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Show I THE GDKSEQUENQE I a SHORT STORY H H BY ALICE MACK. IB ,tOk doctor looked into the Bj J t, woman's brave eyes and H O O slowly pronounced sen- B H F tencc- Jtw fOW "Tho operation must PBmB' taut' l,,ucc within a few days, or Ef "Or what?" B "It may bo too late to operate at nil." 1 B "And-I will get through It safely?" B "I hope so." BJ "Vou are not sure. You think there B I n rISk''" BJ "There is always a risk In every op- BJ eratlon," he nnswered, evasively. BJ "Tell mo tlio truth, doctor; I can B bcar it-" BJ The old man looked Into tlio despcr- BJ ate eyes and put his hand gently on BJ the womuu's shoulder. J I "Vou are a bravo woman. I will tell BJ you the truth. This operation is a BJ very serious one. In fact, there. Is on- H ly a chance that you survive it. liut there is a chance, and for the sako of BJ It you must not lose heart." BH "Couldn't I wait until next month BJ Just for a few weeks longer? It sure- BJ ly would not make any difference if It B Was postponed till then." MB "My child," the doctor nnswered, "if 9j we postponed It for a few weeks, for BJ even one week, you will lose your ono Htt chance of recovery. Let mo advise Bj you, and make up your mind to go - IB through It Immediately." J "Immediately?" B "Within the next few days. You HJ must go into the hospital to-morrow K to bo prepared for It." I b She drove homo In n hansom with HpSj the tears running down her white BnSjl checks and her heart rebelling at the 'ygy cruel hand of Kate that had so unspar- lngly dealt her this blow. Was It be- ' IM cause she, like n fool, had thrust away Hj with laughing eyes the happiness that HJ had been held out to her, and the gods M had guessed it was only a freak nnd H were punishing her because she inso- BJ lently played with tlio best thing they HI had to give? Six menths ago, when Mk David Moore had started to tell her H how dear sho was to him, she had Bj stopped him with a laugh and had fu .warned him that it would be wiser to Mg ,wnlt till he returned from abroad be- BJ fore ho decided that sbe was the "only IM woman In the world." H "I'll bo back In six months, Eliza- H both," bo said. "I'll come straight to H you." H And now the six months wcro at an wj end, for that morning a telegram had H come telling her of his arrival In Eng- IB land, and to expect to see him to- B Bight. When she nrrlved. nt the house where he llveJ In Kensington she turned down tho lamps under their red shades and told tho maid to put more coal on tho fire. After sho had somo ten she went to her room. Tho frock she had chosen to wear was lying on tho bed. It was frW a Bott k'110 s"lc' nrul wns vcry s'mn'y J"L HUT made. Quickly sho put It back Into "J tho wnrdrobe nnd took down one thnt was Just LUlUcIcutly old-fashloncd to bo dowdy. "Molly said I look twenty In blue end thlrty-Ilvo In black." sho whispered whis-pered ns sho laid It on tiiu bed. T'icn she unfastened her hair. Sho remembered some ono once saying, "To part tho hair In tho centre either makes a woman look much older or much younger thnn she actually is." Then she put on the dowdy black frock. Having finished her strange toilet, she went down to her sitting-room sitting-room nnd waited. Fifteen minutes later her visitor enme. Elizabeth saw him and noticed tho surprised look In his eyes ns she held out her hand to htm and asked cooly how ho had enjoyed his trip. "Aro you 111, Elizabeth?" ho said B quickly, without answering her, and looking anxiously nt tho fnco that had changed almost beyond recognition lnco he Inst saw It. "No, no! Why should I bo III?" "You look so white, and " "Old," she finished. "Well, I am six months older, you must remember, elnco you went away, and I am not tho typo of woman who wears well." "Is nnythlng tho matter? Aro you In trouble?" "What should there bo to trouble uJbV mo? I never do anything but havo n W good time. I lore excitement and nil that sort of thing." The man looked ns If he wero not sure that ho had heard aright, "No," Elizabeth continued, "I nm not renlly different, but you hnvc perhaps per-haps boen accustomed to fresh young faces lately, and so poor mliio seems old and withered Jn comparison. Tell me how you enjoyed your visit?" "Fairly, but I whb so anxious to get back to London to see yon ngaln that I did not think much about it You know why I wished to be hero by tho fifteenth, Elizabeth." Sho looked ns though sho wcro trying try-ing to remember. "Darling," ho went-on, coming closo to her, J'yoii Jinve not forgotten that you said you would ltcteu to mo when I returned. You know, without nny words, that you nro the dearest woman wo-man in tho world to me nnd that I wish you for my wife." "Your "rife," she echoed with n sneering laugh. "Thank you, no. I must decline th'e'honor." "Elizabeth," and his face turned white ns ho held her hands tightly; "wlint do you mean?" "Just that," she said. "I decline tho honor." "Then," nnd he dropped her hands nnd turned nwny. "I had bettor go. I wns n conceited fool. Forgive me. My lovo for you has carried mo too far. Good-bye, Elizabeth." Her acting had been a success, too much of n success, for not only had ho gone away with tho idea thnt she was Indifferent to him, but she had forced him to despl. her for her levity. Yet, nftcr all, It was better thus; It would be less dllllcult for hliu to cast her out of his heart. She would write n letter and confess all. If she lived, It must bo destroyed; If she died, It must be delivered. "I have sent you nwny from me," sho wrstc, "and am now breaking my heart because I will never look into your face ngaln. I made myself n fright to prevent you telling me of your love. I knew that It you did so I would not hnvc the strength to resist-you. I wanted you to think mo n heartless flirt to despise me anything rather thnn you should regret or have n heartache. "To-day my doctor told mo I must go under tho knife within tho next fow days. Ho said thnt there was n slight chance. -I don't bellevo there is. So I want to tell you how dear 1 you nro to me before It is too late. I ' lovo you ns only n woman can love the man who represents everything that I Is good and strong and true to her. "David, I want you to understand how desperately hard it was to refuse to listen to you to-night. It was the ' greatest snerlllco I over made in my life, nnd I prayed for strength to do . it. My whole being revolted at tho ; part I set myself to play, although I : felt it was best for you now, nnd nf-' nf-' tcrwnrd. Can you forgive mo, David?" J t Sho then rang for her maid, nnd nf-' nf-' tor explaining about what wns to happen hap-pen to her sho gave her the letter nntl said what sho wished her to do wltli 1 It. |
