The Daily Missoulian. [volume], November 02, 1913, Morning, Image 19

About The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961

Image provided by: Montana Historical Society; Helena, MT

                
BY RIGHT i
ti'
SY WI.L .1AT,
4DGE bheard Mrs. Peal
Sgo heavily up and
down the three lonu
4i1hts of stairs
tw se before she felt
moved to definite
oersonal acton.
It must be the
Middle of the nilht,
Bshe thought. A
sleepy look at the
little sunmdtal watch
under her pillow showed it was just
2:15. Madge stole out of bed and
groped, by the limuner of the one
turned.dwn ;as jet, fot slippers atad
bathrobe.
"0, Mrs. Peck," she said softly, open1.
ing her doer about three inches, as
the steps approached hailing distance.
"Yes, Mig Hadley, Don't be dis,
turbed,' hild," breathed crse. Peelk ii
a hoarse whisper. Sl@ bore a hot,
water bag in .uo hanid and ompe bot,
tles in the other. "Ite just Mr. Grlf.
in in the boak, tHe's been taken
bad."
Madge hesitated. ghe had never
even spoken to Mr. Oriftf, but he
was her neighbor on the fourth toor,
and even such proximity breeds a aer
tai unexpressed trateralty in a
boarding house. It is a communal
spirit of misfortune, $: nothing else,
"Do let me help you, lease, Mrs.
Peek," she begged, "I't a good
nurse."
Mrs. Peel hesitated, Madge's dark
eyes were eloauent, and it was a lon
climb dowii to the basement,
"Well, you can get the hot water
up, then, and you might rin. up the
doctor and tell him to come in bY
morning. lt't a bad cold, and be's
out of his head. Mrs. Knapp heard
him raving. and she was soared stift
but w!hen it soe to her what it wea,
she slipped dowp and got me UL. Ths
poor boy's all alone, you know,'
"I didn't know," said bldage, hur'
rfedly, sorry she had never *weotur,
aged Mr. Griffin' half apoelgethi
greetings. Merely a little bow of the
head would he pgt as she hurried by
him on the way to breakfast or din
ner.
But low it was !eSft I if she were
back home in Pielands, where nei.ll
borliness brooded over the whole
r
0iS9 1 Q 0~L~I~Z~h~i
o 0o o 0o o AN ONLYt LD oL o0 o
w LB W-PLgy- rtfE' I(amerwh ae rrrr r«rr. ai.. sU. .4s ' ate. _ e _.
I' MOM W t W DIQT
tones, furtively
watching the door.
"'But--what is to
be done with her?"
BMrs. Calhoun arked,
Her tone was o0lorI
lese, shopeless.
"That's it, my
dear, Laetlit4's!
whole life eem toi
be centere4 in that
one purpose; she seem onl one egoal-.
atrives for only 'ge, Why, I vGe't
eveo make an engagement for her
any more for fear of interfring,
with a lesson or a class or an ap
pointment to practice with some one
or other. And she's our only daugh-i
ter."
Mra. Calhoun raised her hald cau
tiously. "Do be careful, dear; she's
upstairs, and 1 wouldn't have. ler hear
us for the wo'rld. We mustn't berak
her heart in trying to thwart her am
bition. That would be cruel."
"The whole thing's cruel," Mr, Cal
houn said, desperately.
Presently the man looked up, a
bright light in his eyes.
"Suppose-suppose, dear, we eon-,
trive to tell her I have had reverses
in business and cannot longer afford
to pay for her lessons We can cur.
tail expenses and live consistently.
with the statement, can we not,
dear?" he asked eagerly.
"Y-e.a--we could, I suppose, but
would that do any 94YI len't Lae.
titia just the sort Who weld go to
work-sing in a choBrU, it cafes-r
A BRAVE MAN
BY WALTER REnolv. Ana A .
3Y3 WALTER GREGot
ILB3 RT FARRAN
DAPJ4 had reachedl
the age of R3 without
ever having had a se
rlous affair of th
heart.
"I would rather be
free to go and come
as I choose, than to
be bound with the
matrimonial chain,"
he told his friend,
rantk sWhbting, having veortaken that
young uman on the street a few da.s I
before the date announosgd to his
marriage to pretty l(itty loeu~I. "T
hope you will be happy, T.RLr biut
nothing cuts like the fetters with
which one has manacled lghimslf" He
smiled with the complacency of as.
sured wisdom.
