Before Dying

Night was coming to the town of Blue River, in the state

of Iowa.

It was nearly dark in the small room near the Stoddard

University campus. The two people in the room that Sunday

evening were both second-year students at the college. They

were looking at each other in silence.

The handsome young man was angry. His plans had

been working so well. And now this news had come! But he

wasn't going to show his anger — that wouldn't help him. He

walked to the window, and for a few seconds, he looked out

at the lights of the town. He looked at the yellow lights in

the streets. He looked at the red light on top of the

Municipal Building1, the tower which was the tallest building

in Blue River, a mile or two away. Then he turned, and he

smiled at the young woman sitting on the bed.

"Are you sure that you're pregnant?" he asked her gently.

"Are you really sure that you're going to have a baby?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she replied. "The doctor told me that I'm

two months pregnant." She started to cry. "What will we

do? Can we get married soon?"

"Don't cry," the young man said. "Everything will be OK."

He smiled again.

The young woman stopped crying and she tried to smile

...