The Jersey City news., 1902-11-29
EQUAL =
PARTNERS
By HOWARD FIELDING
Copyright, 1901, by cAaslsw. aooie.
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that she does not know who Inflicted
the wound. 1t may be only lapse Of
memory due to shock, but / myself fear
that she will never be ale to answer
the question"
''she does not know" echoed Brenda
"You must understand" said Ken
dali, that the assailant stood behind
her. He, whoever it may have been, is
supposed to have entered the room
while Miss Miller was out on the bal
cony. l have had the place accurately
described to me. In the corner of the
room near the eastern window there is
quite large closet Perhaps you no
ticed it,,
Brenda inclined her head.
EThe assassin may have hidden him.
self there" Kendall continued "Miss
Miller remembers stepping into the
room through that eastern window,
and she knows nothing of what hap
pened between that moment and the
time of her awakening here"
"She will live," said Brenda. "She
will remember some day"
"She can never remember what she
did not observe" replied Kendall. ''It
may be that she neither saw nor heard
the assassin. As to the wound 1 hard
ly know what to say. The knife enter
ed between the first and second ribs
and passed downward very close to the
body wall. Ordinarily it would be al
most impossible to in1ict such a
wound The assassin must have been
singularly ignorant of anatomy to
strike downward at such spot. for the
chances were a thousand to one that
the bony structure would protect the
vital parts. The knife should have
cleared the first rib and hit fairly
against the second. But it happens that
Miss Miller received an injury on this
precise spot years ago. as q result of
pressed. Thus the murderer was favor
ed by an extraordinary chance. His
idea was, first, to escape being seen by
her, and, second, to strike at the front
of the body while standing behind In
order to avoid the blood that must fol-
low the blow. Having struck, he un-
doubtedly supposed that he had reach
ed the heart. and only miracle pre-
vented. Our ambulance surgeon beliey-
ed that the wall Of the heart was pune
tured and that clot Of blood was stop
ping the wound, as happens once in q
million times. That is not the case. Not
only did the knife miss the heart, but
it missed the arteries in a way that on
ly divine Providence can account for.
So the first effusion Of blood was not
followed by the fatal drain that might
have been expected. Do make myself
clear?"
81 understand enough" said Brenda.
II know that she may recover, and
thank God with all my SOUL"
There was a pause, during which
kendalps embarrassment, that had
been less noticeable while his mind was
bent upon Il description OF Elsie's in
jury, once more asserted itself. Brenda
observed that his face was flushed and
his forehead moist, and she was puz-
zled.
Have you told her that an. hercY
she asked. "Does she wish IL acc me 7"
1--WE have not mentioned *" he re-
piled, 'but you need have no hesila-
tion. We have given her very nice
ROOM" he hurried On. you'll flrd
that everything in the world is being
done for her. Shall we go imp
The other physician then came for
ward. and Brenda gave him her hand,
though Kendall, in the extremity Of his
embarrassment forgot to utter the
form of presentation.
Az straight and long corridor, the
longest, as it seemed to Brenda. that
mortal architect had ever designed. led
rearward to the part Of the building in
which Miss Miller had been sequester-
ed Kendall led the way, and his col
league walked behind. For the third
time that day Brenda experienced the
sensation Of surrendering her yolition.
The hospital became q prison; she was
being marched to some deep cell be-
yond the reach of rescue or the light of
day. Then, in a moment. she saw DR..
Kendall open door and step back that
she might pass before him.
Brenda's first glance happened to fall
directly upon the face of the patient,
and she cannot truly be said to have
seen anything else in the room The
bed was only an indistinct splash of
white. The hare walls. the plainly
curtained window, the nurse in profile.
motionless as a figure on tapestry. en-
tered into the feeling, but not into the
view of the scene. She beheld only
that sweet and sad little face, SO pret-
ty, SO maidenly and tender. And the
real essence of this despicable crime.
the inconceiyable inhumanity of it,
seemed to speak straight to Brenda's s
heart in that language Of nature which
is without words.
Elsies brown eyes opened wide.
They had been half closed, and she
had been looking at heaven knows
what; nothing in that room surely.
nothing that ever had been anywhere
perhaps. They turned to Brenda with
utter surprise.
Miss Maclanev' she cried in a weak
voice, but distinct as the tone of q little
silver bell. You have come to sec
me! How kind Of your Then sudden
~, Why did you do it n