Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-11-10
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of fear, and wonder, and hope was near
to being crowned with success-the work
should be undOne by so trifing an acci-
dent. She was like to despair.
But patience-patience- said to
herself. She had been warned, before
she had left Scotland, that it was no
light matter that lay before her. If she
was thrown back into prison, as it were,
at this moment, the door would be open
ed some day. And, indeed it was not
of her own liberty she was thinking-it
was the freedom of light and life and
cheerfulness that she had hoped to Sc
cure for this stricken and hapless crea-
ture whom fortune had not over-well
treated.
Her mother stirred, and instantly she
went to the bedside.
What does the doctor say, Yolande?"
she asked, apparently with some diff
Guilty.
Only what every one Sees" she said,
with such cheerfulness as was possible.
You have caught bad cold, and you
are feverish; but you must do everything
that we want you to do, and you will
fight it off in time"
What kind of a day Is it outsider
she managed to ask again.
1T is fine, but cold. There has been
some more snow in the night"
IF you wish to go out, go out, Yo-
lande. Don't mind me-"
But l am going to mind you, mother,
and nobody else. Here l am, here /
stay, till you are well again. You shall
have no other nurse"
"YOu will make yourself i'll, Yoande.
You must go out"
She was evidently speaking with great
difficulty.
Hush mother, hushm the girl said.
Il am going to stay with you. You
should not talk any more-it pains you,
does it not?"
"a little" And then she turned away
her head again. ''If 1 don't speak to
you, Yolande, don't think it is unkind of
me. II am not very well, think"
And so the room was given over to
silence again, ana the girl to anxious
| thoughts as to the future. She had re-
solved not to write to her father until
she should know more definitely. She
would not unnecessarily alarm him. At
| first, in her sudden alarm, she had
thought of summoning him at once; but
now she had determined to wait until the
doctor had seen her mother again. If
this were only a bad cold, and should
show symptoms of disappearing, then she
could send him reassuring message. At
present she was far too upset and anx-
ious and disturbed to carefully weigh
her expressions.
About noon Jane stole silently into
the room and handed her a letter and
| withdrew again. Yolande was startled
when she glanced at the handwriting,
and hastily opened the envelope. The
letter came from Inverness, and was dat
ed the morning of the previous day; that
was all she noted carefully-the rest
all at once, she ran her eyes over the
successive lines so rapidly, and with
such breathless agitation.
MY Dear Yolande," Jack Melville
| wrote, II shall reach Worthing lust
about the same time as this letter.
! am coming to ask you for a single word.
Archie Leslie has told me-quite casu-
ally, in letter about other things-that
you are no longer engaged to him; and
| have dared to indulge in some vague
hopes. Well, 1t Is for you to tell me to
put them aside forever, or to let them
remain, and see what the future has in
store. That is all. l don't wish to in
terfere with your duties of the moment
how should I?-but l cannot rest until
| ascertain from yourself whether or no
I lnply fnruyo nd TO
and hope. l am coming on the chance
of your not having left Worthing. Per
haps you may not have left. and l beg
of your kindness to let me see you, for
ever so short a time"
She quickly and quietly went to the
door and opened it. Her face was very
pale.
"Janew
The maid was standing Mt the window.
looking out; she Immediately turned and
came to her mistress.
"You remember Mr.. Melville who used
to come to the lodgeY'
"Oh, yes, miss"
"He will be in Worthing to-day
he will call here-perhaps soon. He will
ask to see me-well-you will tell him
mother is i'll. Tell him | am sorry-but
| cannot see him."
Then Yolande quietly slipped into the
room again-glancing at her mother. TO
see whether her absence had been no.
ticed; and her hand was clutchinp the
letter, and her heart beating violently.
1t was too terrible that he should arrive
at such a moment-amid this alarm and
anxiety. She could not bear the thought
of meeting him. And SO she sat In the
still and darkened room, listening with
sort of dread for the ring at the bell
below; and then picturing to herself his
going away; and then thinking of the
years to come.
This was what happened when Mel
vile came to the door. To begin with.
he was not at all sure that he should
find Yolande there, for he had heard
from Mrs. Bell that she and her mother