Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-07-24

", becoming aware OF the doctors
ruminant scrutiny, reused himself to
speak.
"If don't pull through this, doc
| tor"
Don't wor-r about that; you will"
But il 1 don't-I'm not afraid of
dying. I've been near it too often for
that; and yet, now, it seems harder
than it ever did before"
You'd better not talk. don't want
you to excite yourself"
"Not me! What l mean Is, it would
be hard luck to die on the way home.
I've been away nearly nine years. /
went away IS poor MS a rat, and I'm
coming back rich. That's something,
isn't it,"
Its a great deal"
ITO me 1t Is. didn't so out because
I'd got the gold fever -. It's
out to the Klondyke I've been, doctor;
away beyond Dawson City, up the
Yukon-Lord! it's the kind Of country
you see in nightmares. I've been see
ing it over anG over in Nightmares ever
since I've been ILL.,"
Don't think Of it"
II wish I couldn'tr' He laughed, but
there was feverish brightness in his
eyes. and his voice quavered with sup
pressed excitement Il haven't had
time to think OF it till now"
He went on talking, and Walden lis
tened absently, with strange doubts
troubling his mind; and, so listening.
he half-unconsciously fashioned from
the others words visions of vast snow
wastes stretching into the night or the
day, now silent and lonely ras death.
now blurred, and whirlfg, and howl
ing with the fury efs storm. and al.
ways deep in the aesolation Of it, des.
perate little band Of Adventures strug-
gled forloTnly. chasing a dream, starry
ing and falling, and dying, some Of
them, in the track Of it; and here. at
Hast, with the unimaginable terrors OF
that bleak wilderness left behind him.
| one of the few survivors had emerged
triumphant, with his dream realized.
Triumphant, so far.
The doctor eyed him gloomily from
| under a frown.
"And I'm not dead, though I'm sup
posed to be!' the other chuckled GRIM
ly. Zone everlasting, terrible winter
we were showed up miles away from
anywhere, and we were put down as
done for. The wonder is that we were
not. Only two of us managed to
heaven only knows where, and we
lived-well, we didn't live. But we
worried thtough-and I'm going home. =
His eyes closed, and he rambled on
dreamily: Mine years! but she'll be
waiting. I told her that it wouldn't
be more than two-and she said, It's
till you come, Ned; AMI if you never
come shall wait, till meet you, at
| the end"
He lay quiet moment, and then
opening his eyes and finding the doe
tor regarding him intently, he con-
| tinued:
We've never written to each other.
We promised her people we wouldn't
She was to be free to change, If she
would; they said 1t was best. / had 10
money and no prospects, but If 1 went
back rich man and she had not
| changed. - =. knew she never
would. Whether 1 lived or died, she
said she would never change-and she
won't"
Ibid you say your'name was Edwin
| AshtonP'
The doctor was startled by the alien
sound of his own voice.
The sick man nodded, and, pointing
across the cabin:
"Her portraits in my bag. DOCTOR"
he said. do you mind getting it fol
me? My willis in there. too. made IL
as soon as l struck my first luck, in
ask you, doctor, was-if / don't pull
round, will you have my bag and ev-
erything sent to her2 You'll find her
address"
Eyes, yes. But not now" Walden in
terrupted harshly. you've talked too
much already. +. Come along,
Barrow" he hailed the advent of the
steward with ineffable relief. "Call
/ me if lie is worse in the night"
/ He was dazed and stupefied by the
knowledge that had come upon him so
unexpectedly. and yearned to get away
and be alone where he might think
of 1t.
Yet he could not think of it even
when he was alone, for every thought
as it touched his brain famed into
madness and became an incoherent
flicker that dazzled and bafled him.
One thought only burned to clear
and fiercely steady blaze-a sinister,
diabolical thought that he dared not
| face. and could not extinguish.
"My Godv' he muttered, pacing his
| cramped room like Gagged animal.
Its more than 1 can bearI''
He lost all count of time, as a man
does when he sleeps, but when the
steward summoned him hurr.edly al
hour after. midnight he bad evidently
not been in bed; a light was burning
in his cabin, he was still dressed, and
his face was wan and his eyes heavy
as if In pain.
"Mr Ashton's worse. sir. Edwards
is with him, and he called me to fetch
YOU. He cant Sleep Keeps sitting.up.
Edwards says. staring as II he could
see people, an talking very siRg'lar.
| Delirious. expect sir.
I'VE must try a sleeping draught, =
said Walden duly. IN be there di.
rectly."
Barrow being gone, he busted him-
self in the medicine cupboard end
hastened after him, carrying something
in glass.
Drawing near to 10. 1G he could hear
the sick man babbling monotonously.
and the very sound OF his voice stung
him and Quickened that fire to a
fiercer fame within him; till suddenly
he caught word Of what tlle man was
saying merely name, but the utter
ance Of it checked him Instantly. as il a