"0. rubbish!" retorted his unappre.
dative friend. "Wait till you fiad the
right one and all the chains in orea.
t!on wouldu't keep you from marry.
ing her-if she would have you."
Mrs. Horton, the housekeeper, had
taken the best of care of the big Far
randale mansion for many years. Gil
bert had some into pes.ssis a this
Weepy little ksathsrs tesw.
She thought as she ran downstaire
how her mother and Widnle would'
have done everythling that lay in their
power for a "poor boy all alone." How
her mother would have taken the cap
.iaiOy away from Mrs. Peck gently,
but with authority, and have brooded I
over the sick one with all the sweet
motherUliees of her nature.
And after all, Madge thought the
spirit was just the same, whether it
was Pinelands or West 21st street,
Manhattan, Her neighbor lay ill. As
her mother's daughter and Virginia's
daughter likewise, she felt it her priv
ilege to give help and succor at this
h.our.
So she found her way down to
Mrs. Peclk's basement kitchen, and
turned up the gas. 'rhere was no fire
in the range. She laid her hand on
the hot water bottle; it was cold.
Over in one corner she found a lit
tle two-burner gas stove where Mrs.
Peck had Just been heating some wa,
ter for the rubber bag, and she filled
the teakettle and set it on to heat.
The telephone was out in the hall
way, and she had forgotten to ask
Mrs. Peck which doctor to cal. Ben
would come in a minute if she asked
him, She knew he would, and he vwas
a good doctor.
'Ben, it's Madge,' she called. "Could
you come right down here? There's
one of the gentlemen in the house
who ti very ill,. They alsed me to
call a doctor."
Ben suggested a doctor nearer to
22d street, He knew of several.
"0, of course, if you'd rather not--"
Madge's tone was ominous.
"I'll be right down, dear," he as
sured her.
So It harpened that when adaSby
Grlffl opened his eyes from the fl i t
stupor of pneunRonia, he saw Madgi
stending over him. This was quite
natural. He had seen her there
through all his dream maze.
Even befcre til cold gripped him,
he had sometimes closed his eyes,
and tried to picture her face against
the night's darkness. Now she was
there and he felt her band laid on his
brow.
,"He s.Uiem awfully feverish, Ben,"
she was sayisg to the rather stocky,
smooth faced yourg fellow puttering
over Gritff'l work table by the win
P*nr;gvrq-4t *SP# eesoug to etpdy?
Any girl with her energy and d4·
termination will find a way. And there
is a way-if only she could sea it-a?
way to make us all happy."
"How's that?"
"If she would only fall in love, des
perately in love, and be made to feel
that she was making 4 great eaeri
foe for the man she loved in giving
up her career-her music, she would
b happy-we would be happy and she
would be saved all the pain of fail
ure that is sure to be hers if ahe cun
tllues to believe she will be a grand
opera star."
Mrs. Calhoun had studied her
daughter; she knew that the girl liv
ed for dramatic effects; that heroles
appealed to her. More than once b1he
had prayed that her girl might fail
in love with a man who would iii
slat oq her giving up her musical ca
reer.
Unllke -many mothers, Laetitia'r
parent was not blind to the short
comings of her child. Laetitla could
not sing and it was her one aim andi
object in life-to sing, to go into
grand opera, to shine bMfore the foot
lights.
Teachers' strugg!iag for the dollars
that came to them from lessons, flat
tered her assd led her op toward her
imagined place among the stare,
Frlends who were kindhearted asked
her to sing; and even her ?:ilher and
mother hadn't the heart to tall her
she could not.
taetitla had become so engroaser,
ia her studies of music in all br'oches
9prta!iing to votle culture +tha she
had for.koea most of her frien.'s; she
fine old place upon the passt!,+g of his
uncle, and Mrs. Horton was part of
the inheritance.
Gilbert Farrandals was left an or
phas, sad his bachelor u!.l. had
adopted him 4e his own chi'i. Ln
doubtedly living all thepe yeaJr with
a confirmed celibate had mu;h to do
with the Iephew'S profound knowl
edge on the subject of love an!: mar
Gilbert had received asn invitation
to young Whiting's wedding. T he ap
poaited day and hour found hit' wait
inug in the 8loeump home for t·· com
S!g of two foolish youngsters ae hie
regarded them.
