Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-24

lips told the story. Jim gathered the light
Ola pody In his arms, ealing to the serv-
anus, as ne carried him into the bed room,
and laid him down on the bed tina I had been
ms, BOY and man. now to be his deathbed
Inc lean gray face was horribly distorted
ana only the stertorous breathing told that
he lived at all
Jim walked down the avenue with the
ooctor, Just as the dawn came upon the
east. He listened duly to the verdict
49,, me colonel will never be the same again.
ihis may pass to a certain extent and
ne may recover the use of his body, but he
never Will be able to resume business and
any sudden shock may kill him. Other
WISE ne may live for years in little better
you, jim. my boy. I've known him many a
year We were boys together, and 1 know
she kernel Is sweet and sound under the
rough old husk. God bless you and help
you, lad And the doctor drove away
In the growing light as Jim stood staring
after him.
Never be able to transact business
again. The words sent possible ray of
iight upon his problem. He glanced up at
the house. Jack, his fathers old servant,
mad mounted guard at the bedside. There
was nothing for him to do. He saddled the
gray horse and rode out the avenue.
God may have made a better. surely
never fairer. land than Kentucky; Ken
lucky, when the pulse Of the spring beats
high and the hills lift up their heads to
skies as blue as those Of Italy. Jim rode
came down from high gray cliffs. laden
with the sweetness Of the wild grape,
blown across the blooming orchards Of the
valley Flashes of scarlet. brilliant
winged his way across the meadows; a
flicker of blue high up in the masses of
dogwood; the clear thin note piercing
sweet above the symphony of bees among
the wild plum thickets-alI this was Ken
lucky. He turned into the beechen woods
where the first rays of sun were drifting
down In little pools of feathery light be-
tween the branches There he tied his
horse and stood looking down the hill,
where a tall, red farmhouse, many win
dowed. stood in the midst of Its orchards
The futter of white curtain, and he
flashed back his signal with the bright
red scarf that he tore from his neck.
Presently girl came up the woodland
path. and Jim's sad face broke into sudden
sunshine as he caught her in his arms
for brief instant, then stood, looking
heavy with unshed tears. The unspoken
sympathy in their depths was very sweet
to him. Lovers skies are never entirely
dark so long as the two are together
who told you, dear?' he questioned.
''Dr. Mounds met father in the road a
few minutes ago; and that is not all. OH!
Jim, is there never any end to trouble once
1t commences? Last night father told me
that he had heard of our meetings-Some
one has told hm-and when l told him the
truth. he would not even listen to me. Jim,
did you ever know why your father and
mine have hated each other all these years?
1t was because they both loved my mother;
she had been your fathers little sweethea
when they were children, and they had had
a foolish quarrel, and she married father
But that is not all the reason. He has
promised old Rob Waltham that I shall
marry him, and Jim-it is so hard to tell
you-he has bought that mortgage on your
fathers place. 1t was settled last night,
and he threatens to foreclose it If l do not
consent to marry Mr.. Waltham."
so Johnson has sold us out?'' Jim's eyes
darkened with sudden resolve. He knew
that Ellis would do much to put his men
into the old field. 1t was no longer a ques-
ton of bubbles. He had intended to talk
the matter over with Alice, but now-he
would not trouble her with more problems
Ten days later James Lawrence was APP
pointed custodian of his father estate and
person, and scarcely month elapsed be-
fore the first derrick was planted In the
old field.
Up in the farmhouse the colonel lay, a
dead man to all intents and purposes, ex-
cept for the brilliant dark eyes that fol-
lowed Jim with a yearning gaze. Jim
moved through those busy care-tilled days
man whose daily life and his inner
self are things apart. He dared not think.
The sight of that wan old face with its
wistful watching eyes a continual &C
cusation while the din of machinery over
in the old field seemed fairly to thunder its
way to the quiet room where the colonel
lay. He saw nothing of the outside world
even the stolen trysts with Alice Gray were
few and far between. His one consolation
was the thought that right or wrong he
had removed the lever by which her father
could have forced her TO his will
At the close of a sultry August day, Jim