Omaha daily bee., 1921-04-03
ACHILLES HEEL
BY A. MARIA CRAWFORD.

thrilling at the thought OF going to
her. Perhaps age had denied him the
JOY and agony of leaping pulse and
throbbing heart and brain. He had
loved her madly in the golden heart
ed days of youth, thought of her far
too often and too much after he had
tried to forget her by marrying the
sweet, gentle woman who had borne
his name for so many years before
she left him to set out, uncomplain-
ingly as always, on the last great ad-
venture alone. He WINGED a little at
the thought that he could not have
loved her more. He had been kind.
attentive, considerate. He had no
regrets, for everything that money
and care could provide had been hers
to the very last. And now Rose, his
princess of happy, carefree days, had
been a widow for three years and he
was at liberty to tell her the old, old
story again.
He had gone once year to see
her, just to be near her, all during
her husbands lifetime. He had been
rich middle-aged man, more or less
an invalid, and there were those who
said that Rose had chosen him be-
cause he was the only one of her
suitors able to pay the price she de-
manded for her beauty and charm.
| After his own bereavement Rose
had written him letter of eondol-
enee. In it he had seemed to read
between the lines that some day,
when a decent period of mourning
has passed, she would want him as
much as he had once wanted her.
Ono. wanted her? The thought was
a sacrilege. She had been the one
great passion of his life. 1t was be-
cause of her that he had forged
ahead of his fellows. that he had be-
come one of the few noted southern
surgeons. As rule. he knew that
scientists were not given to the idol
airy of any woman. They knew too
much about them.
He looked down at his' square,
blunt fingers, steady as lighthouse.
Once they had trembled with eager
ness to touch Rose. And he was
going to her, to once more ask her
to marry him. He knew that Rose
was expecting him. He felt that he
knew what he was going to say.
The train slowed down at a little
middle Tennessee station. From
the rear Pullman. where he was rid
ing, he looked out over the typical
little southern town. Idle, loafing
young men, who ought to be at
work speeding up production so
that the demand could be met and
prices consequently lowered! Silly
girls, happers. rouged powdered,
dressed in the varying colors OF the
rainbow, who should have been at
home learning the simple duties that
would fit them to be efficient wives
and mothers! Old men, run down
at the heel, rheumatic of limb and
brain, gathered in groups, unin-
telligently discussing the relative
merits of Cox and Harding when
they might have been still engaged
in useful occupation if they had con-
served their strength. Old women.
shrunken to the wrinkled state of
dried pruhe, on their way to the
grocery store in quest Of staples
and local gossip, gazing at the train
with fading eyes, eyes which had
somehow failed to catch a vision
that even age cannot destroy. Lie
was a complex thing, mused the sur
gcon.
He was not aware that anyone
had entered the coach until he heard
soft, sweet voice ask timidly,
please, may | share this seat for
an hour or two"
He was up in a second, slowing
the girls smart travelling bag under
the opposite scat, giving her his
place by the window.
"The train is so crowded I had
to impose myself on some one," she
told him. ...
II am glad that am the fortunate
one" smiled Doctor Will Hay
mond. 81 needed company just
now. ! was growing unpleasantly
introspective. 1t does not pay
when the SHOWS of many winters
rest upon ones head" He touched
his gray hair lightly.
"Gray hair is bugbear only to
woman" said the girl. at makes
man look so distinguished. You do
not only look distinguished; you are
distinguished. I recognized you at
once from the pictures of you I have
seen in the papers. You are the
great DR.. Will Raymond, whose
skillful hands carry healing to so
many broken, suffering bodies
When she left him, three hours
later, he felt that -tley were old-time
friends. He had been vaccinated
with the virus of youths subtle fat
terry and it had taken, miraculously
Just before she had boarded the
train he had acknowledged to Kim
self that he was urquestionably old, |
that life could never again offer him
a real thrill, but he had been mis-
taken. When hes looked into her
gray eyes, misty with girls happy |
dreams, he knew once more the urge |
of life and visioned heights which he
had believed himself unable to scale
again. She was utterly dear. And
she asked him, adorably shy in her
manner, to come to see her il he
should ever stop in the little town
where she was going to teach domes-
tic science that winter. If he only
couldl
He was going to Rose to ask her
20 marry him. He must not forget
that.
He found Rose waiting for him in
her smart electro. Hated and
veiled and clothed IN a stunning new
fall frock, she hardly looked her 40
years. But he had to admit that the
bloom was off the peach. He
thought of the girl who had travelled
beside him for three blissful hours
,L,t ,yere ,t1 too chart She was not |