Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-01-03
"Sleep? No! couldn't close an eye
tonight" said Mason quickly. 81 will
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sleep? No! couldn't close an eye
tonight" said Mason quickly. 81 will
go up stairs"
Recalled thus abruptly from his fs-
verish anxiety about his brothers fate
to the case he had in hand, the young
doctor assembled the stairs at once to
take up his self imposed duty of
watching in the sickroom.
In chair by the bedroom fire he
found the old woman, wrapped to the
eyes in couple Of dark check wooden
shawls, staring with unblinking black
eyes at the red Goals. At his entrance
she transferred her gaze, as before,
from the fire to his face and follow
ed his every movement, moving her
eyes without turning her head as he
looked at his patient and then took q
chair in the corner Of the room, whence
he could watch the slightest change in
her appearance or position.
The girl looked at him fixedly for q
moment and then closed her eyes with
a slight, uneasy frown.
You can go to rest now" said Mas
son 10 the old woman. II will watch
and call you II want you"
She stared at him while he spoke,
but made no sign and uttered no word
In reply. The farmer, who was still
standing near the door, explained:
''She doesn't understand word you
say, cir. She talks nothing but
Wsash."
And he turned to her and uttered .
few cultural sounds, which, however,
elected no other reply from the old
woman than the slightest possible con.
traction Of her rugged eyebrows.
"She will sleep where she u, sir, In
that chair. And IL you want her or II
you wish her to take her turn in watch.
ing she will wake at the least touch"
said the farmer as he held out his
hand and took that Of his guest In q
warm. hearty. fervent pressure, which
sufficiently showed the gratitude he
felt toward him.
Then Tregaron retired, and Mason,
from his corner, looked alternately at
his patient and ut the old woman.
Wake her! Would she ever sleep?
This was what Mason asked himself
as he remained fascinated under the
piercing gaze Of the unbllnking black
eyes, which seemed to penetrate the
darkness Of the corner where he sat as
easily as cats would have done.
The girl on the sickbed was lying
very still; only her short, labored
breathing betrayed the fact that she
was i'll. Presently, however, she began
to grow restless; she opened her eyes;
she stared at the doctor as he ap.
preached the bed. in half stupid, half
wondering manner; she began to NUT
ter indistinct words, in which the
name Of Merrick was the one most
easily distinguished.
II never liked him." she said ut last,
quite distinctly, looking up steadily at
the doctor. II never liked Merrick.
He knows 1T. 1 told him so. 1 told
him SO. Whatever he says, remember
that-I told him So"
Then suddenly her brain grew clear.
er. and her eyes took the expression
of fear and mistrust which had filed
them on her first sight Of the doctor.
He offered her some beef tea, which
she took submisslvely, but with look
of something like suspicion in her
dark eyes as she glanced first at her
grandmother and then at him.
And suddenly, as he was feeding her.
her eyes fell upon the amethyst ring.
In a moment her face became con
vulsed with spasm Of horror. But
before he could say a word to soothe
her she became calm as rapidly as she
had become excited and, closing her
eyes, lay back on her pillow without
word or exclamation.
he went back to his seat very much
disturbed by these things, and for
some time nothing happened to divert
his thoughts. The wind howled and
whistled outside; the old woman kept
her witchlike eyes fixed upon his cor
ner; the girl on the bed lay quiet and
seemed to sleep.
Mason sat back In his chair and
pondered the strange events of the day
and the singular situation in which
they had placed him. There was mat
ter for thought, indeed, in the develop
ments Of the past two hours, and his
mind ran quickly over the points at is
sue, considering, selecting, devising,
plans for the mornings procedure.
For the moment he was lost in his
reflections, when he was abruptly re-
called to the life around him by a
weird and uncanny incident.
he heard sort Of hiss from the bed,
and, glancing quickly at his patient, he
saw that she was sitting up. with her
eyes fixed on her grandmother, beck
oning to him silently.
Re rose quietly, instinctively keeping
m