Kitty Slocum in filmy wb!he ad
vued down the long room with
Frankl Whiting at her side. ~e was
pretty enough to touch eves a harder
h4art than Gilbert's.
Gilbert's eyes fell next on the cous
in who, with Rittf's brother Ernest,
followed the bridal pair, and the de
lights of bachelor freedom began sud
denly to fade for him.
The clergyman joined the young
people in marriage, and Gilbert was
among the first to offer congratula
tions. Then he turned to speak with
MIrast ulooum, aad obtained an in.
dow. Grifiln wandered r."YqS1 if It
was disarraungng eay of the payers
there.
"He may be for 4 fow hours more,
probably several days. HI breatheb
easier. Keep that emoky turnaoe hbst
turned off, and the wtndows open,
mind. I'11 be in again about 11. Gotmg
to stick by?"
"Until noon," said Madge. "I b~ay
to go up to class work then, I sup.
pose I could give it up today if he tl
very il"i
Grifit. wished she would put her
hand a !itle bit lower, near his lips,
but she tve him a piece of ice ian
RI"
}}
J ' N
p3
ITM NOT WUAX." RE]TORTED GAP,
stead, and bli eyelids felt too heavy to
raise.
Aftar the fellow she called Ben hea
gone, he beard her talking with Mrs.
Peck a' the door. Mrs. Peck wanted
to kno'- whether the doctor thought
they had behtter send him to the hoe
pial.
Ile a Ite boy, and his board
was reud right up till Monday night,
but she d had one die on her hands
and she didn't want it to happen that
way agu.t. ,.Humanity was all right,
end nobody could cay that she was
lihatd-hea..rtd, but she had her work
to do, and who was to witch Mr. GriT
tin that he didn't take a bad spell and
had withdrawn froau soeial U!9 -Ie7
ing that she must save her strength
for her work. The home that had
ones been the scene o~ gay little pars
ties was now quiet after dinner, and
the father and mother eat silently
readlng under the library lamp.
Lraetlit. was in bed gatherin sg e
argy fom the following day's lessons.
She was working diligently on the
opera scores in the faint hope that
!he minght have opportunity to sing
before a manager,
"Whom could she !ove?" Mr. Cal
hcun broke in abruptly, as if the idea
conveyed to him by his awfe had just
appeared to his rather thick vision.
Mrs. Calhoun smiled. "Better
who loves her enough to m.ake her
gi\' tup her career, my dear?"
"Well. toit It your way--who's the
niat? I 11 aek him here, throw them
together, do anything to save our lit
tIe girl from the awful failure I can
se. coning her way," the father aild,
aiting uip energetlcally. "Do you
think eoung Davis is bopolessly di.
cuuraged ."
"He ought to be---the way she's
treated him. But if he showed half
t, detoere!nation about winning Lae,
titi' tl.,t she shows about wnining
tame he'd have her," Mrs. Calhoun
declarae
"Nice fellow-cavls," mumbled the
father.
"He's all of that, I had quite made
'tp my rmind to him."
"How to mal:e un Laetitla's mind
Co him 1,t the queseton now." reulark.
-- -- - Cr-i-oun nr a hopeless in
liaetiotn in hti voice
teduction to the roas1i, the twene
sight of whom had gIven B nOw out
lock on life
Doris Lorimer was the picture oa
youth and bappine:s. Her big brown
eyeS were enough in themselves to
have made her beaulitul. She had
come frem her hc!:- in a distant part
of tbe state to a~t as her cousin's'
lady in waitine, and she was to re
main with the Slocutn family indefin
itely.
After the Slocumn household had
settled back into !t. regular routine,,
Gilbert Farraudala found his way
there frequently, but i!le friends were
no longer favored ith anti-matrlmtn
ia! lectures.
poris alwaye met Gilbert with per
feet friendliness, but there was nothb
ing in her manner to indolete that the
arrow which had pierced hle beart
had even touched her own.
Gilbert tried to reassure himselfi
with the hope that as he really knew
so little of feminine ways, here might
be the asual attitude tn such a ease.
