News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-05-22
CHAPTER XII.
STEWARDSHIP.

CdA1 LEX All.
STEWARDSHIP.
For a moment Louise looked at Stu
art and Rhena as if she knew them.
Then she sat up, partly supporting her
self by one hand and with the other
seeming to grope after something.
There was a look of madness in her
eyes.
''Father! He's hurt! Don't you know,
Stuart? The horses ran away. We
were thrown out! Why doesn't some
one send for the doctor"
Rhena Slipped out of the room and
telephoned for DR.. Saxon. Stuart fell
on his knees by the bed, and the next
half hour was one Of the most agoniz-
ing he ever knew. Louise raved and
wept, She kept going over the old
times, repeating word for word exactly
many conversations between herself
and Stuart at the time he had begun to
decide on a new life. Everything dat
ed from Ross Duncan's death. There
were also mingled with all that was so
painful in Stuart's memory a great
AAAttAiJ N-Np iNoSlOho anu NACltlhllllOho
which made him shudder and put his
hands over his ears, words which re-
vealed experiences of the life Louise
had known since leaving Champion.
Stuart did not dare yet to imagine all
that these words meant.
When DR.. Saxon finally reached the
house and entered the room, Louise
was lying down, moaning. The doctor
went right up to her and spoke her
name. She opened her eyes and looked
him full in the face. She shrieked out
Historically: Doctor, doctor, save me!
I'm going mad! l am mad"'
you poor child" And that was all
he said.
Then Louise began to cry terribly.
She spoke her Aunt Royals name in a
voice that made even the doctor culver
a little. And after that as suddenly
as if she had been struck dumb, she
fell back like one dead and lay so still
that Stuart thought at first the end
had come already.
He and Rhena stood pale and strick-
en-. 1t had all come upon them so sud
denly. The doctor did all in his power.
There was not much he could do. At
the end of half an hour Louise came
out of the condition of exhaustion into
which she had fallen and cried again.
this time calling out the name of Vas
PLANE with such terror that Stuart
could not endure the sound and went
into tho nthnT tho hall
Rhena followed him.
This is awfulr' said Stuart, with a
groan. what do you suppose this all
means? What has that villain done"
ut means that he has left her and
that Rhena had guessed so much.
1t had come like a sudden blow to
them. She stepped up to Stuart and
confronted him.
"Please God, We'll save her lifew he
cried.
"And her reason" added Rhena
gravely. Pray God we mayw
| They went back together into that
chamber and, with the doctor, watched
through the night, fearing, at the doc
tors suggestion, lest she should sud
denly rise and go out into the storm
which before morning beat on the
mansion in great fury, while the big
pines sobbed like requiem over dead
hopes and buried loves.
With the gray light of morning a
change came. The doctor noticed il
first. He has not closed his eyes once
Now he rose and went into the library
signing to Stuart to follow him.
"She is out of immediate danger
he said as Stuart stood there by him
nervous with the strain. "She has haC
some terrible mental Shock. 1t is doubt
full if she can recover. But she has
the Duncan constitution. All things
are possible think she will be quie
through the day. If she isn't, send fol
me at once"
He wrung Stuart's hand and wen
down into the town through the storm
and an -Four later Stuart saw hin
dashing up the hill and past the hous'
over the Beury road to attend SOM
desperate case out on the hills. How
the doctor lived without sleep was al
ways wonder to all Champion.
AS for Louise, she lay in condition
of stupor through the day and the fol
lowing night When occasionally sh
reused at Stuart's calling her name
she seemed to know him, but did no
express surprise at being back in he
old home. Gradually the truth grew
upon Stuart and Rhena that nearl.
the entire period Of Louise's life sine
her marriage was blank to her. Sh
B would lie for hours silent and withou
expression in her great eyes, whicl
were still beautiful, although her one
, lovely face had grown old and bag
gard. When she spoke, it was wit
the fretful, complaining voice she ha