Charlevoix county herald., 1910-05-21

her free and he was queerly hurt That
| she still greeted him smilingly and
made no comment. Well, II reliev-
ing her of his presence did not make
her unhappy. II should be conclusive
answer to his unspoken question.
Yet Ellsworth Ferry fought the con-
viction. chung to the remnant or his
old happy faith in her affection. Not
that by word or deed had Eunce CIV
en- him grounds to question her love
for him, but that only added fuel TO
his ranking suspicion Once. brush
ing his hair. he stopped. appalle
| the silver sheen of his temples. me
stern lines in his face. He was middle
aged. growing old. She was just a
girl. Why should she have cared for
him? She certainly could not have
cared for him!
There was a tragedy In his face as
be turned about. and Eunice saw 1t.
What is 1t. Ellsworth" she had
asked. fearfully.
He had taken her by the shoulders
and looked deep into her eyes and
then turned away, the question I'M
spoken Strangely enough. feeling AZ
sured as he did that she had done 20.
he still felt he could not insult her by
asking her to put in words the bald
| fact that she had married him for his
money. He found her surveying him
thoughtfully, quietly. after that. and
she did not laugh so much. She seemed
always to be slipping out of sight, I'M
| ObtrnSiVp whom ha Woc ahOut
Things had changed in the Ferry
household In the two years since
their marriage; the old light hearted
ness had gone and the mistress of the
big place was paler and quieter.
though still smiling. while the man
who owned the pile of granite and
marble was sterner more absorbed in
his business, always courteous. but
much to himself The lover into which
Ellsworth Ferry had bloomed SO sud-
denly, SO completely, had vanished,
forever, he told himself, grimly
Nearly every disaster has It's re-
deeming lights. When his automobile
chose TO blow up while Ellsworth
Ferry was travelling at reckless
speed to see some new properties and
he was picked up as dead at first. it
seemed solution OF all his problaMs
and worries.
But he was not dead, and when We
began dimly to float back to earth
he noticed someone beside his hospi-
tai bed. Always when he opened his
eyes she was there. He did not try
TO think who she was. She never
stirred except at times to move the
fan above him or to lay cool hand
on his hot head. He grew to expect
to see her there and the vision never
failed him.
On one of the days when he kept re-
ceding from everything on horrible
waves of suffocation he heard her cry
out once low. despairing cry, cry
wrenched from the depths Someone
had at once taken the despairing
voice and carried 1t away, though he
tried to come back and stop them
Then when again he opened his eyes.
sanely. he saw her there back in the
same chair. 1t was Eunice, he OBJ
served quite without emotion Their,
did not seem to be any emotion with
in him any more than there was
strength.
But the days crept on and slowly
Ellsworth Ferry came back to living
and recovery. Her tenderness was
very lovely, yet there was somethifg
lacking within him: II was as If lie
were looking al lovely picture that
did not belong to him. She was his
wife, and Of course her place was
there. Eunice, he remembered. al
ways did the right thing.
The day before he was to be sent
home the house physician sat beside
him. Eunice being absent. The doc
tor was young man. but he had met
and faced life in various phases. and
moreover. he had quick perceptionv
Mr.. Ferry" he said. as he arose.
II want TO tell you that the reason
you are going home tomorrow. that
you are here to go home at all. IA
that your wife wouldn't let you die,
| None OF us. no power on earth. could
have saved you II she had not held on
TO you with set teeth and unwayerjng
will and-and loved you back to life!
! All the science in the world stops
there-we can't explain 1t, we don't
try to, but I've seen 1t before-a wom-
an simply defying death to snatch the
man she cares for absolutely, You
can thank Mrs. Ferry for your life"
Ellsworth Ferry, left alone, thought
many things. Down in his hearth ne
knew the doctor spoke the truth an1i
he crlnged with shame that he had
ever doubted her. When she returned
to bis bedside and he saw with his
newly opened eyes how careworn was
her face. how thin the hands, how ex.
hausted she was with her long vigil,
and, above all, when he saw the brood
ing light In her eyes as she ben,
above him. he realized that the cues
ton never would bother him ogain