The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1907-11-22
tion-iong?" she asked.

! tion-iong?" she asked.
Eight months-an age! And ! am
] remarkable case, for | have baffie ed
4 every specialist in the west and now
have come to New York to battle these
fellows here. ! intend going to each
] shall have them meet and hold a con.
sultation; then ! suppose they'll want
to examine me again; and after that
the verdict"
She saw Gordon again just as she
was leaving. Il hope you will come
| to-call on me-" she said. She had
been going to say ito see me-" but
quickly changed the word, adding: Il
shall be interested to hear what all
! the oculists say"
II wanted to ask you if l might" he
said eagerly. IF / had not seen you
again tonight" land she noticed that
the old habit of speech chung to
him), Il should have sent Jack to you
to ask if / might come"
Within few days Anthony Gordon
called, and his calls were repeated
with increasing frequency. The first
time he came with Jack, but after
wards with his man Brown, who wait
ed for him below.
He was a fine fellow, Miss Agnew
thought. But she had known many a
fine fellow during the past ten years,
and not one of them had ever had the
tn ~ s.,
or the quick flush to rise to her face
as this man had done from the very
first. She wondered If 1t were not his
blindness alone that appealed to her
and If she would not have been quite
Indifferent to him if he had had his
sight like the other men.
But his conversation was always full
of interest His ten years expert
ences in the west; his struggles. his
successes, his defeats-he told her all
with an eager and almost boyish
confidence. He made no secret of his
admiration for her, and the Difference
and reverence he showed her seemed
something strangely beautiful
Her father liked him, too "Gordon's
fine fellow" he said. and SO hope
full. 1t will be a hard blow to him if
he shouldn't recover his sight
Finally there came a pause. Ten
days, two weeks passed by, during
which time Gordon had not been to
see her and had made no sign
She could not bring herself to
write to him, to have even letter of
mere friendly inquiry read aloud to
him by that man Brown. She was too
proud to write for news of him to
Jack. And it so CHANGED that during
all that time she saw no one of whom
she could inquire.
At last one night, when she was
sitting quite alone, he came. She
looked up. flushing at his approach,
and his changed face startled her.
You have been ill.," she cried.
Not i'll in body" he answered
gloomily, "but i'll in mind. They've
rendered their neutrality-suspicious.
darkness-and I'm off again to the
west l tried to go without seeing
you-but | am a coward! l have come
now 10 say SOOQ-Dy.
There was a conflict of wild emo
tons in Mary Agnew's breast. For a
moment she could not speak. He had
come to say good-by!
Il said | couldn't go without seeing
you," he repeated, and I've come to
ask blind mans last favor-before
go, may l pass my hand over your
face?"
What il I say MOP" There was
something strained and unnatural in
her tone.
Don't refuse me! You don't know
what that would meant" he cried.
Can you realize that all this time
you have been but beautiful unseen
spirit to me-a heavenly voice? I
thought l should see you some day
with my eyes and l forced myself to
wait-but that is not to be-and you
won't refuse to let me carry away
your true image into the night of my
exile?"
Il am not beautiful" she said. Il
have told you that before. And If in
spite of that you have deceived your
self-why need you undeceive your