Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-02-18
3ENROSE'S LOYALTY.

stage of their school life when John
Carleton had fought and vanquished
the bully Of the class for his cowardly
assault on the new boy Phil Pen
rose. the two had been the stanchest
Of friends, albeit they were quite I'M
ike in temperament and disposition.
Philip studied medicine and became
successful practitioner In his native
New England town. John adopted IA
business career, connecting himself
with Chicago firm Of which his unrle
was q member. John fell In love with
the dearest girl in the world and
married her, while Philip, who for
some reason had always disliked and
avoided women, remained bachelor.
the despair alike Of maneuvering MANI
mas and scheming spinstcrs.
About two years after Johns mar
rage Philip was stunned at receiving
a letter from his friend apprising him
of the fact that his wife had left him
for no other reason than that they h I'd
0uarreled and that John. in moment
Of temper, had said something for
which he was afterward sorry. The
shock to Philip was all the greater for
the reason that up to that moment he
had believed Johns marriage to be AS
ideally happy as any marriage could
possibly be.
1t was about six months after learn
Ing Of Johns marital misfortune that
DR.. Penrose called one day to attend
patient In neighbOring street. 1t
proved to be a young widow named
Mrs. FELTON,, residing with her mother
and evidently newcomer to the neigh
borhood. He saw that she was seri-
ously i'll and showed marked symptoms
OF pneumonia and also that she was
laboring under strong nervous excite
ment. 1t was needless to say that DIR.
Penrose treated her to the best Of his
professional skill and with such sue
cess that by the next day there was
marked improvement In her condition.
He found his new patient and her
mother to be extremely reticent about
their affairs, yet during his attendance
on the former he learned that she for
|
Philip continued to call on her long
after one would have supposed there
was any need Of his professional serv-
ices. Perhaps it was the appealing
sadness in her large, dark eyes that at
tracted him; perhaps it was the I'M
waverlng reserve and dignity of her
manner and the fact that there was
not trace Of coquetry about her, for
the doctor had a horror Of coquetry
and until recently had believed 1t to
be a dominant feminine trait.
The upshot of the matter was that
DR.. Philip penrOse, without having
any certain knowledge Of Mrs. Felton's
past life, asked her to be his wife and
was firmly refused. Pressed for Il
reason, she answered that she did not
love him, to which he calmly replied
that as she was the only woman he
ever would or could love he intended
to win her affection and was willing
to wait years, if need be, to attain that
result. Philips determined attitude
forced more explicit reply from Mrs.
FELTON,, and she finally admitted that
there was an insurmountable obstacle
to their union in that her husband was
not dead. but living!
Quivering like stricken deer under
the blow, Philip began involuntarily
piecing together in his mind certain
ideas, the chief Of which was that
FELTON, had been the maiden name Of
Johns wife, and on sudden the aw-
full truth flashed upon him. John
Carleton-he Is your husband!" he said
huskily For answer she burst into
uncomfortable weeping. When little
calmer she told the story.
Whatever may have been the state
Of Philip Penrose's mind that night as
he sat in his study, his pen never fall
tered in the message it was writing to
John Carleton. The answer that came
by return post was to the effect that
John Carleton utterly repudiated his
wife. He never would forgive her de-
sertion Of him and was about to seek
a divorce.
And SO there came to Philip Penrose
the greatest temptation Of his life. All
| through the long, weary night he wres
tied with 1t, and when morning came
1t found him aged and worn, but with
a grim, determined look on his face.
Into the letter that was to plead for
the honor and happiness Of the two
beings he loved best on earth he threw
all the eloquence and passion OF which
he was capable. With what magical
power he wrote may be judged by the
reply:
Dear Old Boy-You have conquered.
You have shown me plainly wherein l
was wrong and the way to happiness
again. I long to clasp my wife In my
arms. God bless you. Philip.
And Philip? Well, he Is one Of the
ablest physicians Of the day and has
amassed a fortune. His hair and shay
gy beard are quite gray now, and he
Is still bachelor. But standing on
his desk in heart shaped frame there
is picture OF Il young girl whose dark
eyes bear singular resemblance to
those Of Johns wife. 1t may be that
it is while gazing abstractedly at the
counterfeit presentiment Of Mrs. Garlic
toms girlish beauty and sometimes
| nreSSino II fOndly TO his Inns that he