Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-11
Copyright, 1901, by s. r. crockett.)
CHAPTER xxv-CoNTINUED.

CHAPTER XXv-CoNTINUED.
How l got Peden stopped and how or
where / dlsmounted l never knew. / know
hat l heard the sound Of a woman's voice
somewhere and, II seemed to me, calling
Rupert's name, but indeed everything
Iwirled away in such a nightmare Of con-
Iusion that l could be sure Of nothing. l
remember stumbling down the steep slope.
holding on to the stems Of chance planted
Irees, and cutting and bruising myself
against stones till, before l was aware. l
stepped knee deep into the cool rush of
The water.
That brought me to myself, though for a
while l could see nothing. l could hear
the clatter Of a horses hoofs on the hard
road. growing fainter every moment. !
pould see through the silhouette Of the
leaves the tall and gloomy single arch OF
the bridge black against the sky.
I called on my brother by name. But the
trees gave back only the word Rupert
The woman's voice / did not hear again,
but once, when / was returning, 1t seemed
Rs II l heard, very far off, a sound as Of a
young child crying. &
I CROPPED along the waterway, great
boulders obstructing me at every step, and
the swirl aud surge Of the water almost
taking me of my feet.
Yes-there he wasl He was lying limp,
half in and half out Of the water. How he
had fallen / could not see. But I feared
the worst, because the upper half OF his
body was not wet. Therefore he must have
fallen on the stones.
With Infinite labor at last got him to
the side and used what means l knew OF
for his recovery, but for a long time with
out effect. / laid him down and loosened
his waistcoat. There was no wound, only a
suspicious pliancy about the region of the
ribs. ! dashed water on his face and chafed
his hands. l left him for a moment and ran
howard the lodge, and was half way there
before / remembered that my father had
turned away the late tenant, his head wood
forester, only the week before and that the
house was empty. Therefore, being able
to do nothing better, l had p~erforce to be-
take me back to my brother. ! found that
he had certainly moved during my absence.
For one thing, his hand, which had been
by his side when l left him, was now under
his head, holding it as II to subdue an in
tolerable pain.
l spoke to him again and in the slow
coming light Of dawn l saw him open his
eyes slowly and look at me.
d not move. Rupert" l said, "you have
had an accident-been thrown from your
horse at the Green Dock. Lie still, l will
60 for Warner when you are a little better,
and l can get you better established"
Where is Katef" he whispered, per-
fectiy clearly and audibly.
Kate ;" / cried in establishment, what
Katef"
"Kate-my wifei' was the astounding
reply. To me astounding at least, for 1
knew my brother-or thought l did.
"Kate-your wife? l cried again, think
ing more l fear OF the fact which his words
revealed than Of the presence or absence
Of the woman he asked for.
Eyes, Kate" he exclaimed testify, "call
her. will you'll She was here a moment ago.
Do not contradict me. I saw her. I tell you.
] am going to die. Truth sits upon the lips
of dying men, you know. 1 have something
to say to her. Call herI"
I murmured that he was mistaken, as in
deed / was sure he must be. Though l GER
tainly would have taken my oath / had seen
q white figure in the arch Of the shrubbery
pathway. But / judged It best to temporize.
"she is not here, Rupert, " l made answer.
best let me go for Warner. l daresay l
can catch either OF the horsesl'
81 DO not want warner-I have lone with
Warner" he said, would to God that l had
never seen him! Ny father canno separate
US nowl"
And to satisfy him, l actually climbed up
again and called the girls name this way
and that. But, OF course, all in vain.
Nothing responded save the solemn murmur
- Aho ufoNar nuan dee hnYlaaa- urn AnA
far below the dry scaly ~rustling of the dead
leaves under foot and Of the dying onee
still clinging to the branches overhead.
] never knew what a creepy place a
plain Scottish wood may be till the night
! spent there with my dying brother in
the Green Dock.
Rupert appeared a little more contented
after I told him that most certainly Kate
was not there.
LAY me higher on your shoulder. John"
he said, in a strange. dreamy PARKWAY
voice. 81 think l have been mad. At any
rate l have reamed a long and wicked
dream. Perhaps / am about to come out
Of II. John, l want you to forgive me.
! know Kate will. ! am not very anxious
about that. But / want you to hnd her and
do her Justice. l married her-Warner, the
surgeon, and her sister, were the witnesses.
We got the chaplain from the barracks to
come for the wedding. You will be the
heir now. We have arranged that. Ny
father knew and was trying to get the
certificate and a renunciation of all claims
ON me. That was what l was waiting for
tonight. But something must have de-
talned himl"
He wandered on again, murmuring scraps
Of love talk and faint. half-uttered tender
ness.
'sThare "a no ma like vout Yes-vae-