Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-12-14
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II. 3. tzIelsb

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neatly over it; the room was as tidy
and clean as it could be. u
Beside a small frethe sun was
shining brightly outside-stood q COM
fortably-cushioned easy chair. and in
1t, clad in a somewhat old and worn
dressing gown, sat the mere shadow Of
mana thin. emaciated creature,
whose long limbs and evident height
seemed to make his cancellation more
marked. His hands, almost skin and
bone, were crossed on his knees: pa
per lay between them. He turned his
face toward the door as they entered,
and Enderby saw it fully. 1t was a
face that had once been q handsome
one, gentle and refined; but now the
s4oodless lips, the hollow cheeks, the
sunken blue eyes, the temple. over
which thin gray hair kept straying,
made it. more like the face Of dead
man than of living one. !
A strange feeling Of mingled pity
and conjunction moved in Enderby's
heart as he came forward to the chair.
Fl am sorry to see you looking so
i'll. Mr.. Lloyd he said, as the sick
man made gesture to rise, bowling as
he did SO. do not rise, beg of you."
Jasmine. will you place a chair
for Mr.. Enderby?" said the sick man.
1t was the first time Paul had heard
the girls name, and he turned to look
at her as she brought forward the
chair.
Jasmine did not raise her eyes, but
she must have felt the look she did not
see, for second blush dawned in her
cheeks. For the moment she seemed a
woman in the first glorious dawn Of
womanhood.
4 She placed the chair, then almost
noiselessly withdrew from the room.
Her father glanced to see If she was
gone, then he turned to Paul.
''Mr. Enderby, you were very kind
to my poor little girl the other night,
and for that let me beg to thank you.
We have few friends, my child and L.
We are poor and unknown, and there
fore friendless. For me it matters lit
tie, but for my child feel sorry at
times that it should be SO. I some
times wonder what would happen to
her lift I died. Yet surely God would
raise up friends-the God who has new
er quite forsaken me, however low I
have fallen"
He spoke in quiet, gentle voice
the voice Of q recluse who is more
accustomed to think than to speak;
and Enderby glanced at him quickly.
Was 1t possible that this man could be
criminal-this gentle looking, enact
ated, and now evidently dying man,
the father Of Jasmine? Or was it as
Sir Henry had said, that he was real
ly insane, at least on one point!
81 thought. from what your daugh-
ter said, Mr.. Lloyd, that you had at
least one friend" he said, determined
to probe the matter as far as he could.
Doctor Lyndon" .-
The sick man was startled at the
name, and looked up sharply.
''Ah, yes-Doctor Lyndon! He was
my friend-once." he said slowly, land
now also, suppose. Yet 81 .netimos-
What was I about to say?' he broke
off suddenly. "Mr. Enderby, there is
something In you which seems to draw
my confidence; or IS 1t that have
been SO long exiled from kindly 11u-
mainly that am eager to seize the
first hand stretched out to me? But
at least you are kind and generous;
so much know from what you did
for jasmine. I should like If you
would come to see me again. VIII
you?" &c..
81 shall be very glad to do so," said
Enderby. almost eagerly! MAY
come on Sunday? have more time at
my disposal then" .-o
'.Thank you," said the sick man
family. He stretched out his wasted
hand, and Enderby could not but take
it, yet again he felt a traitor.
Jasmine let him out.
IL am SO glad you came" she said
in a low voice-and he saw mist
come over the soft eyes. "He knows
no one, and sometimes I think, II only
he could speak Of what is preying on
his mind. he would be better"
"Then there is something?" Ender-
by said, holding the small hand with
an unconscious close grasp.
She checked herself again.
you must not let father know that
l said that" she exclaimed eagerly.
"Goodby. and thank you SO much!"
"Good-by," he returned. As he went
down the long stairs he wondered
again II he were traitor. r.
o~=s- CHAPTER v.
EDO Won think I shall soon be all