down to serious life on a
farm, and Pert busied herself with housekeeping, learning to cook from
her neat old colored servant "Mandy," trying new dishes herself, and
doing the thousand and one little things that go to make up "a woman's
work," which 't is said "is never done"--"done," of course, in the
sense of "finished."

And so the winter glided quickly into spring--the spring of '93; a year
that many of us will long remember.

One evening Checkers unfolded to Pert a long-cherished scheme, which
delighted her. This was nothing less than a plan to take her to
Chicago in May to see the World's Fair. "We 'll call it our wedding
trip, little girl," he said caressingly, "and we won't be gone but ten
days or two weeks."

But when Mr. Barlow heard of it, "he made a monkey of himself," as
Checkers put it. He ranted and swore, and told them both they would
end in the poorhouse with their reckless extravagance. But Checkers
laughed him off good-naturedly. He knew that the trip would be
expensive; but he felt that he could afford it, and he had another and
a deeper reason for taking Pert to Chicago. He was greatly worried
about her health, and he desired to have her consult some eminent
physician regarding herself.

One day, when they were out for a walk, she had run a playful race with
him along a level stretch of road, bending every energy to beat him.
He was running easily behind her, puffing and grunting to make her
think that she was really worsting him, when suddenly she stumbled,
tottered, and, putting her hand to her heart, sank limply upon a bed of
leaves at the side of the road. In an instant Checkers was kneeling
beside her. She had not fainted, but was as pale as death, and she
still held her hand to her heart and gasped for breath. Checkers
loosened her gown about her throat, then filling his hat with water at
a little stream near by, he bathed her brow and wet her lips. Fully an
hour passed before she was able with his assistance to walk to the
house, and though about, next day apparently as well as ever, she
complained thereafter, at intervals, of dizziness, chilly sensations
and strange flutterings at her heart.

The local doctor joked her about the size of her waist, and told her
that her trouble was probably due to a combination of lacing and
indigestion. But to Checkers he confided a fear that there might be
some affection of the heart, and earnestly advised that he consult some
worthy speci