The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-12-03
sAe turnea to me, wlth qulek. i'm

she demanded, "How can you speak OF
trifles, after that--that-" Her voice
gave way, and ! thought heard n sob.
Listen" said l, earnestly. In that
lies the reason for my rambling talk. /
hadn't intended tn tell YOU so, but it's
the fact. Now you might as well hear
all. When you finished your ride you
were worn out. Apparently you hadn't
been run away with, but evidently the
horse had kept you at work. Then
came the call for you to help us. Ii
braced you up, Of course, hut the strain,
coming after the first one, left you a
bundle of exposed nerves, so to speak,
1t wouldn't do to let you go TO your
room in such state. Why. you would
have had night of horrors, lying
awake for hours, tossing, turning, try
ing TO shake off the nervousness which
held you prisoner. If you fell into q
doze il would be to wake as suddenly as
if under a shock of electr city, TO wake
to find your muscles rigid and your
heart pounding like hammer. And
even when physical weariness overcame
you at last, your sleep would be broken
by dreams a dozen times more terrible
than the experiences you've gone
through. l know what you are think
ing, and l tell you your thoughts must
be turned into another channel. It's to
try to turn them that I've brought you
out here, that I've gabbled about moth.
ings."
II understand" she said, softly. 81
understand. and / thank you from the
bottom of my heart. If / spoke irrita'
bly,, won't you pardon me" I'm sorry
so sorry, now that understand
There's nothing to pardon, unless
1t is the brusqueness with which I've
blurted out my reasons TO: getting you
away from the house."
| 'You are not brusque," she said, ant
| walked on in silence. l could CUES
how she was striving to dismiss tn
scenes of the evening from her mind.
last she spoke of her aunt, expressing r.
gret that she had left the invalid to Sc
her couch unassisted.
Don't worry" said L. Mrs. Cla
will be only too happy to take yo
place tonight. Besides, it is probabl
just as well that Mrs. Loriag should N,
have an Immediate opportunity to over
whelm you with questions. Tha
would be bad for both of you. can
have you sacrificed, even On her altar
| 'SacrificedY she cried. "Dr. Nor
ris, you don't realize what my aunt rs
me. She is the best, the kindest wor
an have ever known. She has treate
me as a daughter-has loved me NOR
than many a daughter is loved. A sa
rifice! There is nothing | would nc
gladly do for her"
II believe you. And my belief is ON,
of the strongest reasons for advising
you not TO see her tonight. Please re
member the promise you gave me-"
She halted for an instant, as if in IIro
test that the pledge had been exactec
when she did not fully understand it
meaning, but she did not offer to turn
back. AS we strolled on, / graduall,
| drew her into talk. and aftcra little sh'
seemed to have freed herself from tn
spell which had been upon her. At tn
/ outskirts of the village we turned to tn
right, avoiding the main streets
walked slowly toward the bank of tn,
inlet, up which small coasters occasion
ally sailed from the bay. From one o
the old wooden piers we could make ou
the shape of yaNvl gliding seaward oi
the ebbing tide The voices of two mel
on board the boat came to our earl
over the black water, in which glistenet
the pin-point reflections of the stars.
Il envy those men drifting along 81
easily" said the girl. "The water al
ways has fascination for me. Per
haps l would risk even the darkness j.
we could change places with them."
"No doubt we could get anothei
boat" suggested.
81 fear it is too late" she answered
with faint laugh, the first / had heart
! from her since | watched her start OF
the ride to BASKERVILLE.
"Confound the cloclx!'' cried. ut i
responsible for half our disappoint
ments."
Nevertheless, we get ON very poorl.
without it,"
IAN prejudice, aud inherited preju
dice at that"
"Did You ever try TO do W ithout one p
More than try-Tve had to-" said |
with vivid recollection of occasions OF
which my timepieces. for sufficient rea
sons, had been committed to another
| keeping.
"And were you any happier?"
"At the time? No. But eircum
stances prevented my giving the possi
| bilities of clockless bliss q fair trial
Hunger, you may have heard, bars tn,
way to minor enjoyments
but at least sucL troubles are all be
hind YOU" she said. 81 have offer
thought that man should be better
and stronger for being able to look bach
upon privations endured and obstacle,
! surmountcd."
THAT is good doctrine" said i; .-bu-
practically--well, ! shouldn't care {,
double my advantages of experience.
LET us trust there will be no need fol
you to do So" she said. "Rutit is really
! getting late. Shall we not turn back 2
Miss Gray" said |, breaking one O:
the pauses in our walk as we walked
from the village, 'if you are SO fond o.
the water, and if your aunt doesn't OBJ
ject, why shouldn't we have boat.
1t could be Kept in one of the creeks
near the house."
"Capital!" she cried. "IIow odd tha'
we shouldn't have thought of it bo
| forei | should be deliphted" /"