Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1918-01-12
kISMET
Hy SUSAN c. cLAGETT.


the delicious fragrance through the
open window into the room. A little
child was seated ON the floor burying
white kitten under heap of the
blood-red peAals she had pulled from
the stems scattered about. Near her
lay doll. Beside 1t, an array OF
clothes ready for use when Its mistress
remembered what was due to respect
ability.
Watching the group with listless eyes
was a woman, stretched with an In
valid's inertness upon couch. She
was half listening to the child's low
talk when she caught the sound OF a
step In the hall. A faint color rose to
her face to disappear even before the
door opened to admit man, quick and
alert In movement, whose keen eyes
softened to marvellous gentleness as
he looked toward her.
Then he turned and took the slender
hand of the woman into his strong,
warm clasp. With professional quick
ness he noticed the irregular pulse, the
heavy eyes, and said gently:
"You did not sleep last night"
mo" she answered, wave of color
flooding her face as she met his eyes.
He sighed heavily. Rising, he went
to the window, where he stood looking
with unseeing eyes into the beautiful
garden.
"You gain no strength" he said at
last; the misery In his heart told in
the sudden strain of his voice. Il see
1t every time I come. If l thought
my leaving would be your gain. !
would 60 within the hour, but you
need me as a physician, friend, a
| companion.
Margaret" he continued, "happi-
ness would be everything to you. Why
will you put 1t from you? You need
my love and care and the peace that
will come from complete self-surren-
| der. What is the use Of this opposi-
ton? 1t is killing you. My life lis
torment seeing you slowly but surely
drifting from me. It is the constant
effort to keep the barrier between us
that tells upon your strength. God
knows | think first of you. You harm
no one by coming to me. You are
alone as well as /, and hearts can be
starved, as we'll as bodies, only some
take longer to die than others. VIII
| - nd m
"And Edith" she asked gently.
EDITH" he said hoarsely, his hard
won composure shaken by the name.
Fifteen years Of separation leave me
virtually free. She left me within a
week of our wedding day. But you
] know the whole miserable story, the
story that should have been told to me
before our marriage. Margaret, are
you going to let 1t spoil our lives%
MAX, would that be at peace, II /
did as you wish?" she asked simply.
as she placed his hand over her labor
ing heart "Could happiness continue
where there would be regretf Try
as / would to hide it, your love would
find it out and you would be as miser-
able as l."
"Auntie, what does Doctor Max want
you to dor" That forgotten child
slipped between them and threw an
arm across the frail figure.
"He wishes me to go away with
him, dear"
"Will your" Ruth questioned In sud-
den fear.
"No, sweetheart"
With little laugh Of relief the child
resumed her play and the man quietly
left the room.
Hours later the moon shimmered
across the fower-scented room and
rested gently upon fair, white face.
Half concealed in the shadow, his face
hidden, knelt the man who had worked
as never before to save the woman he
loved. He had conquered Patience
and skill had won, and as he knelt,
haggard and exhausted from the strain,
great thankfulness filling his heart,
he murmured low-voiced words that
carried strength and the will to fight
for health to the girl as yet too weak
to do more than smile.
The turning of the doorknob and the
rustic of the nurses dress brought him
to his feet. AS he moved backward
his eyes caught the edge of crumpled
paper lying upon the floor. Picking it
up he re-read the words that had
changed the currca. Of his life.
For fifteen years he had been alone.
At the age of twenty-five he had mar
ried and less than year thereafter
had placed his wife in a sanitarium,
hopelessly insane. For twelve Of the
fifteen years he had lived his life as
he could, filling 1t with his profession,
with reading. Then he met Margaret
Wilcox. After that 1t was chaos.
He had told Der his story at the
beginning of their acquaintance, know
Ing that with her, as with himself,
love had come unsought, But until
that hour of yesterday reason had
held in check words he had no right
to speak.
He relived that hour as he looked
absently at the paper In his hand. 1t
had been handed to him as he entered
her room to fight with all his skill
| for her Pickering life. At the time