The Marshall republican., 1906-02-09
Ny Fellow labOrer.
ssscsss
By q. RIDER

fatF plunktO me, u RdNF Ht huci
cause for rejection. Making all allow.
ance for the natural disappointment
and distress of a woman who was. !
suppose. warmly attached to mo at
the time. I could rot help seeing that
her conduct threw a new and altogeth-
or unexpected light upon Fanny's
character. II showed me that, 80 far
from understanding her completely. A.
I had vainly supposed to be the a .
I really knew little or nothing about
her. There we're depths In her mind
that I had not fathomed. and In all
probability never should fathom. ]
had taken her for an open-hearted wo-
man OF great intellectual capacity that
removed her far above the everyday
level of her sex. and directed her am
billions almost entirely toward tee goal
Of mental triumph. Now I saw that
the diagnosis must be modified. In all
her outburst there had not been one
single word OF, pity for my heavy mis-
fortunes. or one word Of sympathy with
the self-sacriHce which she must have
known involved a dreadful struggle
between my inclinations and my con.
science. She had looked NJ the matter
from her own point OF view. and the
standpoint of her own interest solely.
Her emotion had for a few moments
drawn the curtain from her inner SELF.
and the new personality that was thus
revealed did not altogether edify me.
Still. I felt that there was great excuse
for her. and so put by the matter.
After this unfortunate occurrence. ]
made up my mind that Fanny would
take some opportunity to throw up her
work and 20 away and leave us; but
she did not take this course. Either
because she wa too fond Of my poor
boy John. who. as he grew older. be-
came more and more attached To her,
or because she saw no better opening
not being possessed Of independent
m~eans-she evidently made up her
mind TO stop on In the house and con-
tinue 10 devote herself TO the search Tor
the great Secret Of Life. think my.
self tina, u was mainly on account OF
the boy. who loved her with an entirety
that at times almost alarmed me. and
10 whom she vas undoubtedly devoted.
But from that time a change came
over Fanny's mental attitude towards
me. which was as ~palpable as It was
lndehnable. outwardly there was no
change. but In reality n veil fell be-
tween us. through which could not
see. II fell and covered up her nature:
nor could ! guess what went on be-
hind Il. Only I knew that she devel-
oped a strange habi, OF brooding silent
ly about matters not connected with
our work. and that. OF all this brood
ing. nothing ever seemed TO come. Now
! know that she vas building up far
reaching plans for the future. which
had for their object her escape from
what sic had come 10 consider was a
hateful and Improbable condition OF
seryitude.
Meanwhile our work advanced but
slowly. ! could take anybody who Is
curious 10 the big ~hre-proof chest In
the corner OF this very room. and show
him two hundred-weight or mere paper
covered with abortlye calculations
worked by Fanny. and equally abortlyo
ietter-preSs written by myself during
those years OF incessant labor. In vain
we tolled; Nature would not give up
her secret TO us! We had Indeed found
the lock, and fashioned key after key
TO turn II. But. do what we would,
and hle as We would. they would none
OF them A.. or. even II they fitted. they
would not turn. And then we would
begin again; again. after months OF la
Dor. to fail miserably.
During these dark years worked
with the energy OF despair, and Fanny
followed. doggedly. patiently, and I'M
complainingly In my steps. Her work
was splendid In Its enduring hopeless
ness. To begin with. 70 far as I was
concerned. though my disease made but
little visible progress. | feared that
my sand vas running out. and that
none would be able to take up the
broken threads. Therefore worked
as those work whose time is short and
who have much TO do. Then, too,
was haunted by the dread Of ultimate
failure, Had l, after all. given up my
life 10 q dream'
At last. however. a ray OF light came
as It always-yes. always-will TO those
who are strong and patient. and watch
the sky long enough.
was sittin Z In my armchair. smok-
Ing, one night after Fanny had gone 10
bed. and fell into a sort of doze. 70
wake up with a start and-an insplra-
ton. ! saw It all now; we had been
working at the wrong end, searching
for the roots among the topmost twies
OF the CrsAt trees! ! think that I was
really tsaUessd that night; an angel had
breathe1 - me- In my sleep. At any
rate. { 81 here. at this same table al
which Z - writing now, TIL the dawn
crept = through the shutters, and
covered sheet after sheet with the idea,
that rsss 80 after another In my brain
in the most perfect order and continu.
ity. WAsa - last my hand refused /.
hold ~ - any longer. l stumbled of
10 BED. Issvtng behind mi q sketch O
"