Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-01-07

the scent which had been her favor
| ite-and as he pressed It to his hot
reVerish lips again and again. In a
frenzy Of passion. his memory harked
back TO one OF the bright, gone DAYS
when he had helped her on with the
ssn-sams glove. and she had blamed
MIN merrily for his clumsiness. and
kissed him on either cheek as a token
or her forgiveness.
50 the months passed Summer
had waned again, and autumn with its
dying leaf. its sunset tints OF crimson
gray, ana its fast hushing life In
meadow and forest and glade, was
grooming the earth to its winter sleep
| Eight months" he groaned; eight
long months of dire misery and never
a word"
He was pacing the room In which
they had parted. and as the shades of
evening fell and the window once
more darkened into a drab gray he
went for the thousandth time through
that last scene
she cannot care for me; she can
never have cared for me, or"
Then he stopped. crushing back
the thought
She must have loved me-" he
groaned, and l was blind to her love
And now when II is too late-I must
md her! Oh. Elsie, my darling-my
lovei"
Long he sat that night, planning and
planning the future. He must go
again to town. He had money. and
every penny should be spent in the
search He cared not II he sold every
possession he had in the world. for OF
what use was life without her? Yes.
to-morrow-to-morrow-why not start
now?
he took out his watch. Yes. he
could catch the-the same train as she
had taken. The thought unnamed
him for the moment; then he nerved
himself to the ordeal and busted him
self In the hurried packing Of a few
necessaries.
AT last all was ready and he stood
at the open front door. One last look
around-he might never see the place
again; and then a horror struck him
and he went sullenly back into the
room and threw himself, spent and ex-
hausted. In chair. Suppose she re-
turned In his absenoel 1t was the
hundredth time he had enacted the
same scene, ever to be fooled as now.
Morning came. and when he de-
seendsd a letter in a strange hand
lay upon the breakfast table. He
picked It up mechanically and tore the
envelope open.
will you come to me7 / am very
ill-Elsie.''
A great chin seized his heart and
then he gave almost a sob of relief
he would see her; that was all he
cared now. and if-he scarce dared to
frame the thought-if she were to die
he, too, could follow her into the great
unknown.
1t was a mean little street to which
the address on the letter led him.
and he staggered back as a woman in
the apparel OF a nurse opened the
door.
She has been very i'll" she replied
IN answer to his inquiry, but now
How he hung upon her words.
And now?"
She may recover, If"
The woman regarded his face Gu
Hously as he brushed hastily past her.
Up, up the narrow stairs-she might
yet be saved-and his heart beat so
tumultuously against his breast that
he had to stop on the landing and
steady himself against the wall.
He was within the room, at the bed.
side, the pale. thin hand OF his wife
clasped in his; then he stopped, for
she was sleeping quietly, her face
turned away from him toward the
wall.
How wan and frail she looked. her
skin almost transparent In its clear. |
ness, but the closed lids heavy and
dark, as with long, sleepless nights |
and days of helpless misery.
She was moving now, and the arm |
which was further removed from him
seemed to tighten involuntarily as
though she was clasping some loved
object to her bosom.
Jack" abe murmured; dear, dear
Jack"
And the eyes of the watcher filled.
and he pressed the little white hand
to his lips and played with the thin,
fragile fingers, drawing them one by
one between his own.
Long he sat there, silently praying
that heaven in its mercy might grant
him this one poor life. 1t was not
much he asked. Only this one-only
this one.
The afternoon was waning now. aud
at last she awoke-awoke with a long.
tremulous sigh aud a weary movement
OF the head. She turned, with the
slowness bred Of weakness and ap-
athy, the tears already in her eyes, and
then
She was in his arms, her head Dill
lowed upon his breast, sobbing unre-
STRANGELY In very happiness, his hand
to her hot. dry lips.
why did you not write before"
he asked, smoothing the hair back
from her forehead with tender hand.
Did you not know how hungered for
you? Oh, Elsie, my darling!"
For reply she nestled herself closer
to him, placed an arm around his neck