Finding Doris alone on the plazza
cn r evening, about slx weeks after hi.,
first meeting with her, Gilbert rea
solved to know his fate, and her
glance et kindly greoting save him
tu ir p th e w Ma3 w th 0 W o c eL ua o f
tbhe did,
*'1I stay wigth 'hlim maid ?adge..
"P*Idt him a3 *way t0 the hoepi
Theo Oriffia felt ht9uelf drifting.
sway · I ..thathst formwless, ehore
Ies s e o f ay dasuue, but the vold
held the memsory of her voice row, so
It Wa it void us louder.
lie geped at that obeerful young
tone ead the promlee It held for btm.
It p'o him qiueer subconseeove
strength, the knowledge that lie was
ttiarse end wrCd not leave bint. Re
nevPe quseUoaue4 why. It saosed
right and natural she should be with
him.
Had he :ot told her over aid over
alaiP in his thoughts that he loved
even the little tap of her heels on the
floor next to his rooml. 1id she ioet
know how many evenps I h a !;, eat:
there lonely and disgusted hin.
self over his lack of succesn .,thr(
had come the soft wot ani. n f
her voice as she sagi sQft!h ,r, hn._
self, and It had eomfnrted t.,, and
strengthened him for the f..-.h
Daye passed in that sea of .ar Thea
last. night it ',as all dgrk c1bth ,bhr
sorund of many waters rslhin 'a ,Ili
earl .rnd a great peace over t.ve r ut,
fnger, remarking, "L!sten, ! bear
footsteps-Lastitia is coming down,"
Mr. Calhoun began to read, osten
tatiously: Mrs., Calhoun; too, ecame i
obaorbed in her magaizne.
"Mother," faltered Laetit!a a! ht !
ealbow.
- e
"TUE WHOLE: THING'S CRtTlLt." MR. CALROUN BATA,
Her mother looked ,ip. Laetltia's
hair was hanging In two braids
aeross her shoulders; they glistened
in the lamp light, He! long rose-ol
ored kimono fell to her toes, and she
crumpled down op her mother's foot.
stool, burying her face in her moth
er's lap.
Mrs. Calhcn.n !rnked quickly aeroes
at her husband, wlbo, in turn, peered
courage to s iY
"Dornc, I love oun: wil you marry
me?" then he thought, "I must be
crazy to put it o60 stupidly,' and
waited in an agony of apprehension
for her answer.
Dorts' smile bronadened, and she re
plied calmly, "Wh". M.h Farrandale, I
could not think of ),,ng so cruel as to
let you manacle cut !self with the
fetters which cut so, deeply."
Gilbert's heart r"m.md to sink into
the earth on haentor these fateful
words.
"I was a fool to ray that," he do
e'lated, "I thought I was so wise,
when It fact I had 'to Idea what love
meant, but now I have learned. I:
love you Doris. :'o not punish mes
for ignorance--I knr': the truth now."'
He held out .ti' hands to her ini
frank appeal.
Dore' look gre : !iWder but, alas,
there was no lo~e for him in the
brown eyes.
"Love cannot he forced," she said,
"and sometimes I mink it is not my
nature to love any one person, but to
care for f at r " f tho=e oho are dear
to me, and they are many."
Had Gilbert been in the right mood,
he might have smiled at this Mtirim.
ao' 04d O _U. hbe slipped aw'a
into naeoaDaieasness he would feel
hev strong young bands clasp over
his, 4n4 hear her voice in his ear.
"Fight, _ht against it. Can't you
bhear eiae You mustg't gire up. Fight,
0, please Rght."
He didn't know that Madge was
alone at these times, that she knelt
by the bed, with tears in her eyes,
trying with all her will power to com
psel him to resist.
"I think we're winning," Ben said
that last night. "He's a strong lad.
I'll bet one of Aunt Alice's best fruit
cookles, he's born and raised in the
oountry with that constitution and
frame. He's made of oak."
"! heard him say once he was from
the country" Mrs. Peck, replied. "Ain't
be sleeping fine now, the dear lad? I
wonder are those letters from his
home folks. always getting letters
from Portland, Me. I think they're
freom his wife."
Madge started. His wife. Why, sbe
had never even considered such a pos
sible person. Was there a wife somse
where, another n oman who should
have been i., her place all these
weary hours?
Mrs. Peck had gone down, tad .rn
turned and saw the look I( her \' ..
