The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-06-19

ferer. Bell caught glimpse of a white
! figure lying motionless in bed II was
years now since he had acted thus in a
professional capacity; but the old qui-
etness and caution came back by in
stInct. AS he would have entered Mar
garet Henson came out and closed the
door.
You are not going in there" she
said. mo, no. Everything Of mine
touch you blight and wither. II the
girl is to die, let her die in peacel'
She would have raised her voice high,
but a lightning glance from Bell quiet
ed her. II was not exact madness that
he had 10 deal with, and he knew IT.
The woman required firm. quiet treat
| ment. DR.. Walker stood alongsi t.,
anxious and nervous. The man with
| the quiet practice OF the well-to-do
doctor, was not used to scenes of this
kind. ...
"You have something 10 conceal"
Bell said, sternly. open the door"
Really. my dear sir" Walker said,
fussily. "RCsIly, ] fancy that under
the circumstance"
You do not understand this kind OF
case" Bell interrupted. ct do"
| Walker dropped aside. with a NUT
1 etered apology. Bell approached the
| figure in the doorway and whispered
few words rapidly in her ear. The ef-
! feet was electrical. The figure seemed
/. 90 wilt and sErivel up; all the power
and resistance lad gone. She stepped
| aside moaning and wringing her hands.
| She babbled of strange things: the old,
/ far-away look came into her eyes
! again.
| Without a word Of comment or sign
OF triumph, Bell entered the sick room.
I Then he raised his head and shifted
the heavy atmosphere, as an eager
hound might have done. A quick, sharp
I question rose to his lips, only to be in
| star thy suppressed as he noted the va
cant glance Of his colleague.
! The white figure on the bed lay per-
! fectly motionless. II was the figure Of
young and exceedingly beautiful girl
I "a heanty }icigsytened and accentuatad
by the deadly-whit palior of her fsa-
lures. Still, the face looked resolute,
| and the exquisitelg chiselled lips were
| firm
| "Albumen!" Bell muttered. "What
| fiend's game is this? I wonder If that
soenndrel-but. mo. IT that case there
would be no object in concealing my
| presence here. / wonder"
He paused and touched the white
brow with his fingers. At that same
moment Enid came into the room She
| painted like one VINO has run fast and
| far
Well" she whispered, as she bet
teri better or -Hatherly, read this
The last words were so low that Bell
han dly heard them. He shot a swift
| glance at his colleague before he open
ed the paper. One look, and he had
mastered the contents. Then the swift
glance was directed from Walker to
the girl standing there looking at Bell
with world of passionate entreaty and
longing in hereyes.
cit T.: your sister who lies there" Bell
whispered, meaningly, land yet you
He paused. and Enid nodded There
was EVIDENTLY great struggle going
on In Bells mind. He was graphing
| with something that he only partially
understood. but he did know perfectly
well that he was being asked to do
something absolutely wrong. and that
he wat going to yield for the sake of
| the girl he loved.
He rose abruptly from the bedside
| and crossed over to Walker.
|
at this rate--at this rate the patient
cannot possibly last till the morning.
| 1t is quite hopeless"
Walker smiled feebly.
"It is a melancholy satisfaction to
have my opinion confirmed" he said.
Miss Honson. II you will get Williams
TO see me as far as the lodge gates-it
is so late that-er--'
! Williams came at length. and the lit
| tie doctor departed. Enid fairly cow
cred before the blazing. searching look
| that Bell turned upon her. She fell 20
! plucking the bedclothes, hervously.
What does It mean?" he asked.
hoarsely. Don't you know that II
| that girl dies IL will be murder II was
! only for your sake that / didn't speak
my mind before that fool who has Just
| gone. He has seen murder done un-
| der his eyes for days, and he is ready
| TO give a certificate of the cause of
| death.,And the strange thing is that,
in the ordinary way, he would be quite
| justified in doing so''
Chris is not going to die: at least.
not In that way" Enid whispered,
hoarsely.
"Then leave her alone. No more
drugs, no more medicine, even. Give
! nature a chance. Thank Heaven, the
girl has a perfect constitution"
Chris is not going to die" Enid re-
| peated, doggedly: but the certificate
viii be given. all the same. o, Hatha-
~. you must trust ne-trust me as you
have never done before. Look at me,
study me. Did you ever know me to
do mean or dishonorable thing?"
They were Gown in the drawing room
again; David waiting, with strange
/ sense Of embarrassment, under Mar
garet Henson's distant eyes: indeed. II
was probable that she had never no
tiCed him at all. All the same, she
| turned eagerly to Bell
Tell me the worstr she cried. Tell
me all there is to know"
''Your niece's sufferings are over"
Bell said, giavely. II have no more to
tell you"
A profound silence followed, broken
presently by angry voices outside Then
! Williams looked in at the door and
| beckoned Enid to him. His face was
wreathed in an uneasy grin.
Mr.. Henson has got away" he said.
| "Blest IL I can say how. And the dogs
have rolled him about and tore his
clothes, and made such a picture of
him as you never saw. And sweet
temper he's i'm"
Where is he now?" Enid asked.
There are people here he must not