The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-05-31

eyes" answered Ada.
81 didn't suppose you could get her
tonight. Well, come in"
The coachman whipped up his horse
in the familiar style, and ratified away
A servant who looked like a groom
came out and lifted Ada's box into tn
hall. A lamp stood on a table there
and by its light Ada tried to discove
what sort of a house she was in. Sh,
was standing in a big, ~old-fashionet
hall or house-place. Opposite her, hi
hands deeply buried in his pockets
stood the man who was evidentl,
master.
81 told the maid to get a room read,
for you," he said. 1.-THE man shall
light you up there, and you can see m,
wife in the morning. Shall he brin!
you some supperp"
eff you please" said Ada. ssFirs
I'll take off my hat, and if you will
allow me I'll go to my patient at once
"Nonsense!n said Mr.. Mertoun; s.yo,
must sleep after a Journey"
"But it is my duty to see her first, i
you please, SIR"
Ada followed the man-servant III
stairs to a little bedroom, where ht
left her, saying he would bring hel
some supper. She washed her hands
and combed out her bright hair. Wher
he came back she said: sShaIl I find
Mr.. Mertoun down stairsP"
"He's gone to his own room," sale
the groom, "and he says missus il
asleep, and not to be disturbed
(Which is her roomp" asked Ada
81 must know, because I've come down
to nurse her."
"I1l show you the door," said the
man. He led her a little way along 6
corridor, and pointed up a short stair.
case. 1.-The door on the left" he said,
and Immediately hurried off, carrying
his light with him.
"This is a queer house." thought
Ada. However, she found her way
back to her W room by the glimme1
of light from its doorway. Then, tax.
ing her candle, she went straight to the
door of the room the man had shown
her. She knocked gently; there was
no answer, SO she quietly turned the
handle and looked in. A solitary can
die lit a large room; she could but
dimly perceive that on the bed Law a
woman, who, seeing her, started up as
if in terror, and then fell helplessly
back again. Evidently this was the
sick-room. Ada shut the door, put
down her candle, and approached the
bed.
"Don't be frightened" she said; 81
am a nurse your sister has sent down
to take care of you"
~ thought you were a spirit" said
Agatha Mertoun; ..Ihave had strange
visions to-day" Then she relapsed into a
silence, and seemed to forget Ada's pres
ence. After awhile she spoke again.
" I am dying" she said.
Ada went close to her bed and looked
into her eys. They were very strange.
Suddenly the unhappy woman was
seized with a violent sickness. Ada,
with her quick wits, noticed some things
which made her wonder. When her
patient, weary and exhausted, lay back
again on her pillow she began to make
a tour of the room. There were a great
many bottles in different places. She
took out all the corks and smefled the
contents. Suddenly, while thus en-
gagged, she happened to look toward
the bed and met Agatha's eyes fixed on
her with a gaze full of some extraor-
meaning o. intelligence. 1t al
most frightened even the brave Ada.
She put down the bottle quickly and
went to the bedside. But Agatha had
closed her eyes, as if too weak to keep
them open. Looking earnestly at her,
Nurse Harcourt realized how wonder
lovely she was in spite of the dead
y pallor which lay on her face. Sud-
denly the sickness came again, and then
violent spasm.
"This is a queer sort of anemia,"
said Ada to herself, and, after a long
look at her patient began to smell at
physic bottles. just then she heard
faint sound at the door. Hastily ap-
preaching it and opening tshe saw MI.
Mertoun disappearing, through the OPP
posite door. "He wanted to watch
she thought. "Now, what can
his meanp" She looked the door in
'ide and continued her Investigations.
Suddenly she came upon a bottle inside
cupboard nearly empty, the SMELL
from which almost made her cry oft.
But she remembered her patient and
refrained. She merely put the bottle in
aer pocket, and then, without hunting
about any more, went back to watch
poor Agatha. The color of her face
grew steadily worse, and her weakness
rapidly increasing.
"What On earth am I to dol" ex-
claimed Nurse Harcourt at last, in
this out of the-way-placep I can't see
her die before my eyes. If I could only
get the doctor!!"
She had spoken out loud, thinking
quite unconscious. But she
was not. She opened her eyes and ap-
oeared to express something by their
earnest gaze. 1t seemed as if she
understood Ada's words.
s'It's the only thing to be done, I be-
said Ada to herself; land I'll do
She took out her watch andlooked
1t it-half-past three. Going to the
window she drew the curtain a little
aside. There was a faint gray haze all
over the world; but the light would be
enough to find ones way by, and every
moment brought the dawn nearer. eff
did but knew the way" she thought.
We'll. I must wake up some n and
ask it."
Having made up her mind she no
onger hesitated. She took a final sur
7ey of her patient and then left the
DOM. She locked the door on the out
tide and took the key with her.
entering her own room she
caught up her gray cloak and travelling
nat, and put them on as she hurried
Town stairs. ''H I only knew where
he servants sleep!" she thought; "but
I'm SO afraid of rousing Mr. Mertoun.
wake up some cottage ~people!"
With some considerable difficulty she
the front door, and then drew it
close behind her without absolutely
shutting it. To her delight she found
t would stay so without moving; this
would enable her to enter the house
again quietly. AS quickly as swift feet
would carry her she hurried out of the
grounds. She saw no cottages; so she
vent on along the widest road, hoping
% reach some habitation in time. To
delight she saw at last ahedger and
litcher trudging away to his work. She
after him and, almost breathless
With her quick movement and excite