Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-18
HE slipped the curtain and looked out :"

looked out. The man still stood watching
in the driveway. Gordon had never been
at such loss as to his best course OF ac-
ton. He was absolutely courageous. but
here he was unarmed, and he could have
no reasonable doubt that If he should go
out, he would be Immediately shot. In such
a case, what of the woman upstairs? And.
moreover, what Of James and Clemency?
He thought Of any available weapon, but
there was nothing except his own stick.
That was stout. 1t was true. but could he
be quick enough with It? His mad impulse
to rush out unarmed except with that pal
try thing could hardly be restrained but he
had to think of other lives besides his own.
He began to think that the only solution
Of the matter was the return of Aaron
alone. The watching man would imme-
diately realize that he had made some mis-
take; that he. Gordon. was in the house,
or had been left at the home Of patient.
He could have no possible reason for mo-
Testing the man. He would probably slip
aside into a shadow. then make his way
back to the road In such case Gordon
determined that he and Aaron would fol-
low him to make sure that no harm came
to James and C1emency. So Gordon stood
motonless waiting. in absolute silence, ex-
cept for the frequently recurring mutter OF
fear and rage of the dog. AS time went on
he became more and more uneasy. 1t
seemed to him finally that Aaron should
have been back long before. He moved
stealthily across the room, and consulted
his watch by the low light Of the hearth
fire. Aaron had been gone an hour. He
should have returned for the mare was a
good roadster when she did not balk. Cor
don shook his head. He began to be al
most sure that the mare had baked. He
returned to the window. His every nerve
was on the alert. The moment that James
and Clemency should drive into the yard.
he made ready to spring, but the horrible
fear lest 1t should be entirely unavailing
haunted him. If only Aaron would come.
Then the man would slip into cover of the
shadows and steal out into the road. and
Gordon would jump into the buggy, and he
and Aaron would follow him. He knew
the man well enough to be sure that he
would never venture an attack upon James
and Clemency with witnesses. If only
Aaron would come! Gordon became surer
that the mare had baked. He vowed
within himself that she should be shot the
next day If she had. Every moment he
thought he heard the sound of wheels and
horses hoofs. His nervous tension became
something terrible. Once he thought of
stealing through the house. and out by the
front door, and walking to meet James and
Clemency, SO as to warn them. But that
would leave the helpless woman upstairs
alone. He dared not do that.
He thought then of going to the front OF
the house, and watching there and en-
deavoring to intercept James and Clemency
before they turned into the driveway. But
he felt that he could not for one second re-
lax his watch upon the watching man. and
he had no guarantee whatever that at the
first sound Of wheels, the man himself
would not make for the front OF the house.
Then he thought, as always, of not dis
turbing the sick woman whose room faced
the road. 1t seemed to him that his only
course was to remain where he was and
walt for the return Of Aaron before James
and Clemency. He knew now that the
horse must have baked. His only hope
was that James and Clemency, since it was
such a fine night. and time is so short for
lovers, might take such long drive that
even the balky mare might relent. Always
he heard at intervals the trot OF the horse,
which only existed in his imag ination He
began to wonder If he should know when
Aaron. or Clemency and James. actually
did drive into the yard, if he SHOULD be
dog; that he would follow him, and Of
what might happen. The dogs chain-leash
was on the table. He stole across. got it,
fastened 1t to the animals collar. and
made the end secure in a staple which he
had had fixed in the wall for that purpose.
AS yet no intention OF injury to the man
except in seH-defense was in his mind. II
actually attacked he must defend himself,
of course, but he wished more than any
thing to drive the intruder away with no
collision. That was what he hoped for.
The time went on, and the strain upon the
doctors nerves was nearly driving him
mad. Sometimes the mare baked for
hours. He began to hope that Aaron would
leave her and return home on foot. That
would settle the matter. But he remem-
bered a strange trait Of obstinacy in Aaron.
He remembered how he had once actually
sat all night In the buggy when the mare
balked. The man baked as we'll as the
horse. The damned fool" he muttered
to himself in an agony. The dog growled
thought came to Gordon o. what might
be done to save them all. He stood aghast
with the horror Of 1t. He was essentially
man OF peace himself. unless driven to
but there was In his heart, along with
strength. utter goodwill and gsntieness