The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-10
Recalled to Life

:
tall man alights, rings, and is forthwith
. admitted.
There are only three persons before him
An elderly lady, with a small boy, wis
Wriggies uneasily in his chair. and I
young girl, VINO sits alone at the table
turning over a volU ne Of John Leech'i
. drawings. Burton seats himself by ont
OF the heavily curtained windows and fall
into a reverie.
The preternatural silence which follows
does not last long. The door opens. A
servant bows in the direction of the pair
and the boy is borne of shrinkingly
Again the door opens-the girl looks ou
interrogatiyeIy, then rises and goes. Only
one prisoner left now in the condemned
cell.
Burton yawns, with an air OF relief, ant
saunters to the table. He is battling witt
an uncomfortable feeling Of having beer
in this room, with the selfsame people
at some remote stage Of his past life
Wonders if this can possibly be one Of the
symptoms of his illness?
At tbs moment the opening of a door
in the hall, faint murmur, and light
football warn the last victim that his
hour has come. He rises and follows
the servant.
quite So remarks DR.. Caffyn, a thin,
weasel-faced man, after examining his pa
| tient. quite so! You are-er-er-''
Vainly hunting for his card.
Burton is my name. Middle Temple
barrister and Journalist
| Quite SOL" repeats the physician, with
| the air of one arriving with some diff
Guilty at the truth. "Hard-worked in your
! profession, Mr.-er-Burton?
''No; not very much. 1 have not been
able for much lately owing to that faint
| I xvO=I of I he
better for a change of air to brace me
up a little, DR.. Caffyn?"
'+The fact isl says the physician, lean
! ing back in his chair and lingering his
| eye-glass; ''t1ae fact is, my dear sir, I
! can give you only a poor report of your
| health. Nothing that I-or any one else
can give you will do you much good"
PLAINLY speaking, DR.. Caffyn," he says,
rousing himself at last how long have
1 TO live?"
mot more than a few months, I fear
returns the other, feelingly. Five or six
| at most But you may find some tempo
rary relief from this" handing the pre-
scription, and rising. Come and see me,
Mr.. Burton, when you like. Avoid worry,
excitement late hours, and-er-good
morning"
He passes through the still hall into the
blazing sunlight once more-the life-giv-
ing sunshine which will never again min
lister health and strength to him.
A letter awaits him at his chambers.
Mechanically he opens it. What does it
matter? What does anything matter
now?
1t is from Kite & Prabble, the publish
ers, to the effect that the first edition Of
Mr.. Burton's novel, 'Thothmes, having
been exhausted in three weeks. they pur-
posed going to press with a second edi-
ton, in view of the unprecedented demand.
Meanwhile they inclosed check for $3.50,
in terms of contract, and remained his
obediently-
''Too late!' ne exclaims. bitterly. TOO
late!'
$50 you really like the book?"
Yes, very MUCH she replies. 'T have
never read anything which touched me
so deeply"
They were walking in a Devonshire
lane, the niece of the rector of Darlington
and Burton. The people at the rectory
were old friends Of his family, and it
was there that he had met Emile Con-
yers.
The book they had just been discussing
was ''Thothmes" his own anonymous
novel, but he had not told her he was
the author. Not worth while now, he
thought to himself
Tell me something you like in
'Thothmes,' Miss Conyers. II read II
lately"
80, well, there is that fine passage about
reeognition-Ro. recollection, rather
liked that-about remembering what is
happening now as having occurred at
some far back date of ones life. By the
by''-this with a vivid blush-"that re-
minds mel Do you know Mr.. Burton, I
am quite sure that have seen you some
where before we met here? I can't re-
member where, though 1 have tried
somewhere, not long ago."
Il am sure 1 can't say" he says, quietly,
looking down into her frank, brown eyes
II don't think we have met before and
Well! perhaps 1t is only the same
curious feeling you were just speaking of,
and to which 1 allude-I-I mean the au-
thor Of 'Thothmes' alludes-in your favor
tie passage. Do you know that the physi-
ologistS tell us now that all that sort Of
thing arises from mere twisting of our
nerve fibers?'
OF course, before their stroll ended he
had confessed to the authorship Of the
novel-for an author is an author, though
be may have only a few months to live. |
And he also told her-gently-of his ap-
preaching fate.
She was only young girl, but she had |
a woman's heart, and as he told his sad /
story and how fame was coming to him, |
ali too late, her eyes were wet with SYM |
pathetic tears.
zone word with you, Burton before YOU |
90 out" quoth the rector of Darlington a /
lew days later. You remember telling |
ne about that London physician you con-
suited and who gave you sucn a bad ac-
count of your health What was his
lame?"
''Cafyn-Dr. Caffyn-Cavendsh SQUARE"
"Ahi I thought so. Did you happen TO
know him at all before you consulted
lin?"
No; not at all I went to him by a
riend's recommendation
MY dear fellow" said the rector, effu-
lively, putting his hand on tn rhetoe GIN.
lively, putting his hand on the others
houlders. Il have something 10 tel you, /
Ttke 1t easily, now-don't get hurrted."
Here he whispered something.
You don't say so?'
yes. IL is a positive fact. Why, nv
iece here was nearly frightened out OF
Ter wits by the same man, not many
weeks ago He told her sch had only a
month or two to live. fancy Dr. Cafyn +
as a mania for passing death sentences
Il people IN fact, they say he is dying
Z some incursble H1alady himself, and
his coIors his diagnosis.
Il Is the same DevoEshire lane IN which ]
hey are waIking-a trife closer together
han before. !
You gave me a new lease OF Hfs, darl- !
lg,' be whispers.
'.T-bv II w-ss Sir Percival vHo id
hat" she answers. roguishly; ''oT was i
,ire & Prabble2"
you arch teasel No. MiIly: Il Il Rad ,