The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1909-08-07
WON HER BY WAITING

did not love him and that Mrs. Ray
mond had urged his suit and exerted
her maternal influence and eloquence
until Helen had consented 70 be his
wife. telling him very frankly that her
heart was In the grave OF her lover.
George vanhorn. who had been killed
In railway collision nearly one year
before.
VIII Spencer WINGED. for he was rich
very rich-but then he put 10 the
wound that soothing salve. II will win
her love when she is my wife," that
has wrecked so many lives.
Yet he cherished the delusion that
love In the end would win a return,
and he knew his own love TO be strong
and enduring.
''If she never loves me-" he thought
bitterly, III all my love falls 10 win
hers, what Will my life BET"
While matters stood in this unsatis-
factory state Mrs. Raymond made a
suggestion. II want you TO go away
for a MONTH" she said to him. "and let
Helen miss the constant devotion that
she has had since your betrothal Let
her feel that void has come into her
life and how dull and cherries It
would be II she lost you. The we'd
ding day Is set for June 10. and this is
April Stay away until June"
II gave him the first really happy
moment OF his engagement when
Helen said gently. yet with shudder:
II cannot bear to think OF you on
railway trains. VIII. Write often.
that | may know you are safe"
Her lips met his ina tender pressure
such as a loving sister might bestow,
but with far more affection than she
had ever before given him
Then came d blow-sudden, sharp,
overwhelming He was in a large
western city when. after night, return
ing to his hotel, a man on crutches
asked for charity. The voice was IA
miliar. and IN q shock OF horror the
face struck him
George Vanhoruw
let me go. Spencer the crippled
man pleaded II did not recognize
you Don't you know / am dead?'
IL know you are coming In here with
me-" VIII said gently. substituting his
arm for one Of the crutches and enter
ing the hotel, where he had room.
He would not let his guest speak untfl
he had ordered n supper and made
him comfortable. Then, turning to
him, he saw that he was weeping.
"See what woman you make Of
meg the poor fellow said you
thought | was dead"
yes. All your friends think so"
at was a narrow escape. and | won
der why | was spared. Nine months
IN n public hospital have left me Grip
pied and incurably III. They would
not keep me after | could get about
on crutches. but have begged or
starved. and It viii not be for longl
| would not let any one know for fear
II would get to-to-Helenw
you want to hide from herr"
"Yes-yes! What would her life be
tied TO mlnc7 You will not betray me,
Spencer
But you may recoverY
"No! should be only n wreck II
could. but l cannot"
VIII Spencer literally could not
speak. This man asked OF him only
the silence that would give MIN his
wife And then true. unsel6sh love
triumphed
"She will never marry mew VIII
thought ruefully, as he folded n long,
long letter, but she shall not be cheat
cd out Of what little happiness life
may still hold for her"
He wrote, too, 20 Mrs. Raymond a
letter that caused that respectable
lady TO grind her teeth, but which she
obeyed packing her trunk and accom-
panying Helen In the Journey west
ward.
1t was VIII Spencer who met the
two nj the depot and accompanied
them TO the boarding house where he
kept Mrs. Raymond IN the parlor after
sending Helen upstairs alone II was
WIN Spencer who smoothed away ev-
cry difficulty, engaging rooms for
mother and daughter and quietly eff
facing himself
George vanhorn was resolute on one
point he would not marry Helen. He
had no hope If recovery, but II the UNI
expected should happen he would not
risk running IIelen's life by binding Il
TO his.
"oh." she would cry, "why am to
deserve the love OF two such men?
Mother. II humbles me 10 think how
they love me-
And by this love her courage was
sustained through the three months
when she and her mother smoothed
George Vanhorn's path TO the grave
will Spencer never spoke 81 love 10
her. giying her up entirely, but upon
her lover 10 lavished every kindness
wealth could procure or friendship
dictate
II was three years later when he
cape home from a European tour and
csfiled on Mrs Raymond
aMrs. Raymond. sir. Is dead" the