Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-15
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ByCoSmoHamihon
The Story of a Strange
Figh t With Death-A
First-Run Story by a
Master Writer.
= T was the Doctor who spoke.

was the Doctor who spoke.
He said "Pemberton, have to tell
YOU that YOUR wife won't live through
the night
- In order to hide his personal an
o,,isb and professional distress the doctor put
i,,to his voice a certain roughness, touch even
OF brutality. But as he stood In that olmly III
room in which the figure OF Pemoerton was
bending forward with his face between MS
hands he said to himself 'Oh, my God, wnere
have we got to in medical science when SUCH
a beautiful thing must slip through our nhgero
in all the glory of YOUTH"
Night after night at that hour he had en-
tered that room from his intense and eager
vigil in the room upstairs to md Pemoerton
in the same attitude-wordless, grayer and
Uraver of face more and more hollow OF eye.
The doctor had been, and was STILL deSper-
ateIy in love with Enid and had not recovered
from the sudden and utter collapse OF his hopes
when having asked her to. be his wl1e tnree
years before, she had said these triumphanV
words: But my dear, haven't you heard the
pavs9 I'm going to be Mrs. Pemberton-the
wife of Nicolas Pemberton, one Of our coun-
try's greatest authors" Her pride and dellght
were so like those of child who had acquired
q never-to- be-expected toy that he had been
able to do nothing but hide MS emotlon III d
congratulatory bow.
He had resented Pemberton. For con-
cradle time he had not been able to bear
the sight of him. But he had admired and
respected his work, and once, on being con-
suited in his professional capacity, had steered
him away from nervous breakdown Rumor
had it. and he believed it to be true, that Enid
and her husband we're among the very lew
happily married couples within radius OF 30
miles of their old and charming house. From
time to time he had seen them there and had
never been able to detect the slightest rift In
their relationship. 1t had seemed to him that
in spite of his jealousy the place was crowned
with a halo of happiness and, better still, con-
tent During his concentration upon what had
been Of necessity nothing but a case he had.
however tumbled upon something which
pointed to the fact that there had been
skeleton in the most private cupboard of that
old place
And so instead of leaving the room after
making his Statements dreadful statement
which almost brought him out OF his imperSonal
attitude-and returning upstairs with the silent
feet which only doctors have, he shut the door
and went to the fireplace and stood with his
back to it,
"Pemberton," he said there's something be-
hind all this which is defeating me. Your wife
IS entering upon the crisis OF her illness. In
ordinary cases it would, of course, be touch ano
GO although the odds would be with me. But
In this case they are against me-heavny
against me-because Enid hasn't the will to
live. She wants to die! This means-somc-
thing and want to know what
At which, struggling to his feet. Pemberton
hauled in his voice from what seemed TO be
great distance and looked at the doctor with
the eyes Of a dog which had been wandering.
sleepless and hungry, over utterly unknown
land.
1T means" he said, that she wants TO
escape from me-"
Escape from you! Why? You've loved her.
haven't you? Haven't you done every mortal
thing TO make her happy"
eyes 1 have loved her. still love her,
and I've done every mortal thing, so far as 1
had the capacity to make her happy with me-"
well, then-what do you mean9"
II must sum up my failure IN two most
terrible words-too old. To which must add
that she has been forced to divide me with
my mistress"
your mstreSs?"
II mean my work. Every time have left
her to come into this room she has been
jealous Gradually and gradually her heart
has been Allied with hatred for the children
Of my brain. There have not been any Of the
other kind, I regret to say. Ny work has
erected q barrier between US over which she
has never been able TO climb. Underneath her
gayety, her perennially chld-like attitude her
love Of fun and people there has been that
curious and unexpected rectitude which mas
not permitted her to fan in love with any
other man. Before this illness hit her stood
here late one night and prayed e God that
she might obtain her freedom with some decent
fellow nearer her own age My prayer has not
been anSwered-and death Il to cut the knot
%our verdict comes as o great relief The poor
little soul viii be free But I shall never get
over the knowledge that have me Re her pay