He put one arpi around'l her ,holuld'rts
and drew her ever to !.im
"Poor kiddie, you're all played .t,
aren't you?" he asked . cheerily,
"That's the worst of us 'Vi r;iniana,
We'll give every last, onea' of
strength fur ihe stranger within the
gate, eh? l've grown to hit, an In-I
terest in the boy rriyself r n., Glad
he'll pull throuh. 1 ow nes his life
to you, 3Iadge"
Gade' y opened ba re's tiredly, and
saw the tvuo figurc. liadge was cry
ing softlyt moro, from overtaxed
nerves, and rlief at hliI chance for
recovery !ut.t Gsad: b°" did not know.
After Ben had gone htI groaned.
"Did .ou anit en' thipg, tir. Grif
fin?" asktid 'ladge '""i !lmpersonaiI
'" atd g nt!i "Yoei nrtutstnt ve'r
etr!ap r ourself, b tre are re letters
ir olt hiom W'oi .(Ioun like them?"
"I hIavc (i ovejrstr:ilid," said Gads
by, fre(tfully. "r~nine b ,.,e."
'laadge nhc ed
"Put yo'ur h l, o! !to"fi ra."
.'ou hae'.-n'1 tny fever inir;a,"
"It feelr :,t ina d it hurt',.
aoraf~a e tap of his chestrs et 1tip
daughter's itowed head; then he look,
ed up quickly and held his wwiftee
eyes for an Instant. Had sbe heard?
Mrs.* Calhoun put her hand ton~lerly
en the gtrl'!a hair.
"What in it, dearle?" she aekr-d.
L etltla burst Into anbe; her whole
elight. fratme Shook. and she buried
her face deep.r and .deeper in her
mother'e !ap Teara came sllently to
t..e e'es of both mother and father,
but nct one spoke,
"C'an--can't you tell mother,
dear!e?" M.rs Calhoun asked, letting
her ow'n teart drip down unheeded
on her bosom.
"I--I w!Il, That's what I came
Ifke utterance from one who weas 0,
plainly made for love, But Ib r-o
far too much in earnest to Isc, .,
thing humorous in her remark
"I shall win you away from all the
othero," he said positively, and here
their conversation ended, the family
cotmlng out to join them.
Later, a G'ilbert walked homeward,
hlt thought u.:nt over the scene with
Doris, and he had to acknowledge that
his suit had receved no encourage.
anent "But I Thall not give up--she
shall love nle," be said to h!irnlf with
a tirie .'tatr of the lint.
The ' el -!rlI broutght the bride and
grosuul aud , tu.rprtse Kitty's relatives
had been pl.a.ing. This was the pro
sentatron of a handsome pair of sad
dle horses to the e'w!ly married cou
ple n!th a third b-ln eutiful mount for
Doris.
It had long beena Gfiibert's habit to
take a daily gallop, and it became a
regular nusteom for the four young
reor!e to ePn!it morn!ng ride to
gether
One mr.tng in early September
the four . '.rtE=d on their usual Tide,
choosing a beautiful path through the
woods. Doris and Gilbert rode in ad
vaes of the othes., sad tthe esute.
Madge sat do" aon the little eamp
chair by the bed, and laid her hand
on his forehead. She had noticed so
many times how the hair waved up,
wards from it crisply. Sometimes she
had just run her fingers through it
lightly, out of sympathy and pity.
"Talk to me," he said, his eyes
closed. So she talked, to amuse and
divert him, talked of the home down
at Pinelands, of her mother and ale.
ter Winnie, and how she had come
north to study household science so
as to teach it in the mountain districts
among the poorer classes.
"Who is he doctorr'
"He is Ben."
A pause. His voice sounded husky
and intensely sombre.
"You kissed him just now."
"Yes." He was amazed at her se
rene confession. And with her hand
on his head. Couldn't she feel the
pulseu beating? Didn't every beat
count Madge, Madge, Madge?'
"Don't you want your letters now,
Mr. Griffin. Prrcbably your wife is
anxious about you, and I might write
a line to her for you."
Somewhere Madge had read that a
nurse must never excite a patient. The
next few moments convinced her of
the wisdom contained in this admoni
tlon. She put her patiep back on his
pillows forcibly, and held him while he
made her understand that he was ab
solutely and positively a bachelor.
