about dissipating 1t was as equally well known. and that she made no se- cret of her infatuation for the af- fianced of her husbands sister was soon the talk of the town. Then came other rumors that Madeline knew of | this and had broken her engagement. Next. that she was in bad health pre- sumably from sorrow because of the duplicity of her lover. and had gone travelling in search of health. Any way. for two years now she had dropped completely out of hearing or sight of society. As Dr. McGregor drummed upon the window fame, her name came to
 him. and vague feeling that from somewhere she was calling to him. And then, with a start, he realized that
 finely caparisoned horses and a car riage had drawn up to the curbing in front of his office. and a slender. white gloved hand had opened the
 carriage door. and sweet face. now white and sad, and surrounded with fE halo of cfepe. had Appeared fin It. With a hoarse cry, Dr. McGregor
 dashed out the window to let himself
 the more quickly through, for at that
 instant he realized that a young girl, driving an automobile at reckless speed, had lost control of 1t, and cut
 ting a swath through the crowd, it was making straight for Madelines S
 carriage.
 Jump to one side, quick, Miss Les-
 ter" Dr. McGregor called loudly, | striving to reach her. Instead, she
 threw herself forcibly. and with q
 strange, choking cry of relief, back
 under its tearing speed, and then was
 turned over and under splintering
 wood and struggling, dying horses
 Madly. Dr. Gregor tore at the de- oris above her head Dead. she could not help but be, and yet when he | reached her, she languidly opened her eyes. Don't you dare to touch me-" she called sharply, seeing that his arms were reached to assist her. T am not even hurt. Oh, God, I am not
 to be granted the right to die as
 others die That girl is dead. and | I-l live. This world Is wrongfully
 made. wrongfully ruled" Then, shak- ing the dust from her torn garments, Madeline turned to inquire for her | coachman. and finding that he had bounded to place of safety, making
 no comment on her ruined carriage | and dead horses, she said to the doc
 tor now regarding her with wonder
 ing eyes: Can you spare me just | five minutes of your precious time.
 Just that many. no more." There was
 ring of hopeless woe in her voice.
 a deep trace of agony now creeping | over the lovely face. Dr. McGregor | followed instead of led her to his most ! private consulting room. Mechanical l ly, she laid aside her veil and hat. Dr. l McGregor shivered with the intensity | of his conflicting thought. Lovely
 she had always been, but now the 1 loveliness had merged into something
 so white and appealing. How could
 he stand afar from her as she had
 motioned him in imperative manner to do.
 When she had withdrawn her white
 gloves. and barred one rounded white
 arm to the shoulder. white save some | llvid marks above the elbow. she said.
 low and tense: T know that l can | trust you. My old doctor, you know
 him. dropped dead last week For
 two years secretly he has give me
 every chance, every hope that science
 holds out to cure the disease. At first
 we both hoped 1t might not be the real
 disease. Simply something curable
 that simulated it. but of late I could
 tell that he had lost hope. He died
 with my secret deep in his heart. Oh
 what will I do, Dr. McGregor, what
 will I do? can see from your face
 that there is no hope. Nothing but
 to go away, away from the world into
 those awful places. shut In with the | living dead. I have gone to see them from without. Better, better a sui
 eide's grave. Oh, that I could brave
 it.
 The agony in her voice was no
 greater than that showing on the
 mans face. In spite of her protests
 he drew near and touched her hand;
 How long has this gone on. Madeline
 And does your brother and lover know | of it?"
 Sadly she looked into the eyes bent
 so closely upon her own. You know l I yNa