The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-08-26

sale OF his " songs and that he has
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 the tour. He's
to play the Accomplishments himself
The tour starts in two months. Oh
Tom" she finished, in c4.ldlike ap
peal, can't / go? l want to, so much!"
Tom Price came around TO his wife's
side by the table. She had risen. He
put his arms tenderly around her
as he made answer:
Sweetheart, I feel like q brute, to
refuse you anything in the world. And
II 1t were really for your happiness,
I wouldn't stand in your way for n
moment. But It isn't, dear. The truly
happy woman is the woman with a
home and q husband Of her own. Not
the woman who must knock around
the country on stuffy trains and sleep
in cheap hotels, picking up q 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 a far heavier heart,
during the weeks that followed. For,
at noon, Tom Price was brought home
to her on a stretcher-senseless, In,
ert. terribly injured. The ambulance
surgeon. who escorted the stricken
man, told Laura the story of the &C.
cident.
Tom had been standing on an upper.
floor framework. watching the unload.
ing Of an elevatorful 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 ave himself from a fall. Tom
had sprung forward to catch him. The
workman's convulsiyely outfung 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 to whisper a demand that
he be taken home instead Of to the
hospital.
The surgeon reported that Prices
right leg had doubled under him in
the fall, sustaining a compound frac.
ture in two places. Also that he was
@ mass of Commissions and abrasions
and might perhaps be injured intern.
ally, as we'll.
Laura installed herself as assistant
to the two trained nurses the family
doctor brought. Specialists were
called in to determine the extent Of
the internal hurts. And the dreary
routine Of sickroom life began.
The little nest egg in the savings
bank melted as II It had been q snow.
ball on n hot stow
Two months h passed since the
accident. Tom, ! Iy dressed at last
(but with his bIndaged leg stuck
straight before him on a bench and
his crutches at his side), sat in the
little living room of the fiat. It was
his first day outside his own room.
And he glanced about him in per
ple1ity.
This room seems, somehow
changed. since I was out here before
he said to Laura. Its 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
30. Where is IT."
~ sold 1t. Last week." y,
Sold 1t? Are you joking"
ut isn't much Of n Joke" she replied,
"at least, not to me-"
"But why did you do such q
thing?" he demanded. "Why did you
sell It? You were SO fond Of it. And
you needed It SO. in your practicing."
There won't be any more practic
ing, just now" she told him, IT have
stopped my music lessons"
"But ! don't understand" he STAN
mered. "They meant so much to you
They and your piano."
Dear" she said, softly, they
meant nothing to me-nothing at all
compared to your precious self. Oui
money ran out. You had to have the
right food. the right medicines, tho
right nursing. There was only one
thing left to do. So l gave up my e1.
pensive music lessons. And I sold
my expensive plano. When the piano
money is gone I will 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 man.
you sacrificed your beloved piano
for met" he muttered. brokenly, "oh,
darling. how can lever make up to
you for that9'SS
"sy not thinking about It any long.