The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-10-29
CHAPTER XXI.


dying in grand apartment in hotel
in San Francisco. Costly apparel lay
loosely about the couch, and Jewels
glittered upon her attenuated hands.
The attendant physician and nurse ad-
dressed each other in a foreign dialect
of a Franco-Prussian accent, which
Lord Dunbarton only understood i'm
perfectly.
"Stop your foreign gibberish to each
other, and speak to me in a human
tonguew he exclaimed, impatiently.
''Is there ever to be an end of all this,
and if so, when will it come, and how?"
Monsieur il too impatient" re-
marked the physician. ''Mademoiselle
will get beack one little ray of what you
call reason before re last change shall
Gomez
"How do you know that? ?" was the
curt rejoinder.
'Ze pupils of re eyes do still expand,
you zee, but not so much brillianze.
She spoke Monsieur's name in ze morn
ing"
Lord Dubarton looked incredulous.
"She did," repeated the nurse. "She
called for you, and said, Tell me where
he has buried me-"
"Buried her, indeed! Those who are
possessed of devils never die"
''pm sure she must have loved you
while her reason lasted" demonstrated
the nurse. "You ought not to speak
evil of her."
"Who said I did? ?r
'Beg pardon, Monsieur. You were
certainly little hasty just now"
"WOman, you are not employed as
my moral or legal adviser, but as Lady
Dunbarton's nurse. Leave the room
this instant"
The nurse, who was an average speci-
men of her calling, being rotund, self
possessed and easy-going, dropped low
courtesy and retreated, leaving the hus-
band alone with the dying woman and
attendant doctor.
"Do you really believe madam will
know me before the breath leaves her?"
asked Lord Dunbarton, anxiously.
'Indeed, Monsieur, she would at once
recognize you if she were out of re little
zleep."
"Then awake her."
''Not for re world, Monsieur. Let re
natural zleep have its way. 1t is re last
one she'll get"
doctor, has she ever dropped any
words or hints, in any of her lucid in
tervals, that would lead you to con-
lecture that she knows of the where
abouts of important missing documents
that belong to me, and which were
stolen from me years ago in some mys-
terious manner 2"
81 hear her zay zometing about re
rocks of Coney's Cliff, and Eat is all.
She be waking now. Shall I retire,
Monsieur2"
''Yes, CO."
The physician humbly obeyed, leav-
ing Lord Dunbarton alone with the dy.
ing woman.
'Myrick, is this you ?" she queried
cropping with her hands, although it wa,
midday, and the room was light.
"Yes, Elaine. Do you know me"
"I guessed you. Where am I?''
"On a sick bed, EIaine.n
"Will I ever be allowed to leave thii
asylum away out here in the nortf
tower9"
"You are not there now"
"Where am I, then ?"
"In America"
"And dying ?"
"I believe So"
"You hope so."
"Why do you think that, Elaine ?"
because rve seen Gussie ~
"Whats"
The strong man started as though
serpent had stung him. Great beads O
perspiration started from his forehead
and deep corrugations overspread hi
handsome face.
"You thought, because I was wha
men called mad, that you could deceiv,
me, Myrick Dunbarton. You though
I was securely imprisoned in the nortI
tower of Dunbarton castle, and Vol
made believe your wife was dead ~
''She tOGs dedd-to me, and had been
to all intents and purposes, for many
year, Elaine"
"But she wasn't dead to the law, no
to the world, Myrick Dunbarton. Yor
couldn't orove that she was false to Vol
in deed, though you well knew that sh
was never yours In heart. Stanle,
Lindsey was Elaine Dryardon's rea
mate-one to whom her prisoned sou
bowed down and said, My king But
though she won, she could not wea
him, for human law, mocking the Law
of God, had deereed that Lord Dunbar
ton should claim the hand that wa
but a fostering link between tw,
large estates. I was a child. but
was sold, under Christian contract. 4
the highest responsible bidder. Stanle,
Lindsey put continents between us, an
I-pLdyed LI11dtic. It was just retribu
tion for you, Myrick Dunbarton. Yo
lnadly loved, you wooed, you won poo
Gussie Stanley. You married her