The Press., 1918-03-14

ron as a special concession. He'll be here thls morning. I want him to ex- anime your vocal cords, and see if something cannot be done for them. He says 1t is a marvellous case-that your dumbness hasn't affected your hearing or any of your other senses"
 Had the congressman been watch ing Mardy's face then he might have seen that she started and then turned perceptibly paler. She made no writ ten reply or acknowledgment of her gratitude to her would-be benefactor, and they were both uncommunicative for the rest of the morning.
 At Mardy's written request she saw the specialist saw the congressman alone, and then the congressman, hav- ing handed the specialist his thousand dollar fee, saw NEardy alone.
 The congressman looked pensive and grave. Very tenderly and, trying to conceal his own disappointment, he told AIartly of the specialists verdict that, strangely enough, Mardy's speechlessness was incurable. This time the congressman studied Mardy's face, but it showed nothing save a studied immobility.
 They both tried to go back to the work of the day, but unnecessarily, and then the congressman broke the silence. ''Pn have to tell you what is worrying me-and torturing me-" he said. "Pll tell you, and then you can decide what we ought to do. Mardy, want to marry you. I had never thought of marrying before, and l don't want to make you my wife un- less it is going to make you happier. I am tortured with the doubt wheth- CT your inflrmIty wouldn't be such 8 handicap in your life as my wife, with all the social duties that it would be bound to bring you, that we would both be unhappy because of it. had hoped SpIggenheim would be able to hold out hope, but he tells me there is none. Mardy, what shall dO2"
 There was a short pause, and then, in a soft, low voice, Mardy answered his question. Forgive me-" Then she went on talking rapidly and fluent ly, and the congressman hung upon each word as if hearing woman talk had always been the joy of his life. 'I came to Washington, hoping to get a position in one of the departments, but others more influential crowded me out. Then I saw your advertise ment. My funds were exhausted, and I couldn't go home and tell the family had lost out. had promised to send home part of my salary-and-well, l pretenGed I was dumb, and everyone in Washington thinks I am. I have never spoken to anyone, though l do talk to myself in my room at night, sO'S not to forget how. Then when you spoke of Spiggenheim, I thought you suspected me, and would despise me for the deception and would dis miss me if you thought really could talk. So--well, I told Spiggenheim the truth and promised him hundred dol lars-au my savings-if he would tell you the case was hopeless"
 The congressman sat back in his chair and letieut hearty laugh that showed his melancholy had been for. ever dispelled, and for the first time he heard the contagious tones of Mardy's laugh, which she had been suppressing for months.
 "One thousand, one hundred dole lars" he reflected; ''well 1t was worth that ten times over-and a hundred times over, if I had it. never thought that 1t would take a throat specialist to cure me of lifelong melancholy for, Mardy, I have never been com pletely happy in my life until this minute"