The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-01-28

strange nurse standing on eitner siuel
The nurse said softly: ut is case OF
double pneumonia" The doctor an
swered slowly: "Yes, with heart COM
pllcatlons." Through days Of wearl-
ness and suffering through all the diff
ferent stages of that fell disease were
passed. Conscious, calm, without fear;
patient, willingly waiting for the dread
messenger, yet never even remember
ing the apparitlon on that April day.
Devoted and dearly beloved daughters
were near. Nothing ever seemed to
give warmth; she was like one cold and
already dead. Friends Of old brought
rare, sweet flowers.
The days of the crisis had come; q
strange solemnity reigncd in the sick
room and In the house. Mrs. Kendall
appeared waiting for the final end.
Suddenly she said In n whisper: II
would like to see Father NJ" who had
Just called TO make n sympathetic in.
quiry. When he came again Mrs. Ken.
dali astonished every one by saying
that she wished to join the Catholic
Church. Doctor and nurse were con-
suited. Things were quickly prepared
and faithful Catholic friend knelt be-
side the bedside of the dying, lighted
candles in hand; extreme unctlon, the
last sad rite of the church, was admin
istered; the solemn words of the credo
were repeated, and Mrs. Kendall
seemed to pass over and beyond this
| life. But as she sank into that deep slum-
her, n sweet, clear voice, like that Of
thrush, sang low and tender song.
Mrs. Kendall felt instiactivcly that,
instead of dying she was called back
| to this life. Suddenly the Nisiors
changed; large imposing figure ap'
peared, stern of countenance, yet with
something sanity about him, rs II by
magic the epoch was the ante-bellum
days; all was action; droves of slaTts
went by quickly; evll-faced men came;
gold was lying around; through the
room was carried young girl with
long. floating black hair-a door seemed
to open where none had been before.
| The men who went in came out hur.
rledly, and one had blood on his ha ids.
They had look of Cain in their nalf
averted eyes; they accused each other,
few whispered words, then they
shook hands, over what was bloody
compact. The elder said: at had to be
done! the bloodhounds were after us;
we were nearly traced here, and this
house VIII be watched. We must run
for our lives" The elder man, more
cautious, more devlish, made answer:
"Here we stay; we must ward Off sus-
plcion. 1 have money; we will share
both danger and money" But" said
the other, "you made a mistake in the
grill I tell you, this one is old Colonel
Fairworth's daughter; the other was
the mulatto." Shivering with fear,
the other replied: "Where did you put
herr" "She is on that low bed, with
the ropes"
All this Mrs. Kendall saw and heard
The strange, strong face saddened
and only allowed a little more to be
shown. A great turmoil arose over
the disappearance of Miss Fairworth.
and the broken-hearted old father,
coming daily to tell his grief to the
murderer, offering everything; half,
yes, all his fortune to find even trace
of his idolized daughter, because, he
thought, a man who knew so many
people might learn something.
The murderer, sitting in terror,
obliged to listen and always afraid OF
his cowardly companion in crime. An
answer came, as IL to a question. "Yes,
murder will out; great storm will
rend these walls; the secret room will
be brought to light, the skeleton and
nothing but the long black hair Of all
the beauty left to tell the tale"
And the cowardly murderers? They
shall be forever burdened with their
crime! poor, abandoned and craZed by
hunger, they shall bring out the truth.
Then Mrs. Kendall came back to life;
the doctor spoke: "The crisis has
passed" 1t was near twilight; flowers
were on the windowsill. The daugh.
ters came in softly on tiptoe, saying,
Mamma, 1t is us; You are here. Now,
1t Is the twilight of lovely May day,
Some time you will be well enough to
be outdoors and drive with your friend,
Mrs. A." The nurse came to the bed
with such look of relief. Mrs. Ken.
dall whispered, "How long did sleep?"
"a little over forty minutes" said the
nurse as she looked at her watch.
"What Is the magic that gives
dreams the mighty power to annihilate
time and space"
Mrs. Kenda'rs family while living In
the country were somewhat the vic
tins of terrible storm that carried
destruction everywhere.
Mrs. Kendall's first thought was to
come to the old house in Washington
and see what havoc had been wrought.
She did so. AS she drove up it was
as she surmised; that cracked sidewalk
had gone down, and, as one of the
workmen said who was trying to re-
pair damages: "This old house ought
to have been utterly destroyed. Many
crimes were committed there. Why.
there was a room that had been walled
up; In 1t we found skeleton; 1t must
have been q woman, for there was lot
| ne Ioper hfo oIy boir. 7 ,aoiyot, ca,,a Jno