The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1899-02-02

ly. I'm afraid you will have to go
round. "
But we are almost there-the Ran.
gun club" she cried.
Its the club that is on fire, ma am, y
the policeman answered Then, as she
turned white, he added kindly, Don't
be frightened, ma am; they've got the
fire well in hand by this time and every
one is out g"
"All safe?' Mrs. Trelawney gasped
well a few broken bones and such
like" said the policeman oheerfully
Nothing to speak Of, ma 'am-only
one gentleman killed. A sad business
that -
"Who2'
1.-The gentleman who did such great
things out in Burma few years ago
Major Trelawney."
my husbandp
1t seemed to her that she had known
it all the time. She saw, az if in a
dream, the sudden pity and respect in
the policeman s face, aud then she coy
cred her own and sank back in the car
riage.
The long agony Of the drive seemed
interminable, and yet when at last the
| carriage stopped she sat quite still for a
moment, unable to nerve herself for the
next move Then the door was opened.
and as if in a dream, she passed up the
steps, walking firmly, her face white
| and her eyes set and hard Her appar
ent heartessness was silently noted ar
the time and afterward freely com
mented on III the servants hall.
Had they brought him-it-home?
she wondered with long shudder She
was in the hall now and some one was
hurrying to meet her-the doctor She
was not surprised to see him there. In
her dreamlike state nothing seemed
strange any more.
Il have bad news for you, Mrs Ire
lawney."
II know knowr' she answered
petulautly In her unreasoning misery
che was annoyed by his hushed tone
Her own voice was unnaturally shriil
aud strained, and the doctor raised his
hand in protest
"What heartless creatures these pref
ty women arel' he was thinking-an
unconscious echo of the servants opin
ion.
~ must beg of you to control your.
self, " he said sternly. Everything de-
ponds on quiet. His life Is hanging on
a thread -
Ills life? Oh. God Then he is not
dead?'
She bad brushed past the doctor, deaf
to his circumstances. With nuiseless,
flying feet, she was up the staircase and
moment later kneeling by her hus
bands bedside.
The doctor following rapidly, stood
arrested at the door, looking in at tie
darkened room, the kneeling white fig
ure, with clasppd hands and large, fixed
eyes the swathed wreck of man lying
very still on the bed.
One hand lay outside the Goveret
Her own stole out slowly, hungrily. to.
ward it, as if her own daring scared
her. She bowed her head over the band
aged hand at last and knelt on motion
less. The doctor, watching and quite
forgetting his scathing condemnation of
a moment before, thought with swift
contempt of certain reports concerning
the Trelawneys domestic happiness
which had reached his ears
Something came before his shrewd,
keen eyes which blurred the picture be
fore him He turned aside for u mo
ment and then was recalled by IA swift
low cry: Horace! Oh, Horace"
The doctor sprang forward and then
drew back. The injured mans eyes
had opened and were fixed OH the SHIN
meriug white figure with al expression
of mingled awe, unbelief, bliss
CLARA p said the faintest whisper in
the world
The doctor could scarcely hear it He
did not know that the old pet name had
never been used for years. London
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