Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-24
CHAPTER III.
A Midnight mons.

mons when it breaks in upon a scene of
mrth and gladness. A sense of foreboding
or at least of constraint had fallen on the
company. The negroes glanced at each
other with fearsome eyes and fell back
whispering to the doorway Henry, with
obvious concern In his earnest face. had
started as though to follow and support his
. father. 1t Norman who arose to the
occasion and who babe black Pomp to
strike up at once with his liveliest music.
1t seemed to recall the many guests to a
sense of ones duty to ones neighbor. Kate
Ray was foremost in the effort to Danish
the sud len gloom, and her cordial, joyous
tones gave courage Mr.. Lane, with APP
? preCiative eyes. nodded smilnsiy to Nor
man, though to commend his Seneralshlp,
and raised his glass once more to his lips.
Then. glancins toward his wife and daugh-
ter. his eyes fell upon Malloy Who aban-
donirg his station by DaiSys chair. had
stepped to the nearest window, and, draw
ing aside the heavy curtain. was striving to
peer into the night. His face had gone sud
>denly pale and the lawyer marked and
maryeGd Then agains came the old butter
from the hallway, and in spite of them
Se'ves women and men. too, found II I'M
possible not to look to see whom next he
might summon. 1t was Lane himself, and,
setting down the glass half empty. he
quietly slipped out into the hallway. 1t was
then that Mr.. Malloy was seen to quit the
BILE pal,or. to edge his way among the
CROPS and couples reforming for the dance,
until he reached the main doorway. There
he hung. as though listening for td.nSS
from beyond. Kate Ray. whose bright eyes
were active as her hlithe tongue. noted 1t
al. even as she chatted-noted that as for
the third time Harklcss noselessly entered,
the stranger placed OBTAINING hand upon
the reGro's arm and whispered Il question;
heard old Jar<less grarely answer Il
don't know. sun and with an Apologize
bow to his masters guest saw him pass
on and. meeting the eyes of young Marse
Henry. bow again. 1t meant that the elder
son was wanted. and now, as though
drawn ty some dread or power he could
not resist. Maloy followed. In three min
utes Henry was back. The situation was
becoming strained, and he felt it. The
guests could not should not. longer be kept
in ignorance of the cause of the midnight
summons. In quiet tones he announced TO
the nearmnst group that dispatch had
come from Cincinnati Judge Mcintyre was
quite i'll and business demanded that Mr..
Lane should hasten home at once. Mrs.
Lane. bidding Daisy remain. left the room
and Joined her husband. Pray go on with
the dance" said Henry, though his face.
too had taken on a shade of gray ana
obeEiently Pomp and his satellites hddied
away and loyally did they strive, men ana
women both. not to show that they had iost
all heart for merriment. Strive as they
>ight there were men III that room Ihat
Ii well assured that all had not been
told and that matters OF grave import
would yet be announced. Inc DOCTOR MN
self came in for a moment, as though ne
felt IT due his friends to maintain sem
bIauce of hopefulneSs and OF the oid nos-
vitality But the glow, the radiance, nau
fled from his fine old face. Even IN MS
smile the lips would culver almost plteous-
" There was trouble In the kindly eyes.
There was grief in the stout old heart.
Some kind of a stroke was the neNs
rumor that fitted about from Up TO hp' anu
Mr.. Lane was making preparations to go AT
once "Oh no: pray keep up the dance: the
doctor pleaded. Come another nip OF egg
nog with me, Harrod.' he hailed tan stat
wart young Kentuckian VINO haa slippea
out in search of the family carriage. ana
whose face was three shades grayer as ne
returned. Help keep 1t going my BOY. TOT
Gods sake" muttered the doctor. as they
touched their glasses after the KIND OLD
fashion of the day. I've got to send Nor
man with Lane. Help Henry all you can
The Younger man nodded. clasped the doc
tors hand and turned quickly toward the
guests Some kind of stroke, was the
WhfsDer vet the hOnored judge and gentle
man was never of apoplectic tendency. He
was rall slender. of nervous. sensitive tenn
permanent. What kind o. stroke! Ihen
ycIIng Mallov reappeared Norman. after
a few rnurrured words from his father. had
bent over Daisy's chair. Il am going TO
drive Mr. Lane to the railway" said he.
"a train leaves Bardstown for Louisville
at dayhreak, so I have got to say good
night. I Rad hoped to ride with You TO
G T-ist mas service in the morning, but
he stepped irresolute. Her eyes, that had
been uplifted to his face, were glancing be-
yand He turned to see. and encountered
Mallpy's. Il too. must 60 was that gen.
tIeman's hurried announcement. Il sup
pose YOU will change your dress. Mr.. Holt
It's what have 70 do, and Mr.. Lane says
You H.l pick me up at the Inn.
Mr. lane had said nothing whatever to
Norman on the subject. There had been no
opportunity. 1t was a twenty-five-mile
m0onless drive cross country to Bardstown,
over on the other branch OF the railway,
only, lint VI hirh a 1rllllI
be counted on before afternoon. Caesar,
the rheumatic old coachman. knew little of
the northward roads beyond the Hardin
hills Norman knew every tran and wood
path Tor thirty miles around, 1t was a
case. the father confided to his son, almost
o. life or death. He himself would follow
as SOon-aS soon as he could decently do so.
Norman Holt had hoped to say more to
Daisy Lane before he started but no word
was possible now with this imperturbable
adorer lowering over them 1t would be
half an hour at least before the start. He
would hurry to his room and change his
~dress. BY that time Mall0y would have
had to go. He choked Bit in the hurried,
conventional goodnight, as he bowed over
her slender, unrespOnsive hand: then with
out anothe- glance at Malioy hurried away
In ten minutes he was bounding down the
stairs again and met her, wan and tired
looking. going with her mother to her room
Daisy was SO fond o. Judge Mcintyre and
he "f her. was the explanation. And
; then-she decidedly overdid it this MORN
signs OF breaking up, despite the doctors
pleadings. People seemed to feel thew
ought TO go. There were wh:.peeTifys of
t-v dispatches. One merely said the jude
had been suddenly and seriously Frustrated
The other was apparently for the doctor
alone. and told Of something beyond. The
messenger who had ridden out from town
was tall native, hanger-on about the
= stables of the inn, Kentuckian. big of
nature and free Of speech. and he had not
scrupled to say in answer to questions of
those who Were ministering to his inner
man that the wires had been hot with ex-
citing news from Louisville. mainly from
points farther south where the people were
in ferment over the doings in South Caro-
lima. and though the t.o messages he
bore reached the doctor together he knew
they had come nearly an hour apart. Some
kind of a stroke! Yes, that was the dis
patch that came for the editor of the
Clarion. Judge Mcintyre had been fire.
quent visitor in the old days Of h, beloved
sisters NE and eli the town.iolk Knew him
ana ioVeo mr.. and thee was genuine sor-
row aiho .,g the Jewelers. sitting UP at the
lnn o- welcome Father Christmas at the
s'-Jke of twelve. II heard" said the mes
senger, Il n,isren,ember who IT was told it.