The Dermott news., 1917-05-17
By MARY ROBERTS
 RINEHART

Aht iNl III lIlH .il LlN iAt tliii'sHN crushed her. He held her to him and muttered incoherencies until she gasped. It was as if he must make up for long arrears of hopelessness. He held her off Il bit to look at her. as if to be sure 1t 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 new heaven and q new earth.
 Tt was you always. K.," she con- fessed. 'I just didn't realize 1t. But now, when you look buck, don't you see 1t was?''
 He looked back over the months when she had seemed as unattanable as the stars, and he did not see 1t. He shook his head.
 "I never had even a hope"
 Not when I came to you with every thing? 1 brought you all my troubles. and you always helped"
 Her eyes filled. She bent down and kissed one of his hands. He was so happy that the foolish little earess made his heart hammer in his ears.
 Il 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. It 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 Il sort of prayer that since there must be troubles. she would always come to him and be 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 It all now. She felt us 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 wither 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.
 Il shall love you all my life she said Shakily.
 His arms frightened about her.
 The little house was dark when they got back to 1t. The Street. which had heard that Mir. Le Moyne approved of night air was raising its windows for the night and pinning eheeseeloth bags over its curtains to keep them clean.
 In the secondstory frame room at Mrs. Mekee's. the baritone slept heav- fly, and made divers unvocal sounds. He was hardening his throat, and so slept with wet towel about 1t. Down on the doorstep, Mrs. Mckee and Mir. Wagner sat and made love with the aid of 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 Mir k.,' she said. If you think it's Il begging let ter, you'd better keep 1t until he's bought his new suit tomorrow. Almost any moment he's likely 10 bust out"
 But il was not begging letter. K. read il in the hall. with Sidney's shining eyes on him. It began ab- ruptly:
 I'm going to Africa with one of my cousins. She is a medical missionary. Perhaps can work things out there.
 If l caused death. did not mean 10. You will think that no excuse. but fl IS true In the hospital. when 1 changed the 1 f~K,. I did not care much what happened. But 1t was different with you
 You dismissed me. you remember. I had been careless about a sponge count. made up my mind to get back at you.
 You remember the packets of gauge sponges we made and used in the operat- ing roomP There were twelve 10 each | package. When we counted them as We got them out we counted by packages. On the night before l left l went to the operating room and added one sponge every here and there. Out of every dozen packets. perhaps I fixed one that had thirteen The next day l went away.
 Then l was terrified. l was so fright ened that went down sick over it. When l got better. heard you had lost a case and the cause was being whispered about. l almost died of terror. Then I left the city. l couldn't stand it. l was afraid l to read a newspaper.
 I am not going to sign this letter. You know who it Is from. And am not going to ask your forgiveness. or anything of that sort l don't expect It. But one thing hurts me more than anything else. the other night You said you'd lost your faith fin yourself. This is to tell you that you need not. And you said something else-that anyone can 'come back l wonderl
 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. good woman's hand in the dark, Providence that made things right in the end.
 Are you coming. K.?"
 Coming" he said. And, when ne 1 was beside her his long figure folded