Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-02-29
CHAPTER II.


It was long past 10 when Hugh Lar
remore turned into Macedon place that
night. The day had been long and more
than usually dreary. He mad spent some
heavy hours in the shaded chambers Of
wealthy patients and in the dirty cor
ners Of the town where disease held the
same grim dominion. The faces of the
dying had felt the caress of his hand.
He had listened in silent pain to futile
prayers for life, dear life, from lips
growing cold. 1t had been hard win
ter, and q low, sluggish fever was ev-
erywhere.
There are physicians who operate on
these wonderful bodies of ours without
much thought beyond the mechanism of
the machine, who saw or cut after the
manner of "a skillful carpenter, but to
whom the unexplained departure of the
spark that animates the flesh presents
no astounding secret to cause a mo-
ment's sadness or wondermert. Hugh
was not one of these. He had felt many
failing heartbeats, had closed many eye
lids when all work was done, but never
without that awful, dcspairing con-
sciOusness of human littleness which
knows nothing of the how or why of
the beginning or the end of life. That
was why he was sad tonight. 1t had
been hard day.
From his boyhood those who had
known Hugh Larremore best had proph-
esied great things Of him. He was
more than a successful physician in q
town adjacent to the metropolis. His
books were known by people who had
never seen him.. His heart was large
enough, his understanding deep enough,
his humanity intense enough for more
though he had lived within himself
and had sent the fruits of his labor into
the world, though older and more ex.
perienced men i'll his profession WEI /,
glad to meet him on equal ground, he
was dissatisfied, restless In his hands
there seemed nothing but leaves There
was SO much still to be done; SO little
time to do it in; so little to do it with.
His face was thoughtful, little old
er than his years. The thick, black
locks just touched with frost, which he
was in the habit of nervously throwing
back, added to this impression. He was
clean shaven, and his expressive mouth,
full and curved, but without suspi-
cion of coarseness, was marked in re-
pose by an expression Of gentle strength.
His eyes under forceful brows were lu-
minous and convincing, capable of ex.
pressing G, eat fire aEa passion, but usu-
ally heavy with a dreamy pathos that
expressed something of the deep, silent,
gentle soul of the man; one with per-
haps stern ideas of justice, yet very i'm
pulsive, very tender.
1t had stopped raining now. The sky
was lowering mass of reddish vapor,
and the moon, plunging behind it.
peeped out at intervals in a hazy circle
with suspicious and unfriendly eye.
Larremore lifted his face to the clam
my caress Of the fog as he strobe along
buttoned to the chin, his case of instru-
ments in his hand. As he neared his
home he raised his tired eyes and saw a
light from an upper window descending
like q vaporous staircase into the silent
garden.
Jenny is still up, '"he thought, and
then gave vent to low exclamation of
dismay. "Oh, yes, she is waiting to
scold me. This was the night Of Mrs
Elliston's party. She will say that I
should have come and THAT could have
come. She will not understand. How
very unreasonable women are!'
Obeying the sort of instinct that
makes person take unheeded steps at
the proper distances apart in familiar
neighborhood. he followed the light
without CHANGING at the house. But
when he had unattached and thrown
open the door he stood still in amaze.
ment, an expression on his face like q
mau suddenly awakened from sleep.
This was not his home. This richly
toned hall. only dimly revealed in the
leaping freight, he had never seen be-
fore. All, yes, of course, he remembered
now. This was the other house, and the
mysterious tenants had evidently ar
rived. He was half disposed to laugh
at his ridiculous mistake, as he quietly
drew back, hoping to retreat unseen.
But this was not to be, for from the
depths of great chair before the fire q
woman rose slowly.
81 beg your pardon" be heard q
trailing voice say, with a touch Of impa-
tient questioning.
There was q crackle Of q match, and
a cluster Of candles on the high mantel
beside her became q semicircle Of twin
king lights. Hugh opened his lips to
make hurried excuse, looked at her
with . new interest and remained ST.
lent.
His mystifcation and embarrassment
at his mistake were conquered by the
wonder Of her beauty. It dazzled and
impressed him like some music that
haunts the memory from the first strain
until its repetition makes it part of our
selves.
he had only the vaguest idea of de-
tails, but after the scenes in which his
day had been spent. after deformity,
ugliness, bitterness, death, this girl in
her white gown, with the star twinkling
in the fine abundance Of hair drawn
back from her low brow, was like an
ANGEL If Hohf These woro his fhoy Obx.