The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-05-01

Cling through the shutters with the gray
palor peculiar to winter dawn. The
great hotel and the streets around II
| were as still as the heart of desert.
Royal dressed himself and went TO the
window. Al along the street, IN places,
shadows Lay, as sharply defined as sil-
houettes by the electric glare, which
deals Ittlein the soft shading and witch
cry of the moonlight which It Stimulates.
1t was too early even for the rafting of
milk carts or the matutinal billingsgate
of sparrows; but away in the distance,
beyond the voiceless thoroughfares and
expressionless houses, the sky was family
coloring for joy In coming good.
Royal drew a chair to the window,
and grappled anew with the situation,
tIhng It externally, and as apart from
himself, after the manner of a man of
action whose intuitive position relative
to circumstances is that of an extra
neous, coercive force. rather than one
which Is inherent and, insensibly, regu-
lative.
1t did not take him many moments to
decide that disclosure of the true state
of the case was inevitable, and must be
made as speedily as possible. In spite
Of the intimate connection with the af-
fairs of the dead man which had been
thrust upon him, he knew next to moth
ing of his family relations or circpm-
stances. He might have brothers anc
sisters, even parents, living with whom
1t would be necessary to communicate
at once by letter or telegram There
would be funeral arrangements to make,
and explanations of some sort TO give to
the curious. A man dying amid hotel
full of people cannot be carried to a
cemetery, and incontinently buried
without further cognizance being taken
of the matter than such as would be
involved IN the settlement of hotel and
underbakers charges. None knew bet
ter than Royal the impossibility of
avoidance or escape from the omnipres-
ence of human curiosity.
The question in point was, to whom
should the story first be told? Under
ordinary circumstances it would have
seemed to him most fitting that the per
son most nearly concerned In an affair
should be the one earliest made intimate
with its ranifcations; but the present
circumstances were anything but ordi-
nary and the communication he was
called upon TO make might easily be
reckoned unprecedented. Royals in
stincts revolted from the straightfor-
ward method; itseemed to him rough
and brutal He still hoped, in some as
yet misty and mysterious manner, TO be
able to spare Phyllis little, or at least
to soften things for her. knowledge of
her affection had aroused his interest in
a way totally apart from, and yet
strangely commingled with, the interest
awakened by the popularity of his own
position toward her.
To this last, indeed, he gave little
thought, for in his mind she was still too
closely associated with John Royal to
admit of Identification In any way with
himself. He was simply conscious as a
man of an infinite pity for her and as
a physician Of the fact that here was a
case which would require delicate han
ding.
His thought lowered around Mrs. Hart
with an ever increasing sense Of relief and
satisfaction. Here was a beacon amid
the rough waters for them. He had been
brought too frequently into juxtaposi-
ton with the creature feminine under
various and trying circumstances not to
recognize sensible and helpful woman
whenever he beheld one. If there should
Ia 1z-or.ca J,,-oo l-a-c obao1 Cbn would II,
dictate their presence and also show him
how to shape his course SO as to avoid
more damage than would be imperative.
OF his own unaided efforts in this matter
he had come to feel profound distrust.
The event proved that he had not
reckoned without his host, for when the
natural CONSERVATION and bewilderment
incident TO an upheaval of accepted con-
dihons had passed away Mrs. Hart rallied
to his assistance with all the gallantry
of large natured woman. Her ac-
quaintance with John Royal had been
so slight that her regret for his death
was without the poignancy of personal
bereavement. while her admiration, SYM
pathy and comprehension of his motives
! and character rendered the process by
which she set him aport and exalted
him into a chevalier sans peur ct sans
reproche simple evolution of senti-
menb
Her most active and dominant thought
IN the matter was for Phyllis.
After some moments given to medita-
ton, during which Royal watched her,
conscious Of naught so much as the re-
lief of divided responsibility, she turned
a troubled face toward him.
Its positively awful, this happening
just now" she declared. I mean it's
more disastrous than if 1t should have
happened at any other time. You
haven't got at all the complications yet:
but you're doctor and member of the
family, SO can speak quite freely, and
can depend on you, I'm sure, to help me
decide what VIII be best for that poor
child in the other room. This calamity
ought to be kept from her, and vet how
we are going to contrive to keep it /
can't see. Perhaps you may be able to
suggest way"
In her anxiety she ignored the fact of
the marriage by proxy having really
taken place, or rather she unconsciously
oil <---o e.. = ~