Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-13
cHAPTER YI.-(contlnued.l

WaA soy An6 " ulAhoOh OF OAAS
ment, as he drove along. "They have
either got a clue or they've turned
suspicious. Shocks the other day and
Laurence now. / shall have to make
up my mind to screw things up to a
climax"
But he had not now much fear that
the climax would be disagreeaole
one for him; and he drove along over
the muddy roads as gayly as ever ne
had done between the sweet Sep.
TENDER hedgerows. Yet when he
drew up in front of the Hall 1t
struck him that there was something
strange about the place, For one
thing, the usual neat and well-kept
gravel was cut up, and in one place
the low box-hedge which skirted the
now empty flower beds was cut and
crushed as If a careless driver had
driven over 1t.
He was not long left in doubt. Old
Adam came to take his horse and led
him off to the stable, shaking his head
with ominous sadness, and muttering
something indistlnctly about a bad
job; and then Barbara opened the
door with scared, white face, and quiv-
ering lips which could not command
themselves sufficiently to tell him
anything.
Good God, what is IT." exclaimed
Dick; his thoughts flying straightway
to Dorothy.
But 1t was not Dorothy, for in two
minutes she came running into the
room, tried to speak, and then, scared
and trembling and sobbing, she found
herself somehow or other in his arms.
Dick was almost beside himself with
anxiety, but he soothed her tenderly,
and patted her shoulder with gentle,
"There, there, darling, don't cry like
that What is 1t, dear? Tell me-"
But for a little time Dorothy sim
ply could not tell him. "I'Ve been
longing for you to come" she said
at last. Oh, poor Auntle! and she is
all have in the world-in the world"
"But is she ill?' asked he. "Remem-
Der that know nothing"
"But you got my telegram" she
said, ceasing her sobs to look at him.
"Your telegram? No! What tele-
gram?"
II sent one early this morning to
you at Colchester" she answered
"'To R. Harris, 4Oth Dragons, Col
chester Was not that direction
enough?"
well, scarcely" said Dick, half
smiling at his own knowledge. "But
about your aunt-is she ill.,"
Dorothy's tears broke out afresh.
"She is dying-dying," she sobbed.
"The doctor says there is no hope-no
hope whatever"
But tell me all about It," he urged.
what is the matter with her? She
was all right yesterday afternoon
when left. 1t must have been very
sudden. Was it f1t?"
Paralysis" answered Dorothy
mournfully. eve were just going to
bed, and Auntie got up, and all at
once she said, I feel so strange, Dor
othy; fetch Barbara and when
came back a minute afterward she
had slipped down on the floor by
the sofa there and could hardly speak.
We put pillow under her head, and
got Adam up, and Adam drove into
Dovercourt and brought the doctor out
as fast as he could; but Auntie did
not know him at all. And as soon as
he came in, Barbara and l knew it
was all over with her, for he shook
his head, and said, We had better get
her to bed. Oh, no, 1t won't disturb
her, she feels nothing. But she did
feel something" Dorothy added, FOR
when we were undressing her she
spoke several times, and always the
same, My poor little girl-Dorothy-
all alone," and here, poor child, she
broke down again, sobbing over her
own desolation. 81 begged and prayed
her not to worry about me, but 1t was
no good. DR.. Stanley said she couldn't
hear me, and so she kept on all night,
My poor little girl-all alone"
For some minutes Dick said never a
word. Dorothy" he said at last, 81
should like to see her. Where is she?"
"In her own bed" said Dorothy won
deringly.
Then take me up there. Perhaps
she will understand me If 1 tell her
something"
So Dorothy took him up to the large
darkened room where the mistress Of
the house lay dying. Barbara, filed
with grief and dismay, sat keeping
watch beside her, and she stared with
surprise to see Dorothy come in, fol-
lowed by the tall soldier, who en-
tered with a soft tread and went up
to the bed, where he stood for a mo-
ment watching the dying woman, and
listening to the incoherent, mumbling
words that fell from her lips. Dor
othy-little girl-no one-alone-
ah!-" and then a long sigh, enough
to break the hearts that heard it.
Just pull up that blind for a min
ute, Barbara" said Dick to the weep
ing woman. II want to speak to your
mistress, and l can't tell whether she
will understand me unless 1 can see