Newport daily independent., 1903-04-10

coat, having just diyested himself of his dressing-gown.
 Brenda, my love, l will take care of Mogul."
 Papa, dear, l can put him up just as well. You have on your slippers, and the ground is so cold! Remem- Der your cough. Pray go back"
 But the doctor still came on.
 i've just had application by letter to take another patient, Brenda"
 At this time of year?"
 'Yes. A gentleman, who, through a severe cold, has quite lost his voice. He wishes to put himself in my care, and, therefore, is coming here"
 "When?"
 q don't know exactly"
 Not until can get woman in the kitchen, hope. I'll send to the city tomorrow"
 But now came the greatest trouble of Brenda's life. Her father was at tackled with congestion of the lungs that night, and only his own presence of mind in directing Brenda, and the
 
 life.
 Toward the third evening she saw her fathers heavy eyes wistfully reading her pale face.
 "Steep some hops and make tea for me to drink, and I shall sleep to- night he whispered, for louder speech was extremely painful.
 ''Yes, father"
 She knew of old this simple and eff fectual remedy. It was a happy thought of her fathers, and she i'm mediately prepared to obey him.
 It's nourishment and soothing in- | huence soon had healthful effect on him, and, with few last directions for the night, he composed himself | to a night of natural rest.
 Her own room was half flight of stairs down to the ground floor. 1t joined the pretty south parlor, and was so situated that the slightest sound in her fathers room could be heard there. Feeling the need of sleep, and knowing that she could rest more satisfactorily in her own DCd ltldll Oli lllC ItCpl LCI Ael ther, Brenda arranged the lights, left the doors open-the house being evenly warmed-and stole down to her own room. By this time it was nine o'clock, and very dark night.
 She was aroused by sound as if the front door were gently, almost cautiously, tried or shaken. With hound Sb., ,N,oc, C,, baT
 With burning cheeks and a fast beating heart, she listened.
 Meanwhile, she could not see her hand before her, the rooms were so dark. She stood quite still in the cen ter of the apartment, trying to sum mon her resources.
 She had none. If the person try ing to get into the house were bur glar or a murderer, or some crazed being, what could she do? Scarcely anything.
 But they shall not harm father!"
 The girl spoke aloud. Then, gath ering the soft folds of her wrapper from about her naked white feet, she moved out of the room into the parlor, and found one of the front windows with her hands. Not ray came from the sable sky, but in a large square of light, made outside by her fathers lamp upon the frozen ground, stood the figure of a young man.
 He was clearly young, for he stood looking mp at the windows of the chamber, thus revealing every fea- | ture. Hands and face were frozen pale, and then Brenda's eyes dilated in involuntary horror-a slight, slow movement showed red line along his neck.
 For moment the girls head swan. Then out of the stiffness of | the house voices seemed to mock in her ears and her vision grew blinded. For above her stood the ghostly wis itor from whom Patty had fled.
 It was swift conviction. Then, without sign or warning, the figure | disappeared, and Brenda stood in the silence, listening to her own heavy heart -beats-her very brain on fire.
 For an hour she waited, hardening to every sound, but all continued un- disturbed, and at last, forcing her almost paralyzed limbs to move, she started from her position and dragged herself up to her fathers | room.
 He was still sleeping, sweetly. Trembling, yet resisting her fear, Brenda stood watching him, glad of even his unconscious presence.
 Then, having unconsciously dis missed from her mind the idea of burglars, she lay down on the couch beside the bed, and lay wide-eyed and thoughtful until morning.
 The doctor, much better the next day, found the girl very silent and pale. She made no complaint of any weariness or trouble, but when he urged her to go to the village for