Courier Democrat., 1904-11-17

II " iueSSS!iSGl OoN SlQluDleu up
n"5 the front steps of Mere
(sSa$k@ ditE's house and handed
the colored servant four yellow cn-
velopes. night messages. The man
carried them upstairs. left three With
his masters guest, then knocked on
Meredith's door till response as
sured him that the occupant was
awake and slid the fourth envelope
under the door. Meredith lay quite
without motion for several minutes,
sleepily watching the yellow rhomboid
in the crevice. 1t was Il hateful looking
thing to mix itself in with pleasant
dream and insist on being read, but
after while he climbed groaningly out
of bed and perused the message with
heavy eyes. still half asleep. He read it
twice before it penetrated.
Suppress all newspapers today. Con-
vention meets at H. If we succeed.
delegation will come to Rouen this after
noon. They will come. HELEN.
Tom rubbed his sticky eyelids and
shook his head violently in Il Spartan
effort to rouse himself, but what more
effectively performed the task for him
were certain sounds that issued from
Harkless' room across the hall. For
some minutes Meredith had been duly
conscious of a rustic and stir in the
invaliti's chamber, and he began to
realize that no mere tossing upon a
bed would account for noise that
reached him across wide hall and
through two closed doors of thick wal
nut Suddenly he heard quick. heavy
tread, shod, in Harkless' room. and
resounding bang as some heavy object
struck the floor. The doctor was not
to come till evening. The servant had
gone downstairs. Who in the sick
mans room wore shoes? He rushed
across the hall in his pajamas and
threw open the unlocked door.
The bed was disarranged and va
cant. Harkless. fully dressed, was
standing in the middle of the floor
hurling garments at small trunk.
The Mortified Meredith stood for see
ond bleached and speechless; then he
rushed upon his friend and seized him
with both hands.
Mad, by heaven! Mad!"
LET go Of me, Tom.'
"Lunatic! Lunaticw
"Don't stop me one instant"
Meredith tried to force him toward
the bed. mo; get back to bed. You're
delirious. boy"
"Delirious nothing! I'm we'll
man."
"Go to bed! Go to bed.'
Harkless set him out of the way
with one arm. Ito bed" he cried.
"rln going to Plattville..'
Meredith wrung his hands, The
DOCTOR
Doctor be hanged..''
"What in the name of all that's ter.
rible is the matter, John:''
His companion slung light overcoat.
unfolded, on the overhowing, mis-
shapen bundle of clothes that lay in
the trunk, then he jumped on the lid
with both feet and kicked the hasp into
the lock, while very elegantly laun.
dered cuff and shirt sleeve dangled out
from under the fastened lid. II haven't
one second to talk, Tom; have eight.
cen minutes to catch the express. It's
more than mile to the station, and
the train leaves here at 9:O2:: get
there at 1O:47. Telephone cab for
ME, please, or tell me the number.
don't want to stop to hunt it up"
Meredith looked him in the eyes. In
| the pupils Of Harkless flared q fierce
light. His cheeks We're reddened with
an angry, healthy glow, and his teeth
were clinched till the line of his Jaw
stood out like that of an embattled
. athlete. His brow was dark, his chest
was thrown out, and lie took deep.
quick breaths. His shoulders were
squared, and in spite of his thinness
they booked massy. Lethargy or ma
laria, or both-whatever his ailment-
wrath and cold resolution.
Tom said. "You are going:'
| Yes" be answered quietly. II am
going"
Then will go with you.''
+! THANK you. Tom" said Harkless
| simply.
Meredith ran into his room. pressed
an electric button and began to dive
into his clothes with a painting rapidity
astonishingly foreign to his desire. The
colored man appeared in the doorway.
1.-The cart, Jimv' shouted his master.
1--WE want it like lightning. Tell the
cook to give Mr. Harkless his breakfast
in hurry. Set a cup of coffee on the
table by the front door for me. Run.
We've got to catch a train. That viii!
be quicker than any cab." he explained
to Harkless. Well break the ordi-