Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1909-08-20

again. "It's nonsense to be nervous
she told herself. II shall try to read
and forget"
She resolutely took up a magazine
and read a page slowly and carefully,
then read 1t wei again with equal
care, but she found herself spelling
each word in turn, and the sense of
the phrases did not penetrate into her
brain.
Nobody can take In the meaning of
a story, she thought. when people
whisper, and her glance fell upon a
stout widow who sat opposite whisper
ing in the ear OF a girl beside her.
The little lady watched the widows
head bob up and down as her words
became more and more emphatic. She
noticed how dusty the Grape was upon
her veil. And that's the worst of
Grape" she said to herself. 1.-The least
thing makes 1t look shabby. l always
tell Robert I won't wear Grape when
I'm n widow!"
A smile fickered owe her face, and
the shabby woman IN the corner,
watching her, thought enviously how
happy she must be TO smile like that
at nothing. Half an hour nowi
Half an hour for two clever doctors
to discuss one tiny lump which looked
like almost nothing! How she and
Robert would laugh presently over the
slowness of these medical men! But
If they kept her much longer she would
be late for lunch. and then Robert
would be in q furry and wonder what
had become of her.
Oh, why were they not quickerl
Time dragged woefully. There was
something ~eggravating about that tire
some clock on the mantelpiece with its
persistent voice, and the pair of al
dlesticks exactly alike that lanked it
and the two vases that were such a
precise match annoyed her. A Wild
desire seized her to set them all
crooked
Then she was tired of looking at that
hideous silver creation on the side
board. She was certain 1t must be q
testimonial And what an ugly one to
be saddled with for the rest of ones
natural life! She remembered with
what dismay she and Robert had re-
ceived some CHASTITY old family plate
from a rich uncle and how thankfully
they had relegated 1t to a little used
room. Robert saying %laughingly that 1t
would come in as an heirloom for their
grandchildren
A vision of herself as n white haired
old lady made her smile again. She al
ways intended to grow old gracefully
when the time for growing old came!
But it was a very. very long way of,
and she and Robert had only been
married six short months-they had
years and years of sunny life In front
of them before
The door opened.
Mrs. Ainslie," said q trim parlor
maid. and the little lady rose and fol-
lowed her.
And all at once her heart gave that
frightened leap again, but she was
smiling when she entered the great
doctors room
BSSf SecT0rs wvrG grTm1ffM and q
queer feeling came over her as she
saw their faces-that they watched her
pitifully-as if-as If she were that
prisoner at the bar one of them vas
Just going to put on the black cap.
1t was u whimsical idea. Her glance
fell almost involuntarily upon DR..
James gray head. and she smiled
again.
DR.. Bryant leaned against the man
telpiece.
1t struck her that he kept his eyes
averted. She wondered vaguely why
he did so. Possibly he had made some
little mistake In diagnosis and was
rather vexed about it
'"Will you sit down, Mrs AinsleeT"
DR.. James voice broke in upon her
thoughts.
She sat down In the big armchair
where she had sat just now-ail those
minutes-or was 1t hours ago2-when
she had first come into the room today
with DIR. Bryant.
DR.. James seated himself at the table
facing her.
This room was brighter than the
other where she had waited so long.
The sun came into It, and little patches
of light danced upon the carpet and
upon the table that was strewn with
letters and upon the great mans kind,
quiet face.
Outside the window there was ac-
tually a tree. 1t was April, and the
leaves were beginning to grow green
and waved gently to and fro in the
soft spring air.
Her eyes left the dancing leaves out
side and came back to the faces of the
two silent men. She realized that they
were both strangely quiet.
"Well," she said in a gay little voice,
what is the verdict You The
words died on her lips. She could not
have said why, only something in Dr.
James face gave her a curious sense