Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-06-08
By MARY
ROBERTS
RINEHART

gasped. 1t was as If he must make up
for long arrears Of hopelessness. He
held her off bit to look at her, as if
20 be sure it was she and no change
ling, and as if he wanted her eyes to
corroborate her lips. There was no
lack of confession in her eyes; they
showed him a new heaven and a new
earth.
1T was you always, K" she con-
fessed. II just didn't realize it. But
now, when you look back, don't you see
it wasp
He looked back over the months
when she had seemed as unattainable
as the stars, and he did not see it. He
shook his head.
Il never had even hope"
"Not when came to you with every
thing? brought you all my troubles.
and you always helped"
Her eyes filed. She bent down and
kissed one of his hands. He was so
happy that the foolish little caresS
made his heart hammer in his ears.
II think, K, that is how one can al
ways tell when it is the right one, and
will be the right one forever and ever.
1t is the person-one goes to in trou-
ble."
He had no words for that, only little
caressing touches of her arm, her hand.
Perhaps, without knowing it, he was
formulating sort of prayer that,
since there must be troubles, she
would always come to him and he
would always be able to help her.
And Sidney, too, fell silent. She was
recalling the day she became engaged
to Max, and the lost feeling she had
had. She did not feel the same at all
now. She felt as if she had been wan
dering. and had come home to the
arms that were about her. Looking in
to his steady eyes, she knew that she
was safe. She would never withRr for
him.
Where before she had felt the clutch
of memorable destiny, the woman's fate
now she felt only his arms about her,
her cheek on his shabby coat.
II shall love you all my life" she
said shakily.
His arms frightened about her.
The little house was dark when they
got back to it. The Street, which had
heard that Mr.. LIE Moyne approved Of
night air, was raising it's windows for
the night and pinning cheesecloth bags
over its curtains to keep them clean.
In the second-stOry frame room at
Mrs. McKee's, the baritone slept heav-
lily, and made divers unvocal sounds.
He was hardening his throat, and SO
slept with wet towel about it.
Down on the doorstep, Mrs. Mckee
and Mr.. Wagner sat and made love
with the aid Of a lighted match and the
pencil-pad.
The car drew up at the little house.
Katie had heard it, and now she came
heavily along the hall.
"A woman left this for Mr.. K, she
said. IF you think it's begging let
ter, you'd better keep 1t until he's
bought his new suit tomorrow. Almost
any moment he's likely to bust out"
But it was not begging letter. K.
read it in the hall, with Sidney
shining eyes on him. It began alb.
ruptly:
I'm going to Africa with one of my
cousins. She is a medical missionary.
Perhaps can work things out there
If I caused death, did not mean to.
You will think that no excuse, but it IS
true. In the hospital, when I changed the
bottles on Miss Pages medicine tray. I
did not care much what happened. But 1t
was different with you.
You dismissed me, you remember. had
been careless about sponge count. I
made up my mind to get back at you.
You remember the packets of gauZe
sponges we made and used in the operat-
ing room? There were twelve to each
package. When we counted tnem as we
got them out, we counted by packages.
On the night before I left, / went to the
operating room and added one sponge
every here and there. Out of every dozen
packets, perhaps, l fixed one that had
thirteen. The NEXT day 1 went away.
Then I was terrified I was so fright
ened that went down sick over it. When
I got better, heard you had lost case
and the cause was being whispered about.
l almost died Of terror Then / left the
city. couldn't stand it. was afraid
to read a. newspaper.
dAu 1lOC 5O1tlS TO sign ILl13 10CLSE. LOU
know who it is from. And am not going
to ask your forgiveness, or anything OF
that sort. don't expect 1t. But one
thing hurts me more than anything else,
the other night. You said you'd lost your
faith in yourself. This is to tell you that
you need not. And you said something
else-that anyone can come back l
wonder.
K. stood in the hall Of the little house
with the letter in his hand. Just be-
yond on the doorstep was Sidney, wait
ing for him. His arms were still warm
from the touch Of her. Beyond lay the
Street, and beyond that lay the world
and mans work to do. Work, and
faith to do it, a good woman's hand IN
the dark, a Providence that made
things right in the end.
''Are you coming, K.?"
Coming" he said. And, when he
was beside her. his long figure folded
to the short measure of the step, Re
stopped humbly and kissed the nem Of