The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-09-15
The Reason

"You needn't read any longer, Mar
garrett" said Benson. Somehow I'm
not in the mood for it,"
The girl closed the book very soft
ly and turned slowly to look at the
white face on the couch.
"You are tired, Ted?" she asked.
"No," said he with a dry smile,
mot tired, but querulous and rather
peevish, I'm afraid. T used to think,
at the first of it, that I had some
pluck; but I'm rapidly being disil-
lusioned. I haven't the nerve Of a
chicken"
"Oh, haven't you. you splendid
boy?" she said. II would like to
know who but you would have laid
here as bravely and uncomplainingly
and faced the things you have the
past year,"
There are thousands of people
who would have done it much better
than l." said he gloomily. THE thing
is getting on my nerve. Good Lord,
I can't stand it! I can't! I can't"
She moved her chair closer to the
couch. Her face suddenly paled with
tenderness and pity. Tied, hush"
she said soothingly. you mustn't
talk like that that. Think Of your
splendid courage all these long, long
months since the accident. And
every month puts you so much nearer
recovery"
His eyes were turned away. She
saw his fingers working n%ervously.
That's the rub" he confessed.
What is?" she asked quickly.
"The chance of getting better-the
chance of ever being of any use in
the world again." said he. Gordon
told me this morning very frankly
that it was a question whether OF not
I would v walk again. I wish he
had told me that in the first place
instead of carrying me along like this
with his ill-conceived kindness of
false hopes"
The girls face grew paler. "He
told you that?" she asked.
eyes. He said I had the right to
know. He was perfectly correct
there, too. Only, as 1 say, he should
have told me in the first place, if he
had any doubts about it,"
"Why?" said she.
He moved uneasily. ooh, for many
reasons" said he. Things would
have been utterly different. I could
have stood it better, I believe, if 1
had known 1t then"
But it isn't at all certain you are
going to be helpless permanently"
she declared. Gordon is simply tell
ing you that to warn you in case the
worst happens-and the worst is not
going to happen" she ended cheer
fully.
"As to that, we can only make sur
mices," said he. Time alone will
settle the question, and from what
Gordon saiL- and the way he said it,
/ am rather inclined to the opinion
that it won't do to have too many
hopes"
The girl said nothing. She was
2 looking out the window at the first
green leaves on the street, and her
eyes were dim with tears. Benson,
too, was looking at the leaves. His
face was stern and set, and about
his mouth were hard lines of stubborn
determination.
And So" said he, quite as II their
talk had not been broken by the little
period of silence, II want to be very
frank with you, Margaret. Let's not
have any foolishness or any G1ixotic
business about this affair. I was
thrown from the horse and very ap-
parently I am in this fix for the rest
of my life. Well, very good! was
very childish just now to cry out sc
against it. What is done is done, and
cannot be helped now. But thai
needn't necessarily upset the whole
universe"
She looked at him questioningly
She had never heard him talk like
this before. His had always been
cheerful. hopeful nature, even after
the bitter accident had left him tc
spend his tedious, endless days on the
couch.
First" said he, give me the ring
please
The girl merely looked at him IL
unbelief.
Give me the ring. Margaret" h'
repeated sternly.
Slowly she drew the diamond from
her finger and laid it in his out
stretched hand. He put it in tn
pocket Of his smoking coat and tn
lines about his mouth grew NOR
tense.
Now" said he, you are free
This matter of a woman tying hersel
to a crippled man has been tried be
fore! 1t is all nonsense. 1t doesn'
work-except in theories and senti
mental fiction. You are not to conn