The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-21

like a Hash or Color TO inc eye. 1ou
were bachelors first and last love,
and he will never forget you.
CHAPTER v.
Nv next call on Maitland was profess |
sional. found him abed and in a crit
ical condition.. I blamed myself se-
verely that I had allowed other duties
to keep me so long away, and had him
at once removed to the house, where
l might, by constant attendance in the
future, atone for my negligence In the
past. Despite all our efforts, however,
Maitland steadily grew worse. Gwen
watched by him night and day until
I was finally obliged to insist, on &C
count of her own health, that she
should leave the sickroom long enough
to take the rest she so needed. Indeed,
invalids upon my hands, but Gwen
yielded her place to Jeanette and AL
ice during the nights and soon began
to show the good effects Of sleep.
I should have told you that, during
all this time, Jeanette was staying
with US as guest. had convinced her
father that it was best she should re-
main with us until the unpleasant. no
sofstx e snbs 5y Ms TS Arrest tod hf d IN b
with frankness warranted, I
thought, by circumstances. that he could
not hope to live many weeks longer, and
that every effort should. be made. to
make the blow his death would deal
Jeanette as light as possible. At u this
will become of my child when I am
gone9' he moaned IT shall leave her
penniless and without any means Of sup
port.'
"My dear Mr.. Latour,'' I replied,
"you need give yourself no uneasiness
on that score; will give you my word
barrow and I live we will see that your
daughter wants for none of the necessi-
ties of ife-unless she shall find some
one who shall have better right than
either Of us to care for her." This
promise acted like magic upon him. He
sh0wsTed hs b hya e upon srn me- lex
from my heart, and I can now die in
peace!'' And so, indeed, he did. In
! less than a week he was dead. I had
prepared Jeanette for the shock and so
had her father, but, for all this, her
grief was intense, for she loved her
father with strength Of love. few chill
ever, her grief grew less insistent and
she began to gain something of her old
buoyancy.
In the meantime, Maitland's life
seemed to hang by a single thread. 1t
was the. very worst case Of nervous
prosytraation | had ever been called to
content if we enabled him to hold his
own. During all this time Gwen
watched both Maitland and myself with
a closeness that suffered nothing to es-
cape her. I think she knew the changes
in his condition better even than did.
Rn ralo 10
gular action on Gwen s part. doubt not
most Of her own sex would have consid.
cred it very unfeminine, but anyone
who saw it all as I did, could not, /
think, fall to appreciate the nobility of
womanhood which made it possible
acteristics usually eptomised in the cpl
: tibet "lady." She was woman, and
she possessed, in q remarkable degree
that fneness of fiber, that solidity OF
character and that largeness of SOU
which rise above the petty convention
. alities Of life into the broad realm OF
, the real verities of existence.
1t occurred on the afternoon of the
first day that Maitland showed the
; slightest improvement. I remember
} distinctly how he had fallen into. a
: troubled sleep from which he would oc
casionally cry out in half articulate
> manner, and how Gwen and I sat be-
side him waiting, for him to awaken
sleep that riveted our attention. II
tell you, Doc,' he muttered, "thc
3 love Of her burn my heart to cinder
will never trade upon her gratitude
3 nor seek to profit by the promise she
made her father. Never, so help me
. Gwen gave me one hurried, sweeping
D glance and then, throwing herself upo1
s the sofa, buried her face in the cush
ions. forbore to disturb her till
saw that Maitland was waking, when J
laid my hand upon her head and asked
her to dry her eyes lest he should no
: tice her tears.
Inlay I speak. to him7'' she said
could not divine her thoughts, as sh,
-, smiled at me thru her tears. but I hat
!, no hesitancy in relying upon her judg
> ment, so l gave her permission an(
t "Please don't go,'' she said to me
! ~ would prefer you should hear wha
8 I have to say" I reseated myself AM
4 Gwen drew near the bedside. Matt
r land was now awake and following he
;. every motion. ,~.I
. ~ have something I want to say t
9 you,'.' she said, bending over him. I'D
you feel strong enough to nstensn H
!, nodded his head and she continued
, GU nave already done great dea
t for me, yet I come to you now to as
j q further favor--I will not say a sac
! ridce-greater than al the rest. vii
t vibrant With tender earnestnes.
j. seemed to me irresistible.
}, ct will do anything in my power,
|, the invalid replied, never once movin
9 his eyes from hers.
s "Then Heaven grant it be with
your powerl'' she murmured, scarcel
n above whisper. 'tTry not to despis
Y me for what I am about to say. B
d lenient in your Judgment. My happ
n ness, perhaps my. very life, depend
q upon this issue. / love you more tina
y life: try to love me. If only littlel''
q :. I watched the effect Of this declar,
o tion with good. deal of anxiety. :Fc
d fully half a minute Maitland SCENE
j. to doubt the evidence Of his senses.
l. saw him pinch himself to see if h
n were awake, and being thus r.
!. assured, he said slowly: ctr
d A4o--love-.you!s In vain have
It tried not Glove you from the mi
II ment first saw you. Oh, my God! no,
70 I adore you'll He reached his arms OF
d toward her, and, in q moment, the
II were locked in each other 8 embrace.
TT saw the first kiss given and the
ID stole stealthily from the room The1
Or was now no need Of doctor. TT
Q. weird, irrisitible alchemy Of love WI
Ill at work and the reign Of medicine WI