Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29
In the Valley of
the Shadow
Continued from page s

| sworn fealty to a har and traitor. On L
know he loved me; but | loathed him all the
more because of that love. 1t had made him
false to you and to me.
Il cannot tell you what l suffered. No man
can know the pain of woman who IS married
to man she does not love, and when she
despises him. Oh, every sound OF his voice is
| torture, every touch OF his hand dehlement!
And all the time my sorrow was greater be-
cause l knew that you did not know the
truth-perhaps you had grown to hate me.
No, no, mol" she cried wildly, God could not
be so cruel as that Sidney, hear me calling
Come to me and tell me you did not hate
mel"
Then, for the second time, Wellrnan cried
out her name. But it was as if he had not
spoken. She did not hear him, but kept calling
his name and begging for his forgiveness. Was
not this tragedy indeed? She had been for
| given long ago. but she could not know, she
could not understand. He was there beside
| her, the loved one she calling for, and she
did not know. The pity of it turned Weman's
| pale face to gray. He laid his hand on hers,
| but it did not rouse her. And all the time
| Montgomery sat there motionless, his eyes
| his wife's face He did not shrink or start
even, when she told of her hatred of him. His
wretchedness was too great for any sign; but
you could see that his soul was whitening as he
sat there SO STILL For long time she only
moaned her plea for her lovers forgiveness.
| Then presently she began to speak again
| When | first learned the truth" she said
YEARLY, Il was dazed. | did not know what
to do. Then at last | realized that could do
| nothing; that | must suffer always until died.
| And then | prayed for death. | prayed for it
with all my strength, day and night | prayed
| for it, and at last God has listened to my sup
| plication, and it is conling-yes, it is coming
very fast. Sidney, if you were beside with
| forgiveness in your eyes, could die in peace.
What she was going to say we never knew,
for her voice choked and she fell back on her
pillow. In an instant Wellman was himself
again, the cool, self-reliant physician meeting
| death face to face and fighting it without fear
The crisisl he cried, as he sprang forward
| and lifted her in his arms. "Quickl'
| l was beside him in an instant l knew my
part perfectly, and handed him the medicines
| and the instruments he required lust as he
| had told me to do. With wonderful precision
| he fought that grim opponent. And in little
| while | saw that he was winning. Oh it was
| glorious to watch HIM meet death on equal
grounds and conquer il For it surely seemed
that he would conquer it. She passed through
the crisis in safety, and all that remained to do
was to administer the restorative at the
precise moment and she would live
He was holding the patient IN his arms, the
| restorative in his hand, when her lips moved
| and she began to speak again.
It's coming fast, Sidney dear" she muir
| INJURED family, " and am so gladi"
The words banished the physician and
| brought back the man. l saw him look at her
| in startled fashion, and then there fell upon
his face the shadow of a great resolution He
| laid her back upon her pillow tenderly, and
| then placed the restorative on the table by
| the bed. After that he raised his eyes and met
| without trernor, my terrified stare So we
stood until faint sound in the throat of the
sick woman warned us of the coming of the
end. Just as it came think she knew him-I
have always liked to think that. At all events
she opened her eyes, and looked into his as
he bent over her. lust for a little while she
looked at him. Then with sigh almost of
contentment she died
For long while Wellman stood still look
ing at her. At length he reused himself,
and STOPPING over he kissed her brow-all
radiant now-very tenderly 1t was this that
| awolle Montgomery from his stupor and told
him that she was dead. With sob he started
toward her body. Suddenly he remembered
and looked at Wellman pleadingly. The latter
felt the gaze and understood it.
She is dead" he said, without looking at
! him. . will leave you with her body"
II 1t was awful, the bitterness of his voice. The
man had robbed him of her, stolen her by
| fraud; but she was still his in death, as she
had been in life. Then, he turned and looked
| once more at the dead woman, long last look
until he should meet her again where there is
neither marrying nor giving in marriage, but
we are even as the angels of God. This done,
he left the room without word. And as he
closed the door behind him, the other man
flung himself down beside the dead woman in a
torrent of passionate sobs