Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1907-05-30
TIE BETTE Err
CHOICE
BY c. v. Gregory


out there and run it for him next
year." He paused, but she did not
reply.
'Well?' he asked at length.
ut will be very good chance for
you"
And your"
I'm getting ,on very well teaching
school,"
But don't want you to teach
school, Nancy" he pleaded Think
how much nicer it would be to have
little home of our own"
Il don't want home of my own,
she replied, turning her head away.
Have you forgotten your promise?''
he asked, note of mingled pain and
surprise in his voice. You told me
once you loved me-" There were
tears in her eyes as she looked at
him imploringly.
Il know l promised, Jimmie" she
said, "but l was young then and
scarcely realized what it meant"
"But, Nancy"
She checked him with an appealing
gesture. Il don't love you, Jimmie.
| I've tried and tried, but l can't.
| don't believe l ever did" Mechanical
ly she drew off her ring and held it
out toward him. He made no move to
take it, but rose abruptly and walked
! over to the window. For a long time
he stood there, gazing at the whirling
! snowflakes outside, and when he
| finally turned and came back his face
was so changed that the girl in the
| big armchair hardly recognized him.
He came and stood in front of her
chair, steadying himself moment be-
fore he spoke. Think of these four
years, Nancy" he said. These four
happy years, and that one particular
evening long ago when we were out
on the lake and the moonlight turned
the waves to ripping silver. Oh,
was happy then 1t all seemed too
good to be true. To think that you
the dearest girl in all the world, had
promised to be mine and only mine
1t seemed like a glorious dream. Yes
it was dream, and I am just begin
ming to waken." His voice broke and
he buried his face in his hands.
Don't, Jimmie, please don't" she
sobbed. Don't you see that / can't
help it? You'll find some girl out
there, Jimmie, nicer and a trueI
girl than l am"
II never want to see another girl,
he replied. "Good-by, Nancy, / hope
you'll he happy"
In a moment he was gone out into
the storm and darkness with an awful
loneliness freezing his very soul, and
back in the house fair-haired girl
leaned her head on the arm of the
old chair and sobbed herself to sleep
Slowly the weeks passed away. The
bleak winter with its sleet and snow
had gone, and the beautiful summer
flowers were fading one by one tc
make room for the gorgeous colors oil
autumn. Nancy had been attending
summer school and was coming home
again-home to the little white school
house and the dear, exasperatine
children. Somehow the thought of il
did not awaken any of the old en-
thusiasm. She used to think she
loved to teach, but now-well, she
was almost afraid she was beginning
to hate it. She kept thinking OF
him and remembering his many
little acts of kindness. How good
he had been and how manly!
There was a sharp shrek of the
whistle and the passengers were near
ly thrown from their seats as the air
brakes were suddenly thrown on
Then there came crash, and outside
the cries of excited men mingled with
the hiss of escaping steam The pas
sengers hurriedly climbed out anc
ran forward. A stock train had
broken truck and in stopping to re
pair it had neglected to put out sig
nails to warn other trains that might
be approaching. The caboose was &
total wreck and the passenger engine
badly damaged. The train crews
with the help of some of the passen
gers, set to work at once to removt
the wreckage. Before they had gone
far they came upon body of man
crushed and bleeding, but still alive
Carefully they cut away the timbers
that held him, and carried him ou
and laid him on the grass. A wei
meaning old gentleman attempted tt
lead Nancy away from the gruesomt
sight, but too late. She had recog
nized the blood-stained features, and
with frightened sob she sprang for
ward.
"Jimmie." she cried, as all unmind
full of the wondering crowd she knel
beside him and threw her arms abou
his neck. Jimmie, don't you know
me?" Slowly the eyes opened anC
the lips parted in wavering smile
Tenderly she bent over and kissed
them. Il love you, Jimmie" sh,
whispered. I'm just beginning t,
realize how much l do love you
You're not going to die, are you, Tim
mie? You'll live for my sake, v on
your"
His bruised face seemed almos
TRANSPORTED with happiness as h,
nodded silent assent. And he di,
live, though the doctors gave him III
more than once. But Nancy's lovin,
care was rewarded at last and he be
gan to improve slowly, though it wa
months before he was entirely well
Nancy never went back to teacnin,
school, but If you should ever happier
to go out to certain part of Soutl
Dakota you would find her and Jim
mic In one of the cosiest, happies
homes in the whole state.
Believe In Wandering Jew.
The belief In the Wandering Jew
In still held in France among tn,