Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-05-27
THE CONSEQUENCE.
ss:ssssMsss.

,.lopn' CO HE doctor looked into the wom-
eaai ans brave eyes and slowly pro-
nOunced her sentence.
"The operation must take place with
In few days Or"
egA "Or what"
more 1T may be too late to operate at ALL"
ak ''And-I will get through it safely? ?"
" ga II hope So"
tim "You are not sure. You think there
udIl. Is riskT'
Dent There is always a risk in every
patas operation" he answered evasively.
d til Tell me the truth, doctor; can bear
'we it."
ful The old man looked into the desper-
effort ate eyes and put his hand gently on
gns the woman's shoulder.
may You are brave woman. will tell
} toll you the truth. This operation will be
nysl very serious one-in fact, there is
eren only chance that you will survive it.
der h But there is chance, and for the sake
Lg1 OF 1T you must not lose heart"
good Couldn't l wait till next month
DO ID just for few weeks longer? 1t surely
with was postponed till then"
,ens my child" the doctor answered, III
y b we postponed 1t for a few weeks, for
ther even one week, you will lose your one
is a chance Of recovery. Besides, you will
IS ID suffer such agony that your life win
ly b be unbearable. Let me advise you and
h tu make up your mind to 60 through it
Immediately"
Immediately"
''Within the next few days. You
49,, must 90 Into the hospital tomorrow to
a. be prepared for it."
=, Then he explained the ARRANGEMENTS
=, he would make for her, and after lis
i, tening In a dazed, half-stupid fashion,
m, Elisabeth said "good-by" to him, and
"A, wearily went out in the cold and dark
: =, ness OF the December evening.
T., She drove alone in hanson with
". tears running down her white cheeks,
!, A. and her heart rebelling at the cruel
:, hand Of Fate that had so unsparingly
ANN dealt her this blow. Had she deserved
1tf Was this trial sent to her because
she had set one man upon a pedestal
ana worshiped him to the exclusion Of
dh the whole world? Or was it because
en- she, like fool, had thrust away with
o. Laughing eyes the happiness that had
sd been held out to her, and the gods had
4 guessed 1t was only freak, and were
Furnishing her because she insolently
I 7 played with the best thing they had to
give3 Six months ago, when David
u Moore had started to tell her how dear
sne was to him, she had stopped him
s with laugh, and had warned him that
ID At would be wiser to wait till he re-
,n turned from abroad before he decided
St that she was the ''only woman in the
H world" She did not know why she
BIZ had done it; why, when her heart was
II craving for his love, she had coquetted
/ ana warded him off. But right deep
down she knew that it was for his own
qT sake, to give him fair chance of see-
ang other younger, more beautiful
NJ women, before she let him tell her that
ui she was the best Of ALL
: I'll be back in six months, Eliza
y beth" he said, holding her hands, tight
b ", and looking into the sweet gray
u eyes. "I'll come straight to you. You
V VIII listen to me then; you will then
4 believe that am in earnest" And 80
4 he left her.
h And now the six months were at an
. end; for that morning telegram had
y come telling her of his arrival in Eng
land, and to expect to see him tonight
She had lived every hour Of her life
IN these months for David; everything
ehe Did was for his sake-was to
please him. And now, when the time
1ad really come, and he would be with
nr in few hours, she must gather
up her strength and send him away
Wltnout word Of love, without sign
Of resret.
Il vas because the pain had waged
90 ncrcely through the night that she
detcrmined to go to doctor to beg
Tor something to give her relief, for
the Time at least. She had gone. and
had had her sentence pronounced.
Aitnough he had not actually said 40
Nlxabeth guessed that even II she did
survive tho operation she would al