Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-11-19

instant and looked down. Il think I'd
rather not be penetrated quite as COM
pletely rs yourself" he said, still with
the same dryness.
Gerald drew himself up somewhat
haughtily. What do you mean?' he
asked.
''Mean? Why, my dear Gerald, that
you've lost your head over 'Perdita,'
as YOU call her with such romantic fe-
icity."
Lost my head? Nonsense. L"
"You're gone, my dear boy-fatally
gone. Don't glare at me. It's no use.
Cholera sometimes will bowl man
over just as suddenly-or sun-stroke
But l imagined love didn't. 1t hasn't
mem Mill go and see our patient"
He went to Perdita's room with the
idea that perhaps Gerald had fallen a
victim to the trap set by some shrewd
adventures. After all, those men
whom he had bribed to cheat the
morgue of its lawful .aotsana and jetsam
how did he know of what deceit they
were capable? They We're fellows of
no special character, those night-river
providers Why might they NOT
But he tried to strangle these new sus-
picions at their birth, and went into the
chamber where Gerald's enchantress
reclined, beautiful past all doubt, and
with look of wistful worriment in her
shadowy eyes that seemed to reproach
him for the distrust she had uncon-
sciously reused.
From the standpoint of the physician
CLYDE was disappointed in her state.
Gerald had described it as wholly
healthful except for her failure to re-
call the facts which intimately con-
cerned her identity, and here it soon
struck his friend that Gerald had
Judged most i'll. The pulse was feeble
and spasmodic, implying threat of
heart failure; the repOse of manner was
induced more by exhaustion than
wholesome sense of rest. In a little
while Clyde had assured himself that
the desertion of memory, however re-
marl1able. could not be assumed. He
detected no further signs of the in
tense dread and gloom which he had
noticed in her on the previous night.
Rut this half mOurnful Indifference,
touched by little flashes of good spirits,
bore with it no hopeful augury.
s.She seems to be living an artificial
| life" he thought. Good heavens, what
| if the drug | was awkward enough to
| spill last evening were still breeding in
| her brain and body kind of spurious
vitality which may soon lose it's force
and leave collapse behind it, such col
lapse ending again in a reversion to
| former conditions-which would mean
death? Gerald's father had never really
exploited the elixir in which he SO
firmly believed. The plant which in
his letter he claims to have seen briefly
but wondrously revivified by means OF
the fluid may merely have appeared thus
in a dream of his half-deliriOus mind;
for he confesses that he was i'll and sui
fering at the time the phenomenon
dawned upon him. OF this now feel
certain: the elixir is very potent
stimulant. In the first place, did /,
truly bring this woman back to life:
And in the second place, if it did sc
bring her back to life, will it's effects
prove lasting? Are they not, judged by
this hypothesis, effects curiously incom
plete?"
Aloud he said to his patient: ''You are
very composed, l see. You are quite
willing to remain here, are you not anC
wait quietly until your memory return:
to your, .,;oa ..r+ . ns.oef,
and pleasant here in this pretty room
l am not happy when try to think. A
first l found it hard not to try. But nov
| do not find it so hard. | simply lie
myself rest. 1t is easier to do that thai
l supposed it would be. And it is yer.
agreeable
She leaned back, with half-smile, IL
her pillowed chair. Clyde watched her
for moment, in his physicians way o
mot seeming to watch. Presently h
ssaid:
You have no desire to see any o
your former friends?'
| .sFriends?' came her slow response
81 did not know that I had any. Hav
ssNo doubt. can't tell you who the.
! are. But have you no surprise at belni
here, in these surroundings"
No"
s.Do they not seem strange to your
Strange? No. They seem quite ia
miliar.''
Have you no desire to learn how yo
came here?'
She appeared to muse, and whisper
I 1ngly repeated tLe "OIuS cdHlc helc,
, three or four times. Then suddenly he
l face grew strained and wearied. ''Of
: / must always have been here, must
. not?' she faltered. THAT handsom
t young gentleman who sat beside N
: this neutrality-suspicious. he knows a
l about it. He seems SO clever and g
l kind. l will ask him. He will tell me
| am sure
MIR. Maynard, you mean?"
S "Maynard?" she repeated, and made
gesture with one hand as though sh
4 would lift it to her brow. But the mex
, | instant she let it fall again. WAS tha
r his Nance"
Yes; and you liked him?"
i Her ewes kindled. sob, so much! b
S is charming | wish he would come
: me again. l do so like to hear him tai
t to have him here at my side!'
= There's a bit of candor," Clyde II
: fiected, that would feed the fuel {
h poor Gerald's love-sick madness if h
v heard it,
r Before leaving the house that afte
: noon he said to Gerald: ''She has 4
d wedding-ring. Did you observe that?'
S "Yes, yes" was the eager repl,
v ssHer lovely white ringless hands di
= not escape my notice. How could they
4 And 1 was simultaneously glad
e see the wedding-sign absent"
d CLYDE stared at him. My dear fe
/ low" he broke forth, what are yo
saying?'
n ''Only what 1 mean, Clyde. All, yo
n | don't know the power with which tn;