New-York tribune., 1906-07-29
In the V alley of
the Shadow
Continued from page 6

II .1x, h !
false to YOU and to me- nm
cannot tell YOU what | suffered No man
can KNOW the pam OF a woman who is married
70 man Sne does not love, and when she
.lesPlses nm. On, every sound OF his voice IS |
torture, every touch of his hand deflenenti
And All the time my sorrow was greater he
cause knew that you did not know the
truth-perhaPs you had grown to hate me
NO no. no! she cried wildly, " God could not
be SO cruel as that Sidney hear me callinpi
Come TO me and tell me you did not hate
me-"
Then for the second time, Wellman cried
out her name But it was as if he had not /
spoken She did not hear him but kent calling
his name and begging for his forgiveness, Was
not tins tragedy indeed2 She had been for |
gwen long ago, but she could not know she /
could not understand. He was there beside
her, the loved one she was calling for and che |
did not know. The pity of it turned Wellr1a1,e : |
pale face to gray. He laid his hand on hers |
but II did not rouse her And all the time
montgomery sat there motionless, his ewes on
his wItes face. He did not shrink or start
even, when she told of her hatred of him HE
wretchedness was too great for anv sign; but
You could see that his soul was withering as he |
sat there so still. For a long time she only
mOaned her plea for her lovers forgivereee
Then presently she began to speak again.
When | first learned the truth y she said
wear1ly, l was dazed. l did not know what
to do Then at last l realized that | could do
nothing; that l must suffer ALWAYS until I died
/
with all my strength, day and night | praved
tor It, and at last God has listened to nv sup
| picatlon. and It IS coming-yes, it is coming
! very tast- Sidney, If you were beside me with
forgiveness in your eyes could die in peace.
! +"
What she was going to say we never knew.
tor 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 Crisis he cried, as he sprang forward
and lifted her IN his arms Quick
was beside him IN an instant. | knew nv
part perfectly, and handed him the medicines
and the instruments he required lust as he
had told me to do. With wonderful precision
ne fought that grim opponent. And in a little
while l saw that he winning Oh, it was
glorious TO watch him meet death on equal
grounds and conquer it For 1t surely seemed
that he would conquer it. She passed through
the crlsls 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 mur-
INJURED family, and am so gadi"
The words banished the physician and
brought back the man. l saw HIM look at her
IN a startled fashion, and then there fell upon
his lace the shadow OF great resolution. He
laid her back upon her pillow tendeTly and
then placed the restorative the table by
the bed. After that he raised his eyes and met
without trenor, 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 Il came think she knew him
have always liked to think that At all event.
she opened her eyes and looked into his a.
he bent over her Just for a little while she
looked at him. Then with sigh almost o
contentnent. she died.
For a long while Wellman stood still look
ing at her. At length he reused himself
and STOPPING over he kissed her brow-al
radiant now-very tenderly. 1t was this tha
aw0ke Montgomery from his stupOr and tolC
him that she was dead With a sob he startec
toward her body. Suddenly he remembered
and looked at WeIlman pleadingy. The latte
felt the gaze and understood Il.
She IS dead. he said, without looking a
= him. " VIII leave YOU with her body
1t was awful, the bitterness OF his voice TIL
man had robbed HIM Of her stolen her b
fraud: but she was still his IN death sh
had been N life. Then, he turned and locke
once more at the dead woman, long last loo
until he should meet her again where there
neither marrying nor giving IN marriage, 'bu
We are even as the angels OF God. This don'
e he LETT the room without a word. And Us
s closed the door behind him, the other ma