The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1912-05-02
A Leap Year Plunge
Copyright. 1919. by Associated Literary press)
Ely NELLIE CRAvEY GILMORE


nurse had to wipe her eyes more
than once.
The crisis came; his life was de.
paired of. The little nurse boldly took
1t 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 hear!
with her art.
| It was a month later that, return.
ing to her northern home, Mar
gerry found the letter addressed in g
strange woman's handwriting. They
had carelessly neglected to forward
it, and as Margery's stupefied senses
at last took in the full realization OF
the words, she gave little husky cry
J and-swooned. They brought her to
| in little while, and she again took
up the letter and slowly re-read the
contents:
Dear Miss Sessoms-1f you can,
please come to the hospital right
away. I am writing you on my own
responsibility. Poor young DR.. o.
den is dying, and he talks about you
all the time-some trouble between
you-and l know you'd come if 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 strengthened a shat
tered life. He had been so near re-
lief from 1t all, and relief had not
come. The same bleak future
stretched before him only, If possi-
BILE, 1t was bleaker The little nurse
had told him of her letter to Mar
gerry - and Margery's failure to re-
spond. Wlrat was there left for him
to live for? Not even hope!
Margery's trembling hand sought
her throat! she felt as If she were
going to stifle. Her heart plunged
downward a thousand leagues.
Dwight dead-and she had not been
able to go 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
M +l@
pital and asked for Miss Trueheart.
Miss Trueheart was ION duty" and
she falteringly inquired of the girl
at the phone when DR.. Ogden had
died.
"Oh," she gasped, "not-not dead.
Getting well-ah! Thank you so
much; I was misinformed C;codby."
Margery never knew how she got out
the words-or how she got back to
her room. The first thing a. which
she was conscious was of sitting be-
fore her desk, pen in hand.
Dear Dwight.
II have just returned from Macon,
Ca, after a six weeks visit. On my
arrival at the house l found letter
from the girl who nursed you, Miss
Trueheart, telling me of POUR serious
illness. 1t was written The day you
were expected to die ard she asked
me to come. You understand now
why did not.
Dear, can you ever forgive me?
have been narrow. pre.udiced, mean.
But have suffered. You don't know
the price I've paid. Dwtght-all these
wretched weeks and :oday when /
thought had lost you
"There's nothing I can write, roth.
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 me to
marry you again. But-but il is leap
year, dear, and arm going tt, ask you
My people are getting ready to sail for
Paris in ten days. l can he ready
for the other-in a week. AS in the
old days.
''Margery."
Up. S.-After all, we are only sec
ond cousins"