The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-05-18
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pointed up short staircase. Il "The door on
the left" be said, AND Immediately hurried Oh,
This is queer house," thought Ada.
However, she found her way back to her own
Its doorway. Then, taking her cAndle
she went straight to the door Of the
room the man had shown her. She knocked
turned the handle and looked in. solitary
candle lit a large room; she could but dimly
perceive that on the bed lay woman who,
seeing her, started up as If in terror, and then
fell helplessly back again. Evidently this WAS
her candle, and approached the bed
Don't be frightened" she said: II am q
nurse your sister sent down to take care Of
you IN :.
- thought you were spirit" said Agatha
Mertoun; II have had strange Visions to-day"
spoke again 81 am dying" she said.
Ada went close to her and looked into her
eyes. They were very strange. Suddenly the
unhappy woman was seized with violent
some thing. which made her wonder When
her patient, wesay and exhausted, lay back
again on her pillow, she began to make q tour
Of the room. There were great many bottles
III different places. She took out all the corks
and smelled at the contents. Suddenly
while thus engaged, she happened to look to-
ward the bed, and met Agatha's eyes fixed on
her with gaze full of some extraordinary
meaning or intelligence 1t almost frightened
even the brave Ada. She put down the bottle
had closed her eyes, as if too weak to keep
them open. Looking earnestly at her. Nurse
Harcourt realized how wonderfully lovely III
was, In spite Of the deathly pslIor which lay on
her face. Suddenly the sickness came again;
and then violent spasm.
sellia QOrt ~ do
to herself; and, after long look ut her patient,
began to smell at the physic botvles just then
she heard faint sound at the door. Hastily
approaching it, and opening it, she saw Mr..
Mertoun disappearing through the opposite
door HE wanted to watch me, she thought.
NOW, what on esrth can this mean?" She
locked the door inside, and continued her in
designations. Suddenly she came upon bottle
inside a cupboard, nearly empty, the smell from
which almost made her cry out But che re-
merely put the bottle into her pocket and
then. without hunting about any more, went
back to watch poor Agatha. The color Of her
face grew steadily worse, and hor weakness
was rapidly increasing.
What on earth am I to dol" exclai med
Nurse Harcourt at last Sin this out-of-th way
place? can't see her die before my eyes, II
could only get the doctor?"
She had spoken out loud, thinking Agatha
quite unconscious. But she was no.. She
Vp"AcO Aol oyoo auu 6oeuou 10 express some
thing by their earnest gaze. It seemed as if
she understood Adas words.
Its the only thing to be done, believe"
said Ada to herself; "and I'll do it." She
took out her watch and looked at it-half past
three Going to the window, she grew the cur
haze all over the world; butthe light would be
enough to find ones way by, and every mo-
ment brought the dawn nearer. sIf didbut
know the way" she thought Swell, I must
wake someone up and ask it"
Having made up her mind, she no longer
| hesitated. She took final survey of her
patient and then left the room. She locked
the door on the outside, and took the key with
her. Quickly entering her own room, she
caught up her gray cloak and travelling hat,
IF only knew where the servants sleep!'
she thought; "but I'm so afraid of rousing mir.
Mertoun. I'll wake up some cottage people, /"
With some considerable difficulty she opened
she opened the front door, and then drew it
it To her delight she found it would stay SO
i, without moving; this would enable her to enter
tho house again quietly. AS quickly as swift
feet would carry her she hurried out of the
grounds She saw no cottage; so she went on
habitation in time. To her delight she saw at
last a hedger and ditcher trudging away to his
work She ran after him and, almost breath
| less with her quick movement and excitement,
caught MN by the arm while she asked him
her question.
1.-THE doctor?" he replied. ssRight on till
the crossroads, then to the right; not more n
a mile"
Not more than a mile! Nurse Harcourt
started on her way gleefully. That soon would
be accomplished, she thought Had she but
known how strange is the Cornish mind on the
| subject of distances, she might have stayed to
ask further information. But, instead, she
hurried away, leaving the workingman to stare
| after her in complete and bewildered amaze
| ment The cross roads were reached before
long, and then she turned to the right and
! hurried quickly along the lonely road,
| At last Ada began to reflect. on the fact that
| she must have walked great deal more than
mile since her meeting with the hedger and
ditcher. In fact, she was beginning to feel a
little puzzled and hopeless, for there was no
to meet some one else who would direct ner
Suddenly on her ear fell the sound OF laugh
ter-high, clear, hearty laughter. Odd, 1T
this time in the morning; but, nevertheless,
| the sound encouraged her: 1t came again and
again, and guided her footsteps out Of the high
ter still went on ahead. like hooking spirit, as
will-o' -the-wiep. But suddenly Ada found
herself close 10 a little cottage, every window
Of which was brilliantly illuminated from
Within The lower windows reached to the
ground and stood open, exhibiting all the signs
of late revel Empty decanters and bottles,
lnnumerabe glasses, some packs Of cards on
the hoor-these things caught Ada's quick eye
and made her wonder; while leauing on the
gate OF the cottage was an extremely handsome
young man dressed in white tiannels He
looked at Ada with the steady gaze OF as,onish-
ment He was immensely surprised at the
eight of young lady in gray, with an extremely
charming face, taking walk at o'clock on
misty morning. Without seconds hesitation
! she approached him.
"Can you tell me where can find the doc
tors house?" she said, "a man I met told me
10 come this way"
Her earnest tone seemed to rouse him and
| make him understand that she was out on
business.
''Dr Frere is the nearest resident doctor. "
he said, sand he lives about six miles of, over
| there" pointing the way Ada had come .But
il there's anything can do. let me help you
am doctor''
'You?" said Ada, her gaze wandering from
his sun burned face, which had on it the un-
mstakable up-all-night ext reesion, to his
white 1iannel-c!ad figure. aud then to the cot
tage beyond, which looked so absurd, in the
growing daylight, with quantity Of dying can
dlos burning on the tables.
''Il's all right" he said. seeming to under
.tand her perplexity. "1'm Alan Browne of
Wimpolo street. Pm down here for the boat
ing, and I've been having bachelor party
Didn't you hear that fellow laughing as he
went out off just now? l had to got four of
the others to take him away"
II know your name," said Ada earnestly
Ed.ar's homo. I'm in charge of Mrs Nor
toun up at the hall, and she's dying. If you
don't come at once it may be too late"
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