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Show (jTOlOSBMP AfID 1 ' I BY JANE PHELPS I! CMAFTtR CXV. Mufti to tho Occasion. I won (J red what Leonard Brook wiht to tell mo hroro I want to Chi cmao with Clifford. Ho did not Ioavo mo o M oouM. To 4 b w torrlbly JIoua of Burns Myaon I knw; yet I roklly hod (Won It no Mrtous thought, and only Uujrhed when Muriel oout toned mo that Ioonmrd om be;lnnlne; to think altocether too much of mo. married woman. fonard cam the next afternoon, and before ha waa arorcelv seated h Ui m 'Til try to h inJible." I npllfd, I knowing h wai rtuht. I FINAL INSTRUCTIONS. I n1y. who wan to no with mi, I ! Inlni.lr.l to tak Kdilh. . ao cllrd, o aniloua to f "Mf Marar" that aha waa no uaa at . Hut K.it. waa a T-at hlp and wo rJutht tha nlcht train for lha South. m" nlr". Wartatona." ( 11 fiord aald aa ha klaard ma itoodhva wllh mora fndrrnaaa than ha had alio an for !. "I ahall ba thara a wark at I laaal." f How terrlhljr and how quickly tha raal ' troublaa of Ufa (wallow up lha Hula amo- 1 tlona, and amanltlrs of everyday living. ' I had ahatautaly no thonaht of Clifford. . "What are yougoing to Chicago for"' he demanded. "To see that ma - stay-son?" stay-son?" "1 am going her a use my husband wlaliea It, and because as I told youths you-ths doctor ihlnka it will benefit mi," I answered coldly. 'But you will see hlm.M he rejoined, th "him" meaning Mm y eon. "Probably. He I a business friend of Clifford s, and It would be strange, considering con-sidering their relations. If we did not see considerable of him, I replied, still coldly. "Well, I don't like It!" Leonard roplled In a atormy voire. "I don't like It a bit." "That's too bad, Leonard," 1 laughed, ''but your likes or dislikes can mean nothing, so let ue have tea." Kate just then appeared with tha tray; I had rung the bell when he came In. And berate tea waa poured Kate Jonlon came In and I wae safe for the time. MR. UTTON It VKRY ILL. , I knew Kate would gossip anent Leonard Leon-ard being with me when she called, hut even that could not still the elation I felt over the way I had quieted Lonaraj. t really was most enaloua hs should say nothing which would change our comfort com-fort a hie friendship. Ths very next morning I received word that father waa very 111, and asking for trie. "Come at once If possible, sister wired, and with a ainking heart I set about getting ready. All t hough te of Anyone save rather effectually dispersed. "Ienr old dad." I kept saing over and over as I parked what I should need. Clifford1 was all thoughtfulnese and sympathy. sym-pathy. He came home from the office as soon aa he had looked at his mall, and did all he could to help. Kven In the midst of my grief I found myself wondering won-dering why he couldn't be as nice all the time? "Don't worry, Mildred. he said to me. "Tour father Is good for many years yst. We are all liable to Illness you know " "Rut Clifford, they didn't say a word of what ailed hlml I am so afraid he has had a stroke, or something tike that." ''Nonsense! don't allow yourself to get sll worked up over such an Idea. If you do you will be no use when you get there " of chU-sgo, of Htirns May son, not even of I canard Brooke, as the train rushed South. To me It appeared to crawl, ao anxious wss I to reach father. "Dear old dad!" was ever In my thoughts, often unconsciously spoken. 'What's dat yo' aaid, Mtssy Mildred?" Msndy asked. "I waa thinking of father, Msndy, thinking out loud." "There aln"t nnthln' gofn' happen Ole Ma res, chile," she comforted. "The good 1-ord due' tak' folks like him far roth-In"." roth-In"." CHAPTER CXVI. Thero Ain't nothln' goln happen Ole Marse. la they?" persisted Mandy. "I hope not, Mandy, but he must be Try 111 for them to send for nn." "The good Lord won't 'low not h in' to happen to him." she repeated, " 'cause he s never don' nothin' what aint good." "I know, Mandy, but he la old.' "He's not olo,' Mandv eniffed, "he's 'bout 70. Why my ole grandad was 102 when "he waa rouri-dll, , "Don't talk ahout It, Mandy. I can't 1 bear It," I told her, so we discussed dad s ; Illness nh more; but he waa constantly In my thoughts, and the next afternoon when we alighted at the little familiar station and old Mose met us. 1 could scarcely frame the question, I was so fearful of the answer. 'How's father, Moae?" "He's bflffhlvnrd up some considerable eenre he heard you waa acomin' Missy Mildred." I asked no more. That "he's brlghted up some considerable," told me more than Moee realised. Mother met us at the door, and the (In a also were waiting to welcome us. other looked very wan and pale and had dark shsdows under her patient eyes that seemed too large for her face. I had never before thought them so large. "How lao?" I asked aa she folded me In her arms, while the girls greeted Msndy, and made a dreadful although quiet fuss over Edith. "Better today I think. But he la very 111." t "May I go to him? "Not yet mother replied, "wait tintM , you have rhanged and had something to joat. I will tell him you are here, but do not be disappointed If he does not recognize recog-nize you. 1-srt of ths time he sort of doxea off and doenn't seem to know us," a tear rolled down her cheek, but wal I quickly wiped awuy and she smiled 1 bravely at me. ! After chung. ng my traveling dress and ' eating a mile, more I plsse mother j than bocauno I was hungry, went in to father'e room He knew me at on re, and held out a pitifully thin hand In welcome. Aa I leaned over and kissed him, he whispered: whis-pered: "1 am glad you came, Mildred " and then he lapsed into u neon ac lousiness. once more he spoke to mother, and then I can scarcely write of the next few dus. even after the lapse of years. Father did know 'me, if only for a moment, mo-ment, and that was a alight comfort. He died the day after my arrival. It was terrible the sense of loss, the feeling that never again would he speak to ue. 1 am afraid we children were selfish in ss we might. 1 wonder if all real grief and joy are not selfish" A WIRE TO CLIFFORD. - telegraphed Clifford, and oh! how anxtounly 1 mailed for an answer. Tt was my flret great sorrow, and I lorrjrM for my husband. But no answer rams. I telegraphed Chicago again, with the same result. Then I wired his home office. Perhaps hs had finished his Chicago business busi-ness sooner than hs hsd expected and had gone home. Still no answer, and I concluded he must be somewhere en route, so failed to get my mesas sea, I In some way It added Immeasurably I to my sorrow over father's death. It ' 1 seemed aa though Clifford were lacking In respect. The neighbors asked many qiieatlons anent his absence, which were hard to answer. "He Is awsv on business and 1 have been unable to locate him," became a regular formula. Tet all the time 1 was obsessed with the Idea that he should have received my messages, should have been with me. 1 Tomorrow Mildred Wlrea Burns Mayson. PopyrlirM by flwr ge Matthew Adams. |