"But Mrs. Pci' said-"
"Mrs. Pack doesn't know anything
I about me. She srtnirses. Those let
tors are frmn," he began to cough
and she waited to give him a drink.
Hle lay hark weakly on the pillows.
Madge crushed an impulse to alip hert
arm bhneath his head and comfort
him, "Read them to me," he ordered.
It was getting shadowy in the up
per back room. The sun had slipped
down past the red brick row arrows
the street, Madge sat close to the
bedside and read the loiters from
lMaine, the heavy white Iciers, vith
the feminine handn 'i'!nt on th,"in
And they told her mnore of Gadshv
Griffin than she c.rild ever have
known from his on a lips,
They were from h,, mother, boauti.
ful lettar' to "Boy P':rtrat," and they
told ait the homte te,, and of how
she tic'p-rr I1., was w"ell an.!d making
good. a. bne catled it.
IdowA for, mother," Laetitk whiiper.
ed from the rmother's lap.
Mr Calhoun was perceptibly ill at
ease He tr!id to remember all they
had Paid; he would have given all he
o.~Dd to h';'o retrr.cted ble wortle;
let her cinr: let lir pro ti .e; let her
go into anyth!ng thI.It s~ l tll)lght l lt. ,
wanted but---never lelt ,1!11 irn b h i
little girl so unhappyv osranI. Th.te
was hie only wi i).
.L - let me have you handkerchief,
mother," Laelfit sald, rafling tier
head.
"H.ers--take mine, daughter," said
her father qui:kly
"lI-i want to tell you both all about
it," thu, girl bgr n, plying toH amplio
bit of linen diligenLly,
"Go rilght on. dearie," Mrs, Calhoun
aI d, itrlikmg tho hlanid the held.
"Iten .-h-ut nie-aluiit inr iland my
Carer - and''- I' Tot," mho confessed.
"Yol don't uonderstanld how It his
h,,'rn, perl)aps"
.Notlher \Mr. nor 'Mr l. Calhoun emld
a word; they .till wondered if sho
lid hi'ard.
"I hvire wnorliked hard Io be a ann
cad;i for you Iwo. I atL your only
child, your only hope. I wanted to
ricu'!l to do Ro?,n- ht z bitg And wonl
derful for you. \nl.her anid fathor,
rldar---but 0-. ! can't give up Toui for
the empty fame of an opera star,
"I've tried so hard. "I've spent all
this money of father's end yours for
mru!Ic and you've given me every ad
vantaom and it eeems so ungrateful of
me to-to give it all up for--love."
ohe hid her face and the father and
mother looked at each other again.
tIug for some dirta.nrce cinder the dense1
ihadec' of the n12hiirv ttake, th1y slow
ld do wnL
Suddenly at the left pide of the
road ahead of Doris there appeared a
gianit hound with a brokcn chain
dangling from his collar. lie was a
ilerce-looking avimal, and his swift
and silent coming had startled them.
instantly he made a spring at the
neck of Doris' horse, and the fright-:
ened beai.t reared backward. Drcri
was a good rider and retained her
rneat, but as her horse's forefeet
touched the ground again the houndi
made a eavage leap a nd this time
fattened his fangs in the shoulder of
the animal.
Gilbert rsprang to the ground and
brought down the handle of his heavy
huntinL crop with all b!a strength
upon the hcund's head. The crashing;
blow dazed the brute, and he loosened
his hqgl. Then he made a ferocious
spring for Gilbert's throat.
"Oh. Gilbert, Giioerti."
It was the first time Doris had ever
called his name, and her love spoke in
the ery, It seemed to give Glbert
superhuman strength, for as the
Ihound leaped he struck it gain with
the loaded erop square a its masslove
tie mrt 1gaot '.O-ir one bit about
them at home. If he needed money,
father would send him a chect. It
was wrong of him to be proud, and
not accept it, just in these first fe "
months of struggle in the gi ea
metropolis.
In a little while he would has., h:
degree, and after that all the worl1d
lay before him to choose trom.
"What are you doing here?" .asked
Madge when she had fin!shed. Her .
voice was a little unsteady.
"Post grad. course at Columbia in
law." He reached for her hand, and
laid it on his lips. "Who's Ben"'
"Why, my big brother," .Madge'
dark eyes opened wide in surprise.
