Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1934-01-04
Called Back
F.. By cOSMO HAMILTON
G. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service

TT 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
guish and professional distress the
doctor put into his voice certain
rOughness. But as he stood in that
.dimly Lit room In which the figure of
PembertOn was bending forward with
his face between his hands, he said
TO himself. "Oh. my God, where have
we got to in medical science when
such beautiful thing must slip
through our fingers in all the glory of
YOUTH"
The doctor had been, and was still,
desperately in love with Enid, and
had not recovered from the sudden
and utter collapse of his hopes when.
having asked her to be his wife three
years before. she had said these tri-
umphant words: But, my dear.
haven't you heard the news? I'm go
ing to be Mrs PembertOn-the wife of
Nicholas Pemberton. one of our coun-
try's greatest authors
since then he had resented Penn
be,Ion For a considerable time he
had not been able to bear the sight Of
him. RumOr had it. and he believed it
TO be true. that Enid and her husband
were among the very few happily
married couples within a radius of
fifty miles of their old and charming
house 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 a skeleton in
the most private cupboard of that old
place.
And so. instead of leaving the room
after making his statement. he shut
the door and went to the fireplace.
"Pemberton" he said. there's
something behind all this which is
defeating me. Your wife is entering
upon the crisis of her illness. In or
binary cases ii would of course be
touch and go although the odds would
be with me. But in this case they
are against me-heavily against me
because Enid hasn't the will to live.
On it, she wants to de- This means
something. and I want to know
what"
1T means 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. | have loved her. still love
her and I've done every mortal thing,
so far as had the capacity. to make
her happy with me-
"Well then-what do you mean?"
81 must sum up my failure in two
most terrible wOrds-tOo old. To
which I must add that she has been
forced to divide me with my work.
NV work has erected barrier be-
tween us over which she has never
been able to climb. Before this illness
hit her | stood here late one night and
prayed to God that she might obtain
her freedom with some decent fellow
nearer her own age"
The doctor stood aghast. Out of
the mouth of this reticent man came
words that he had dragged from his
soul. No wonder he was being defeated.
81 must 20 back" he said. ''She
tn 6in. hnr
to die. but, by Heaven. I shall put up
a fight against death with all the
strength I have"
He went to the door and came back.
How he hated this man.
Here's a note addressed to you.
found it on the floor. 1t must have
slipped from under her pillow"
The note was addressed to himself
that he knew so well.
"Pembie my darling. you've drama
tized all this. You've seen me with
the eyes of novelist from the very
first. We haven't been living in life
but I'm the pages of manuscript
You have never been too old, as you
have made yourself out to be. And if
/ resented your work because it took
YOU away from me. each one of your
books has been almost as much my
child as il has yours. You know l
loved you when I married you and |
adore and admire you now. but you
made up your mind that the story
must end unhappily and it must. I
can do nothing but die. But even
when l am dead | shall sit outside
your door and watt my love through
the keyhOle. I've done this every day
since you married me though you
never discovered it."
You should have heard those creak-
ing boards and seen the figure of that
gaunt gray man as he plunged up
that wide old staircase in a frantic
effort to push aside that other gaunt
gray figure which was standing by
the bed!
"What do you want?"
It was the doctor who spoke, as the
nurse rose to her feet.
Its my fight" called out Pember-
ton. fiinging himself on his knees and
placing one arm with utter tender
ness and sudden understanding over
the flaccid body that lay on the bed.
ENID. Enid. ! love you. Make the
end of this story happy one by liv-
ing. Together We'll make a serial of