The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-02

stream and would land in safety. Debating this
he took no note of direction till suddenly he be-
came aware that he had not heard the horn Tor
some minutes. He stopped rowing to listen. In
the air was no sound except the bowling OF the
wind, the clash of the waves, and the thump
against his bow. He could not see FIVE yards
into the snowy gloom, and concluded that he
had drifted far down the river.
Balllng the skif, he took to the oars again,
guiding himself by wind and wave. So little
Roadway did he seem to be making that ne reck-
oned on being blown down to the wide lake.
like reach below, where a furious sea must be
leaping.
mot a doubt Beckett has been forced down
there" he thought, ''and a canoe can't live to-
day on that water
Then all of a sudden his bow struck, and,
turning, he saw that he had crashed into the
rocks on his own shore, a mile below his home.
He drew up the damaged skif and hurried to-
ward Kate.
Thrice he stopped to think, trying to find
some way Of giving hope to his sister, to Georges
wife-or widow. Which? But the concoction
of a plausible story was beyond him. The task
before him oppressed him dreadfully.
ut will kin her" he muttered; 1T will GER
tainly kill her."
Outside his gate he stood trying to get some
control of his features, that he might not horrify
her ON entering There was no sign of move
ment in the house, not a voice to be heard, not a
shadow on the drawn curtains of the sitting-room
window.
Suddenly he heard his own wife cry out in the
hall, as the front door was thrown open. Through
the driving snow that the flood of lamplight
made visible, John could see a group of figures
indistinctly.
'Neyer fear, Laura. Til find John" said a
hearty, encouraging voice.
Beckett, by iingol" was Johns sole remark as
as he went forward.
1--WE thought YOU were lost" cried Laura,
clinging round her snowy husband.
What became of your asked John.
why, | got along pretty well. Been here
since about ten minutes after you left But l
did drift about a little after Sol White stopped
footing. Then l heard Toms horn and went to
it."
With the children %Bout. his knees and his
wife smiling at him, poor Becketts nightmare
departed and his nerve broke down. Before
morning he had told Kate of the doctors YER
dict. She shuddered and chung to him and
cried, and then rose up with fine incredulity.
'Its a wicked story!' cried she. THAT horrid
old Philpotts! | have never believed in him
since he wanted to give Maud calomel. You
haven't anything wrong with your heart, I'm
sure. He's as deaf as a post, too"
"But the pain, dear objected George, GLAD of
disbelief though not convinced of her logic.
"Oh! | know. Too much smoking! You had
a queer feeling once before from smoking too
much when | was away"
Then she broke down and cried again. Now
the remarkable thing is that Hates diagnosis
was confirmed by the great physician of the city
to whom she marched her husband on the fol
lowing day.
There is some functional arrangement" he
said, 'but nothing really serious, not at all in
durable. Stop smoking and don't bother about
your heart unless you wish to have trouble with
it. Come and see me once a fortnight for a few
months. AS for Phllpotts-well, he is getting
old, perhaps something more"