The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1923-02-09
THE CONFESSION
BY CHARLOTTE TALLEY

lines around the otherwise perfect
mouth of Mrs Archer, his secretary,
and to obliterate them.
As he sat at his roll-top desk tap
ping it nervously with his slim white
fingers, the afternoon of his return to
his law Office after week Of illness,
it was Doctor Jones' extraordinary adj
vice to him, and not the neat piles of
business letters before him, that occu-
pied his thoughts. Get what's worry
ing you off your mind" the doctor had
said. IF you're in love, propose"
Well, he was in love, but Jean Archer
had not responded very noticeably.
Now he meant to propose, however,
without delay.
He went over to where Mrs. Archer
sat before a typewriter, in her black
gown with it's soft, white collar, and
stood looking down at the tendrils of
dark hair that curled above her white
neck. "Jean," he said, flushed and
bold, II want to talk to you. Bring
over your pad so, If Pablo comes in,
he'll think I'm debating" N
Mrs. Archer finished typewriting
sentence before she spoke. Her cheeks
had grown pink as laurel blossoms in
June and she said, sweetly, without
looking up, her thick black lashes veil
ing her gray eyes, "Mrs. Archer, if
you please Mr.. Mckee" Then she
brought her pad and pencil and sat
down beside his desk.
you'll always be Jean to me, Mrs.
Archer" Thomas began, whimsically.
II have decided that 1 ought to get
married Now, no wife on earth would
live with me peaceably if she knew
what an attractive secretary have.
/ don't care for any other woman,
moreover, so the only solution of the
problem, as I see it, is for yousto mar
ry me.'
Mrs Archer's face matched the
blank white pad before her as she fall
tered, 81 shan't marry anyone, Mr.. Nc
Kee. 1t would be wrong; at least, /
should have to make a confession
which would be most painful to me,
and / might not then be acceptable"
Thomas flushed. He was silent for
some moments. But his faith in Jean
Archer was as strong as his love for
her.
That's all right" he said, stoutly.
Lets hear it."
Mrs. Archer's reply was to go over
to her desk and, unlocking the right
hand drawer, to take from it a folded
typewriter paper, which she placed
before him. He took up her confess
sion and read:
My husband was dying.
Weeks before, the doctor had told me
he could not possibly live. We did not
expect him to last through the night
At intervals, according to the doctors
instructions, / administered medicine
or nouriShment.
IF my husband died that night,
Marion, my little girl of eight, and 1
would have five thousand dollars from
an insurance policy with which to face
life. If he lived little longer, we
should have nothing; money had al
ready been borrowed on the policy and
the last day of grace would expire the
following day.
"We were strangers in the South
western town, where my husband had
been sent by his Eastern physician to
save his life. There was no one to
whom could turn as friend.
"My husband was sleeping profound
ly after paroxysm Of coughing, when
the thought came to me. What would
he wish If he were able to judge the
situation? Marion had always been
his idol. Why should she be made to
suffer? 1t was almost time for his
heart stimulant. (This temporarily re-
newed his hold on life, oray to prolong
his suffering. When 1 felt his pulse
1t was very weak.
81 went into the next room and |
looked at Marion. Our beautiful, |
helpless darling, with all Of life be- /
fore her! 1 was distracted; almost
hysterical, from the strain Of work be- |
yond my strength, and weeks of !
worry.
81 then returned to my husbands |
bedside to prepare his medicine. He |
was awake and conscious, but with ,
feeble hand he thrust away the medi- /
cine glass.
JEAN he whispered hoarsely, to
day - the insurance - Marion = I'm
going soon. Let me go in peace This {
was not the first time that my hus-
bands thought and mine had been !
Identical.
II tried to soothe him as held the
glass to his lips, but he would have
none of it.
For few moments 1 sat watching
him, making no effort to use force. /
Then suddenly he gasped and was
gone.
Had my delay FASTENED his end?
begged the doctor to tell
me as he filled out my husbands death
1t may have by a few
hours he said, but that is ALL
But 1 ponder the question often,
and / never forget what 1 failed to do
hat night. for I truly loved my hus-
)and
Thomas Mckee drew a perplexed
sigh. He was accustomed to making
decisions, but this case was without
precedent.
He turned toward her. Her fringed
gray eyes held look of appeal and
he lines around her mouth had deep
,ned. "Tll smooth them out" he in
vardly declared.
you must forget" he said. Then
he drew her unresisting toward him,
Ind she rested in his arms like tired
,hild, wearied after long journey.
Deadly upas" a Myth.
The "deadly unasn of the African