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Show ipR, THORNTON'S FAILURE BY OTHO B. SENOA. j ,h, jfoi. by Ot'no B. Scnea.' j f.r Thoriuon, a successful spec-' spec-' $,a scrioub ocular diseases, was ' ins over a most unusual case in felt inafllcd and dismayed. t to the celebrated oculist, P Forrest, describing the case. for advice. The learned 1 Ir oved the younger physl- f d-agnoelK and made many vulu-S vulu-S juiscsuons urging month's 1 Lirr treatment to prepare the sitem for the shock that La inevitably follow L letter closed: "BuU my dear : Jlr-ion, don't delude yourself or '"patient. After infancy, there ffene chance in a million. Still, the S, ,pplIcatlon. though painful, cun- liS-and there may be a mlra-s mlra-s Smcss would be a miracle, -nnd Su-tprepnw youraelf and the pa-(- for failure."' ISorrton olt bound to read this pii had been blind since early cluld- fWtr face paled, but she spoke :liv!v 'Even the millionth chance J;l north trying. Failure hrlnSs noth-ILf-.i hat I do not already know. Sa: T Unpdon and her young brother, AyUp uved nlone. except for the scr-'in scr-'in Ihc Breat gloomy mansion on i-'&icnt Langdon esUite. and during tl "jonth of ' probation." as Thalia SitWngly termed it, Thornton was a ' their firset meeting. Thornton . W-ii'di the cham of Thalia's pres-wt pres-wt She had none of the pathetic V.iness that Is so often the ac-JSunlmcni ac-JSunlmcni of blindness. She was irt-tomelr bright and cheery, and her 'lilt was like flashing steel ' r iftr the necessary explanations tire wide the approaching experiment r uW. mcntlored until the day came I I'xlte first trial. The application of I IkJaMitfcd In the eyes was like pour- tig tot oil Into an open wound, but juiiiuiade no sound nor uttered a I .'nrd of protest. I Ai h bandaged the eyes. Doctor 'rwpucn said pityingly. "This must f beme twice more. Miss Lansrdon. ira vour courage hold out?" i'-li'wlU be as nothing If I can only she whispered. t ft was trembling violently, and iLnilon was conscious of a sudden , srzrjit of emotions such as he never Wa had experienced. ".Srfcre this he had thought solely of j-v. firaj he would win by success in 'i as so uuusual. Now. the thought XxtA" the girl must endure was tor-!u.ttohlm. tor-!u.ttohlm. and worse than that, was . uretehed uncertainty of the re-'A re-'A JSgt, She was no longer a "case." She D' Ijutihe "one woman." JIc knew it! . IVLea this Is over," he resolved, "I I t!0 MI her if I surcced " ' 'tifttii Ihe bandages were removed a ;ttri later, and the eyes submitted to i required test, his heart nalk. for Sifiw there was no apparent change. . Ite&dld not speak, but the unuttercd : KJUon of her eager face, and tense fou'cs attitude- struck a sharp pang ' trash his heart. LW;rou know.'- he .said gently, "that I five you no assurance until I restore re-store the bandage after the third appll- :it Is only two weeks more," she a t2sJ, "I can wait." !,! ijtkn the day came for the final test. u the man who was unnerved and -"! Tnc slr 10 whonl tliat day would f-l the glorious boon of sight, or k-l lyJcoa to hopeless darkness, .seemed Kiwcnwlth a h'gb. calm ccr.:ras2 that !s2i have won the respect of a aol- jj'i ijka'hc eyes wore'freo. she neither -2 a' nor spoke, nor gave a sign of t 7 tonsciousness of change, ith j ?yt cloH' and hard. lest he betray the awful fear that made him weak and faint, Thornton adjuntcd tho tei5t-ing tei5t-ing Instrument a quick second of sickening sick-ening suspense tlu-n he laid it aaide, and for a while neither spoke. "I have failed, Miss lutngdon,", he said at last; "failed." His voice wjuj quite calm, but Jt was the calmness of despair. Still Thalia did not apeak. Ho sank into a chair, and gazed despairingly de-spairingly upon the exquisite face. Wns It fancy, a trick of his overwrought over-wrought nerves this clear light of love and tenderness that shone In the beautiful eyep, and touched the tremulous tremu-lous Hps with gladness? "Thalia," he cried, Kpringlng to his feet, " you can see! Tou see mo now. Tell me that you do! I cannot believe that you do not see my face as your eyes meet mine!" Tho brave lipB quivered, as she ane-wercd ane-wercd slowly and sadly, "No, Doctor IZ tlfiaSf' mm SSSS.tiE Thornton folt a gontlo touch on Ms shoulder and Thalia stood beside him Thornton. I cannot see. It Is all just j as it was before night, black night!" Thornton groaned aloud. . "There h no hope then, now, or ever! I have failed I have failed." The utter hopelessness of his despairing de-spairing cry bore to Thalia's heart a bitterness deeper than her own sorrow. sor-row. She rose from her scat, as If she would go to him. , "Do not grieve so," the sweet voice said gently. "I do not mind so very much. And no one need know that you have failed no one need know that you tried " "Don't, Thalia." he cried hoarsely; "you- make me despise myself!" Then, at the sight of the pathetic figure, and the thought of the brave spirit that strove to forget its own hurt and to comfort him, the love he had meant to offer w lm success, rose above the barrier of failure, and he came quickly to her side. "Thalia," he whispered, "will you let me take care of you always? Will ; you be my wife, Thalia V" Her slight form trembled under the , tender touch of his hand, but she did not speak. Instead, she put her delicate, deli-cate, Hensitlve lingers up to his face, and touched him gently on the eyes and chin and mouth. Thornton knew that she was reading his face with her fingers, fin-gers, as her eyes might have read it had sight been given her, and he might frighten her with hl3 agony of love and longing. The sweet flUHh faded from her face, she pushed him gently from her, and turned away, saying coldly, "Tou ask Impossibilities, T-octor Thornton," She called softly to Philip, and In obedience to her Impassioned gesture, her brother led her from the room. "It Js all over, dear Philip," she snld In response to his anxloUH questioning, "I shall never see. Oh, don't, Philip I don't mind. Thoro aro worse things than blindness!" She sank wearily upon & couch, saying say-ing to herself bitterly, "I would rather my eyes were blind than to be so blind in the heart! Did he think a woman would be content with pity?" Philip turned Impetuously to the Inner In-ner room. He could not believe that success had been -withheld, that all hope wan gone- How could Doctor Thornton but the hot reproacheu of his heart died upon his lips at the sight of the doctor sitting with bowed shoulders, shoul-ders, hlfi face burled In his hands. Great, noiseless sobs shook hlK frame, but he raiecd his head and tried to smile as he said, "Don't mind me, Philip; and go away, please, Tou cannot can-not understand." "But Philip did understand. "You'vo killed him, Thalia," he cried tragically, rushing to his sl3ter'B side. "Tou might have known he couldn't help loving you." "No, Philip." said Thalia, sadly, "he only pities me. because I am blind, and because he cannot help me." "Go in there now, Thalia," pleaded Philip, passionately, "and you will know. He seems like a man who has been stabbed, and to the death." His words and voice carried conviction convic-tion Thalia rose. ' Will you take me back lo him, j Philip?" Thornton felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, and Thalia stood beside him, her beautiful face transfigured with lovo and gladness. The eyes of the soul had been opened, even though physical vision ware still denied. "I thought It was because you pltiod me." she said softly, "and I did not want pity. I wanted " She stooped and whispered a word in his car, and John Thornton took her in his arms, with a heart too full for aught savo ; silence. |