"I thought you knew. He is married
and lives uptown. It makes it so
much nicer for me having him here,
You really must stay on the pillows,
Mr. Orffln. You're too weak to sit
up."
"I'm not weak," retorted Gad, come
fortably. "I've beaten old pneumo..
nia all hollow. The elephant that has
been perched on my chest for daye
has decamped, and my head doesn't
twaggle about like a toy ba!loon,.
Madge--"
"Yes?" Do you want something"
"I want you," said Gad frmly. "'.
so relieved over that confounded duo.'
tor. I saw him kiss you. I thought
he had a right to. You don't kno r
what jealousy is, sweetheart-"
"Mrs. Peck is coming upstaitr. Let
go my hand."
"No need, no need," smiled Gad'
"She may as well know first a, last.,
I've intended marrying you ever sines
.o'u first came down to, nreakfafs
And it's all right, isn't it. dear? L!'tens
Would It be according to Ben's not
lions of pneumonia treatment for p&a.
tients if you just put your face dow'ri
near mine, just once for now?"
Madge knelt impulsively, and .Iuagh.
ed as she held him close to heR. bha
cheek on his. Mrs. Pac"k tnook on
lpok at the picture from tho t.rt or
the stairs.
"Well, tfor the mercy's sake.'" she
epclalmed "Better half ,close tbh
door, children, T'l set llh eg;1':
right here on the la. dinlg, nurse. H"
needs to be sustained."
"0, thank you, 'i'r. Peck," ";l'.
Madge, but Gad put !t, "Fm nu,'stiu
ad, Mrs. Peck, thanks."
arcer--er he h '!! ' o aý. a , ):
end of the world where he can n',
never even bher cf ma," she .-.
bursting in fresh eob-.
"Dearle, deari.," protested I
mother, with emotion, "don't to th
"Wf wrant you to be happ-:.w- -
you to marry Tom. W3--wee b .,
really d!sappointed Daddv and I, h1?
b,'( ,," he did not. come around aoy
Laetitla looked up, a gleam of light
ablning In her swollen eyes. Sh'
glanced from one to the other. He,
father amiled and nodded. "Have you.
really? Do---do you like him?"
"We,-ws lo' e him," Mrs. Ca!homsv
said, earnestly.
"0, mother!" cried Laetltia, climbh
ing, like a little girl, to her mother's
lap and squeezing her around the
neck. "Do you truly? And I won'{:
have to work so hard to--to try to ba
a sucrcss in order to make you proud
of me? O--01t"
In spite of herself, the mother's
•yyes overflowed with tears. She wet
t' i happy to ptieak. ,And It was Tom
litvis, after all!
"I've always thought it was an ew,.
ful thing to he an only child, the one
hiope of a pair of dotitg parents--it's
h'`l such(i hard work! And now there
will he tw!r of ut to make you happy,
Daddy----er;i Tom to come to dInne.:
tomorrow night that-that you wane
to show him something--anyth!cg to
get him here "
"I'!l ask him to breakfast if yo.
say so," laughed the father wiping h!t
glasses carefully; they had becoam
moist and 4tamed.
head, the blow orushed through intro
is brain, end the furlous -monster
dropped .c his feet, lifeless
It was a very thankful but verr
ne3rvtr-r.aken party of four that tr rn
ed ,ou.iewari. The wound which ithe
hound' a t.t]!I h.A given to Dors'c
hero e wlas bleeding freely, and th ,
aniulma was trembling from shock.;
Doris dismounted and Gilbert placed
her upon his own mount, leading het
wounded one.
"Gilbert, you are a brave man," .ad
Frank Whiting, as they started h me
ward. We all owe you a deal: -
gratitude for atlidg so prompti y n:d.:
so y'ell."
"lndeed, I thank you for y" !i."
said Doris eagerly.
"I did only what you ~ ould ha'.s
done had you been tilsreet, Frenk,
And I an sorry, )ien Lat!mer, tha~ I
was not In time to savse your borse
from all harm, though ! think the
wo±.nd Is only a iight one, and w!!l
heal rapidly"
Gilbert reeelved a very different
answer from the first, 'a'hen he next
appealed to Doris for her love
"As that an-ful beast sprang at you
I learned that one person had beaome
-rP dear to me" she sad4.