The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-06-04

on troubled stream, not dozen rungs
beneath, and voice-the voice of fear
cried hoarsely, "Where is it? Where is
lt?' Then went up to the roofs the roar
ing and the laughter of great crowd;
yells, cat-calls, ki-yis and hootiugs many
times multiplied. Her saint had heard
her at last, and caused Sister Ursula to
disregard the pains of going through
the window. Her one desire now was
to reach that haven, to jump, dive,
leap-frog through it if necessary, and
shut out the unfortunate maniac. 1t was
a short race, but swift, and Saint Ursula
took care OF the bottle. A long course of
afternoon calls, with refreshments at
cubs in the intervals, is not such good
training az the care OF the sick in all
weathers for sprinting over course laid
at so degrees. Nor again can the best of
athletes go swiftly up ladder if he car
rles priceless violin in one hand and its
equally priceless bow in his teeth, and
handicaps himself with vanished leather
buttoned boots. They climbed, one be-
low the other.
The window at the foot of the invalid's
bed was open. At the next window was
the white face of the invalid. Sister Ur-
sula reached the sash, threw it open,
went through-let no man ask how-shut
1t gently but with amazing quickness,
and sank painting at the foot of the bed,
one hand on the bottle.
..There was no other way,' she painted
"The door was locked. I could not help.
Oh! He is herel'
The face of Terror in the top hat rose to
the window-level inch by inch. The vio-
lin bow was between his teeth, and his
hat hung over one eye in the fashion of
early dawn.
tits Colt van Cott,' said the invalid.
slowly and critically. ''He looks quite
al old man. Colt and his Strad. How
very bad for the Stradl''
s'Open the window. Where is it? Is
there way? Open the wlndow!' roared
Colt, without removing his violin bow.
Sister Ursula held up one hand warn
ingly as she stopped over the invalid.
For the second time did Colt van Colt
misinterpret the gesture and heaved him
self upward, the violin and the bow
clicking and rafting at every stride. He
was fleeing to the leads to save his life
and his violin from death by fire-fire in
the basement-and the crowd in the street
roared below him with the roar of a full
fed contiagration.
The invalid fell back on the pillows and
wiped his eyes. The hands OF the clock
were on the hour appointed for the medi-
cine, lacking only the thirty seconds nee
essary for pouring it into wineglass.
He took it from Sister Ursula's hand, still
shaking with helpless laughter.
'sGod bless you, Sister Ursula,'' he
said. s'You've saved my life
s'The medicine was to be given, she
answered simply. ell could not help
coming that way.''
''If you only knew said the invalid,
ssif you only knewi saw it from out of
the windows. Good heavensl the dear old
world is Just the same as ever. must get
back to it. [ must positively get well and
get back. And, Sister Ursula, do you mind
telling me when you re quite composed
everything that happened between the
time the door shut and-and you came in
that way?''
After little Sister Ursula told, and the
invalid laughed himself faint once more.
When Sister Ursula resettled the pillows,
her hand fell on the butt of a revolver
that had come from the desk by the head
of the bed. She did not understand
what it was, but the sight panied her.
s'Wait a minute,'' said the invalid, and
he took one little brass thimble-like
thing from its inside. ell wanted to
use it for something before you went out,
but saw you come up, and don't want
it any more. must certainly get back
to the word again, Dear old world! Nice
old world! And Mrs. Cassidy prayed
with you in the cellar did she? And Van
Colt thought it was fire? Do you know,
Sister Ursula, that all those things would
have been impossible on any other planet?
Pm going to get well, Sister Ursula.'
In the long night, Sister Ursula, blush
ing all over under the eyes of the night
light, heard him laughing softly in his
sleep.