The Van Buren press., 1912-05-04

A Leap Year Plunge
By NELLIE CRAVEY GILMORE
(copyright, I0I,. by Associated Literary pressO

natic to prevail over the deepest feel.
ings of her heart, he was quite sure
he could carry out his end of the bar
gain to the bitter end. After the
things she had said to him. 1t should
be as he had stated in his letter, he
had asked her to reconsider and mar
ry him for the last time.
Thus the time dragged on.
There came a time when young
DR.. Ogden forgot his own identity
for many weary weeks. Stricken
down with pneumonia, he raved in
delirium till the pretty. gentle little
nurse hsd to wipe her eyes more
than once.
The crisis came; his life was de-
paired Of. The little nurse boldly took
it upon herself to send line to Mar
gerry Seasons. She had gotten her
name from the sick mans rawlings;
she found her address In the tele-
phone book. But alas! Margery was
, a thousand miles from New York. She
was down south, in Georgia, nursing
her mother back to health--and Try
ing to patch up her own broken heart
with her art.
1t was a month later that, return
ing to her northern home, Mar
gerry found the letter addressed In a
strange womans handwriting. They
had carelessly neglected to forward
it, and as Margery's stupefed senses
at last took In the full realization or
the words. she gave a little husky cry
and-swooned. They brought her to
In a little while, and she again TOOK
I'M the letter and slowly re-read the
contents:
Dear Miss Sessoms-1f you can,
please come to the hospital rlgnt
away. am writing you on my own
responsibility. Poor young Or. Og'
den is dying, and he talks about you
all the time-some trouble between
you-and | know you'd come II you
could hear him.
ASK for Miss Trueheart when
you get to the hospital. Hastily
LYDIA T."
But Dwight Ogden did not die
after all. He came slowly back to
health and strength-and shat
tered life. He had been so near re-
lief from It all, and relief had not
come. The same bleak future
stretched before him only, II posi-
Bile. It was bleaker. The little nurse
had told him of her letter to Mar
gerry - and Margery's failure to re-
spond What was there left for him
to live for? Not even hope!
Margery's trembling hand sought
her throat! she felt as II she were
going to stife Her heart plunged
downward a thousand leagues
Dwight dead-and she had not been
able to 20 to him He had died be-
lieving her cruel and unforgiving
and relentless! When she could pull
herself together she arose and
dragged her aching limbs to the
telephone. She called up the hos
pital and asked for Miss Trueheart
Miss Trueheart was "on duty ana
she falteringly inquired of the gin
at the phone when DR.. Ogden had
died
"Oh," she gasped, "not-not dead
Getting well-ah! Thank you SO
much; | was misinformed. Goodby
Margery never knew how she got out
the words-or how she got back to
her room. The first thing OF which
she was conscious was OF sitting De-
fore her desk, pen In hand
Dear Dwight.
81 have Just returned from Macon
Ga after a six weeks visit, On my
arrival at the house found letter
from the girl who nursed you, Miss
Trueheart, telling me Of your serious
illness. II was written the day you
we're expected to die and she asked
me to come. You understand now
why did not.
"Dear. can you ever forgive me'
I have been narrow, prejudiced, mean
nut I have suffered You don't know
the price I've paid. Dwight-all these
wretched weeks and today when ]
thought had lost you
There's nothing ] can write, moth
ing can say, to excuse myself. And
I'm not going to try. After the way
acted and talked that last night Of
course you could never ask mo to
marry you again, But-but 1t Is leap
year, dear, and | am going to ask you
My people are getting ready to sail for
Paris in ten days, ! can be ready
for the other--in week. As In the
old days.
"Margery."
an q hftor all wa ara only sec.