The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-16
IN EXTREME MOMENTS

to him, unasked, apparently. that 9th.
or men sought through toilsome years,
yet never found He was rising, thir-
ty-five--it was part of the situation
that, disregarding all temptations. he
had waited to match himself with his
bencfactor's daughter. He had play
ed with her, dimpied. rather heavy
creature, had watched her grow into
an ugly big girl. and later magnifi-
cent woman. She had accepted him
as part OF the picturc--since she was
ten she had said placidly 10 ali talk
OF her future:
Il am going to marry Eugene, SO
he can really belong to daddy
Then had come tho! episode of
Doctor Ware--~thc last man In the
world one would have thought to go
down before her He was as big, AZ
vital as sho was--nioreover. quite as
rich. Science had been his ruling
passion until one day he woke sud-
denly to the fact .ot Marcia. There
after, for three months. he had been
her shadow--~she had made his world
indeed. When 1t came to sn end
| with her soft-spoken NO he had
flung himself anew into work--hos-
pital work. and highly paid. He
gave away though. each month more
than thrice his salary.
Therefore II was into his hands
Dallas. almost mortally hurt. fell
within an hour from the time he
quilted Helen. He was unconscious,
barely breathing, his heart beats the
merest ghosts of pulsation. Doctor
Ware grew nearly as pale--hoid him.
self as hard as he might, he could
not quite push to the back of his
mind the thought of what might be
possible IL Eugene Dallas were thus
removed from his path.
Because of the thought he fought
for Dallas life as he had hardly ever
fought before. Yet after three hours
the issue WAS still SO doubtful he
felt constrained To send for Marcia.
Marcia came with her father. She
kneit beside the wounded man. her
warm. vital fingers claspinE his liyid
ones But there was no Wild grief In
her eyes though they misted.
Poor Gene" she murmured softly,
laying her scarlet lips against his
cheek. Dear Gene Come back TO
US We've can't spare YOU"
She reached for his other hand.
and drew 1t to her breast. then nes-
tied II softly In the hollow of her
throat. For the FIRST time since
he had come from under the anes-
,hetjc. Dallas stirred, moaning
family.
Doctor Ware stepped 10 Marcia's
elbow. You had better go now" he
whispered. You can come back at
ter a httle~--when he Is fully con-
scious"
Marcia shook her head. She knelt
statuc-iikc, now gripping both her
wounded mans hands. II was as II
she held him back from chasn Of
destruction, Once or twice che spoke
10 him low but strongly. and SO clearly
I, might have pierced the car of death
itself.
"Yon are coming back TO us To
life" she said Then In IA thrilling
voice Tell ,ne---whst IL il you wantP''
The flicker of the eyelids strength
an4d-stiii they did not lift Marcia
hent ciaser--so close she alone caught
the ,nurmured name Helen" still she
knalt. stall she held the ianguid hands,
hat now her eyes were not TistS--a
radiance lii them that burned away the
mists. Over her shoulder she whisper
ed 10 Doctor Ware:
send for Helen Helen May. He
win know her--because he loves her,
Until Helen came-~t long, long hour
she kept her place, soothing and
STRENGTHENING Dallas. II seemed indeed
she was saving him, pouring into him
her own superabundant life. And when
Helen came she got ZIP, pushed the
other into her place. then flung herself
inpetuouslr upon Wares breast, al
most sobbina.
II tried SO hard TO do right---it took
almost death 10 show me that instead
was doing wrong.