The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1916-11-16
COPYRIGHT 1915 BY na wnsoN WOODROW,

~'N I'D AAA~ NN@N AN AtAS
been looking everywhere for the right
soprano to sing them. AS soon as
he heard me, he decided no one can
do justice to the songs as / can. And
he wants me TO make tho tour. He's
TO play the accomplishments himself.
Tho tour starts in two months. Oh,
Tom" she finished, in childlike ap-
peal, cant go? | want to, so much"
Tom Price came around to his wife'a
side by the table. She had risen. He
put his arms tenderly around her,
as he made W
Sweetheart, l feel like a brute, to
refuse you anything in the world. And
IL it were really for your happiness,
| wouldn't stand In your way FOR one
moment. But 1t isn't, dear. The truly
happy woman IL the woman with a
home and a husband Of her own. Not
the woman who must knock around
the country on stutfy trains and sleep
in cheap hotels, picking up a living
as n singer or an actress"
"Just as you say, Tom," she agreed,
meekly.
He kissed her good-by and hurried
of for his morning inspection Of the
new building.
Laura looked from the window,
watching until he was out of sight.
Then she turned back to her house
hold duties. She carried a heavy heart
all morning, as she realized the hope
she must throw away.
She carried = far heavier heart,
during the weeks that followed. For,
at noon, Tom Price was brought home
to her on a Gtretcher-senseless, in
ert, terribly injured. The ambulance
surgeon, who escorted the stricken
man, told Laura the story of the ac-
cident.
Tom had been standing on an upper
floor framework, watching the unload
ing CT an e%leyatorful OF brick and NOR
tar when the elevator rope broke.
A workman who was still in the
elevator had leaped for the scaffold-
ing, to save himself from a fall. Tom
had sprung forward to catch him. The
workman's convulsively outfiung hands
had dragged Tom from his %precarious
balance at the edge OF the elevator
shaft. Together, the two men had
fallen to the ground floor.
Both had been picked up uncon-
scious. Tom had recovered his senses
long enough 10 whisper q demand hat
he be taken home instead OF to the
hospital.
The surgeon reported that Prices
right leg had doubled under him In
tho fall, sustaining a compound frac-
ture IN two places. Also that he was
a mass OF contusions and abrasions
and might perhaps be injured intern
ally, as well.
Laura installed herself as assistant
to the two trained nurses the family
doctor brought. Specialists were
called In to determine the extent of
tho internal hurts. And the dreary
routine Of sickroom life began.
The little nest egg in the savings
bank melted AZ IL 1t had been q snow
ball on a hot stove.
Two months had passed since the
accident. Tom. fully dressed at last
(but with his bandaged leg stuck
straight before him on . bench and
his crutches ut his side). sat in the
little living room OF the nat. 1t was
his first Day outside his own room.
And he glanced about him in per.
plexity.
hThto rnN~ anAuo an~nnhAvv
changed, since I ~ out here BEFORE"
he said to Laura. IT'S different and
and barer."
She hesitated an instant. then said,
very quietly:
Its the absence Of my piano that
makes the room look queer"
Your piano?" he repeated, That's
so. Where IL IT."
81 sold It. Last week"
sold It? Are you joking?"
at isn't much of a joke" she replied,
"at least, not to me-"
"But why did you do such a
:hing!" he demanded. "Wky did you
sell Il? You were so fond Of II. And
you needed 1t 30. In your practicing."
There won't be any more practic-
ing, just now" she told him. II have
stopped my music lessons"
But ! don't understand" he stam-
mered. They meant so much to you.
They and your piano."
Dear" she said. softly, they
meant nothing to me-nothing 1t all
compared to your precious self. Our
money ran out. You had to have the
right food. the right medicines, the
right nursing. There was only one
thing left to do. so / gave up my az
pensive music lessons. And I sold
my expensiye piano. When the piano
money 10 rome I viii try to figure out
some new way to meet expenses until
you are strong enough to work again"
A mist Of tears arose In the eyes OF
the illness-weaksned Q
You sacrificed your beloved piano
Tor mel" he muttcred. brokenly, "Oh.
darling. how can l ever make up to
you for thaty"
"as not thinking aboat It any long