The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-05-17
A PerilOuS PrerO9ative
ELIZABETH NJ LUTON

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Polly Andrews pretty face was con-
torted with grief and her helpless little
hands beat together fretfully.
"Oh. Aunt Ray" she cried, peevishly,
II know I am worse than you think me.
know I will die. You don't care"
Rachel Howard bent her sweet, grave
face pityingly above the fretful girl
I'm sorry for you, dear" said she, land
1 don't understand why pain need to have
come to you; but, believe me. 1t must be
for the best"
II won't believe it," cried Polly, rebel
liously; II won't. You say it is for our
good, but is 1t good for a person to suffer
as I do? You don't know what you say.
1t is cruel horrible, hateful, and I'm just
beginning to wish myself dead. You don't
know-you never suffered such pain-no
one ever did but me, I'm sure"
1--WE know, DEAR how bad it is and we
would help you If we could" said the same
gentle voice.
mo, you don't-you don't any of you
know. Toms doctor, and he pretends to
love me-but he doesn't know. He talks
talk to me. his promised wife, about be-
ing patient-just as if l wasn't patient
just as II l were a senseiess thing that
couldn't feel pain-and now this operation.
Ough! l just can't stand it, Aunt Ray"
The older woman's patient eyes. were
luminous with great pity as she looked
upon ITdBHt 10TH VI young
niece who. until within the last few
months, had never known wish ungrati-
fed. a desire untitled. And now this new
she had been changed into a fretful.
peevish. complaining, fault-finding in
valid.
tossing about still more restlessly He
has no right to have other patients when
/ need hin him, He ought to let them get
but, Polly dear. he can do you no good
by being here all the lie and he is de-
pendent upon his profession for living,
would you do when you were well again
and wanted to be married? You must
think sometimes of his welfare. Polly"
thought about. Anyway, he says he loves
me and if he does he shouldn't think of
amy s Ss me- stay Ne rshs by his p bed
side. How does he know I'll ever get
over that awful operation? Why. oh. why.
couldn't 1t have been someone else who
needed to be cut up with their horrible
Rachel Howard sighed. and the sigh
She loved this pretty. wilful child devot-
eddy and her love was none the less genu-
inc because of its mixture with penitence.
for Rachel had learned in the months of
Pollys illness that DIR. Mowbray was more
to her than a prospective nephew-i n-law
and this knowledge had filed her heart
with a strange. heartsick penitence If 1t
had been at all possible she would have
of the question she faced it bravely and
truthfuly though not always coming off
without the scars of the battle
every word of it, I'D gladly bear the pain
Of this operation II l could. but no one
can . do that for you We can only sym.
we cannot save you from 1t, and we would
be glad, indeed to share it with you"
mo. you wouldn't. You wouldn't any
Of do III IN knew I WOuldn'f-
/ couldn't-do it even for Tom, and / love
him better than anything else on earth;
Ray If should die do you think-do you
suppose it would be possible for Tom to
marry someone else?"
II don't know. l wouldn't think of such
things, because you are not going to die.
Il might; 1t is a very dangerous. opera 4
ton. 1 know that-and If l thought--oh.
at another woman. I'd want to die right
now. or else to have him die"
Then I'd never let such foolish fancies
q ioyaityw" And Miss Howard spoke
thirty a hss ySS a4s ss fnGS ps ops
tl That That is sensible people like
Il think sensible people realize that life
is done when they reach thirty-two." said
Rachel. trife sarcastically. for her.
fretfully. .and you know 1 mean what I'm
saying. I'm only nineteen, and thirty-two
seems so old-so very old"
is Tom so aged then"
Toms man. It's different with a
man: but a woman---thirty-two. Ough.
I'll be old enough to die by that time-an
old maid-Td rather die"
Perhaps"
'Oh should II was an old maid It
must be dreadful to be called old maid
but I shall never live to be that or any
thing else. Listen. Is that Tom? Oh.
I'm so glad he's coming. Auntie, won't
you run out Of the room while Toms here7
/ want to talk to him alone. and you"
At the door Rachel encountered DR.. Now
bray. He looked at her inouiringly as she