The Washington herald., 1916-07-02

Horribly jealous. I won't have you tour
ing the country with a Don Juan like Le-
grand, singing for a lot OF leering men,
and associating with managers and press
agents and critics who would be forever
trying to make love to you. I won't
share your beauty and your voice with
the public Let It go at that, little
sweetheart Of mine. Try to forget your
silly dream Of becoming second Sem
brich. I'll make 1t up to you, somehow"
He kissed her good-by and hurried of
for his morning inspection of the new
building.
Laura looked from the window, watch
ing until he was out of sight. Then she
turned back to her household duties. She
felt no rancor. no fretfulness, no rebel
lion. at the decision which put an end to
her career. Tom had said It, Therefore.
it must be right. For Tom was always
right
Yet she carried heavy heart all morn
ting, 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, inert, terribly in
jurCd. The ambulance surgeon. who es-
corted the stricken man, told Laura the
story of the accident.
Tom had been standing on an upper
floor framework, watching the unloading
Of an elevator full Of brick and mortar
when the elevator rope broke.
A workman who was still in the ele-
vator had leaped for the scaffolding, to
save himself from a fall. Tom had
sprung forward to catch him The work
mans convulsively outfiung hands had
dragged Tom from his precarious bal
ance at the edge OF the elevator shaft.
Together, the two men had fallen to the
ground floor
Both had been picked up unconscious.
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 INN in the fall.
sustaining a compound fracture in two
places. Also that he was a mass OF con-
tusions and abrasions and might perhaps
be injured internally. as well.
Laura installed herself as assistant to
the two trained nurses the family doc
tor brought Specialists were called in
to determine the extent OF the Internal
hurts. And the dreary routine OF sick
-oom life began.
The once-cheery little home became a
hospital. For a fortnight Tom seemed
to vacillate between life and death.
Then his other injuries yielded to medi-
cal care, leaving only the doubly broken
right leg to care for.
Laura, for the first time, suffered her
self to draw a long breath of relief now
that the danger was passed, But a new
worry came, to replace the old. No per-
son Of moderate means, who has known a
long siege Of Illness. will need to be told
that this new worry took on a financial
form.
Doctors. surgeons. specialists, nurses,
medicines, delicacie-all these Items eat
into the bank account with an appetite
that Is Unsuitable. And Laura speedily
discovered this fact
Life must go on. in illness as In health
Only. in the former. fifty times as expen-
sively
The little nest egg in the savings bank
melted as II it had been a SNOWFALL on
a hot stove. When the specialists bills
were paid. when the other medical ac-
counts and the nurses wages were set
tied. there remained periliously little
Wherewith to meet the claims OF the
tradesmen. to say nothing of the druggist.
Two months had passed since the acct
dent. Tom, fully dressed at last Cbut
with his bandaged leg stuck straight be-
fore him on a bench and his crutches at
his side), sat in the little living room of
the flat. 1t was his first day outside
his own room. And he glanced about him
In perpleMty.
This room seems, somehow, changed.
since I was out here before" he said to
Laura. It's different and-and barer."
She hesitated an instant. then said,
very quietly:
It's the absence OF my plano that
makes the room look queer"
Your piano?" he repeated, That's so.
Where Is it?''
Sold it? Are you joking?"
1T isn't much of a joke" she replied.
'at least, not to me-"
But why did you do such a thing 30
he demanded. why did you sell it? You
were so fond of it. And you needed 1t
so, in your practicing."
There won't be any more practicing,
Just now she told him, 81 have stopped
my Music lessons"
But I don't understand" he stammer-
ed. They meant so much to you. They
and your piano"
Dear" she said. softly, S'they meant
nothing to me-nothing at 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 I gave
up my expensive music lessons And /
sold my expensive piano. When the pia-
no 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 nlness-weakened man.
You sacrificed your beloved piano for
me-" he muttered, brokenly, "Oh, dar-
ling, how can ever make up to YOU for
that?"
BY not thinking about it any longer, -
was her CHEEKY reply, "and by getting
well again as soon as you can. The doc
tor says you will be able to walk in an
other month or so. Isn't that splendid p"
And he said with bitter sadness. "in
the meantime lie here like a dog and let
woman support me! It would have been
better II 1 had died. Then you'd have
mad my insurance to live on, and
She pressed one of her little hands re-
proyingly across his mouth.
Hush!" she rebuked you mustn't
speak so. It's a Joy to be able to do
anything for you, Tom. I love to- It's
no sacrifice at all And in a month or
two"
In month OF two." he supplemented,
shall nave to go limping around in
search OF work. For. DR.. sprague tells
me, the Stuytof Construction Company
went, last week, into the hands of a re-
.celVer' and the Lord alone knows when
III get any money on what they owe me-
for designing that miserable building for
them. hadn't meant to let YOU know
this until I could give you some better
news along with It But there doesn't
seem very much chance of better news