The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-11-16

in their Grass ignorance and prejudice,
what an onportunity!-lured there as
he had been in the middle of the night.
without a soul being aware of his COM
ing.
Eut the next moment he had cast
out the thought as unworthy of him,
and picking out the scowling hus-
band
There is no light" he said, in de-
CiSive manner.
The man glanced around at his fel-
lows, and slowly took rough candle
St@k from the shelf, lit it with some
difficulty and great deal of iaring
waste, and then handed it to the doc
tor
But are there no women here?" he
said sharply.
The man shook his head. and. struck
by the strangencss of his dumb an
nouncement, the thought of being
trapped once more entered the doctors
mind, but, ashamed to show what was
at best only suspicion. he turned
sharply back, pushed open the doorand
| entered small. stone-paved room,
holding the smoky candle above his
head.
what nonsensc," he thought the
next moment. for there upon Il narrow
| box-hcd of the toughest type lay a
woman, whose eyes CLEANED as the light
played unOn them: and in the one
quick glance he gave John Lindon
knew that there was no trick here.
The mother before him was lying wit II
life at the lees" and the first moment
he felt that she was beyond his power
to save Exhaustion had made her an
| easy prey to fever. ana as their eyes
met he could read in the mute appeal
that. feverStriCken as she was, there
was still Il CLEAN of consciousness left:
and as he went down on one knee by
the bedside, the lips parted in Il Iaint
whisper:
Am I gaein' to dee?"
Not if can help it, he said softly,
and proceeded with his minstrations.
Half an hour later the door was
softly opened. and the messengers
head appeared. the man glancing
sharply at the bed, and then stealing
back and closing the door.
John Lindon crossed to the door in
time to hear the words Not deid" i'm
low tone, followed by murmur as
of several voices speaking together half
angrily.
He felt puzzled, for the tone Of the
mems voices suggested disappoint-
ment. But Il low sigh from the bed
drew him back, and for the next two
by his intense struggle with the grim
spectre which seemed to he battling
with him for the one poor life.
Meanwhile again and again a head
was thrust in the room. and every
time different to the last, as if the
waiting men We're anxious to verify
the report made by the last conner tha {
til" patient was not "deid' yet.
The voices in the outer room grew 50
loud at last in dispute that, feeling how
necessary quiet was for his patient
| Lindon crossed the room to go and
| speak to the men. and then order the
husband to send them away and fetch
some woman neighbOr to the house,
but as he reached the door. which the
| last visitor had not completely closed
he stood fast. startled by the menacinc 9
| aspect of the men, seen as they were
| by the light of bog pine knot which
| suddenly blazed up. They were talt
| ing volubly in Gaelic. one man in pnr-
| ticular. a wild-lookinG, rough. heavy
! follow ,gesticulating thrcateningly Will
several of the others appeared to be
| in agreement with him as he spoke in
/ fierce denunciation to the husband OF
the woman, and pointed to the inner
| room.
Then. all at once, five men made
| for the door. but the husband sprarg
| before them, and shouted fiercely in the
| wild tongue. the words being incOmpre-
| hensible to Lindon's ear. but readily
| grasped all the same. for the gesture
was sufficient Interpretation, without
I his muttering afterwards in his brok-
/ en- English:
Not till she's deid--not till she's
! deid."