Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-31

friend airily. Il should not be surprised
II they cut you Up. to provoke you to do
better still next time. We will laugh at
them together after supper, and / dare
say L can tell you what buffers wrote
some of Them
Rupert is far too excited to eat any
supper, though for politeness' sake he
defers his reading, and Sister Jean. with
an apprehensNe glance at Gerald, leaves
the table and goes into the kitchen to
beat up ar egg in some port wine.
You cannot live on battery she says
brightly, and all the pretty Things they
say to YOU will not make YOU sleep to-
night as good supper would do"
Who wants to aleep?" he says galy
There will be plenty of time for that
when we have done our work. Gerald"
he adds, turning sharply upon his friend
don't touch them. please; | want to see
them all. am not Il bit tired tonight"
Gerald puts back the one or two papers
which he has taken from the pile
Young writer's are always like that"
he says coolly. You'd never read re-
views if once YOU knew the ignorant fell
lows that write them. \ man whose only
idea of rhyme is love and dove will tell
You that Milton is shallow and Shake
speare absurdly over-estimatcd"
Rupert is not listening. With the hcc-
tic scarlet burning in his checks he is
already turning tie pages Of thick
quarterly, and Gerald moves to chair
beside his couch While the anxious little
wife and her friend clear the table.
oh, never mind putting things away"
Cissy cries quickly, as JEANNE begins I'M
loading the tray. Come along and hear
what they say"
At that instant her name is called in
sharp. hoarse cry, and she dies back to
the sitting room to be net by u CHASTITY
sight. Rupert has apparently half started
up on his couch in violent paroNysm of
coughing; his thin hands beat the air as
he fights and struggles for breath, and
before she can reach him Il stream of
blood gushes from his painting lips and he
falls back on his cushions, as ii already
dead
Between the excitement and the cough
ing he has broken blood vessel, and
though when the flow ceases he lies quite
conscious, though exhausted, it is plain
to the most inexperienced eyes that the
end is not far Off
Cissy is stunned. All that has to be
done is managed for her by her two
staunch friends, while she crouches close
to her husbands side. her hand in his,
gazing i'll agony on the beautiful dtathly
face.
1t is Gerald who in an incredibly short
space of time brings the doctor who lives
near 1t is Gerald who tears hther and
thither for remedies and restoratiyes:
wi HI h.,s l.,
found in the small establishment and
which may possibly be wanted 1t is
JEANNE who takes possession of the in
valid and with dexterity born of long
practice does all that is necessary to
make him comfortable Gerald notices
that even before the doctor glances at his
patient he looks with EVIDENT satisfaction
at her bending figure.
You here, Sister jean he says cheer
lily. oh that is capital"
Not IA ghost of chance he pro
nounced plainly, when his brief cXamina-
ton is over and he has gone into the next
room with Gerald. The only wonder is
that it has not happened before. What
caused it-haye You any idea"
Gerald's dark face is pale and set; the
doctor thinks he must be some near reIa-
ton of poor, dying Rupert, and wishes lie
had spoken less abruptly.
Yes. / was with him" Barclay SAYS
mechanically. Gle was reading critiqnc
on his poetry. which sncered at the
author as conceited and at the verse as
vapid. | tried to get it away. but he
clutched at it and started up, and then
his cough came on and did the mischief. ;"
Poor lad, poor lad. So far as he is CON
cerned it is a mcrciful ending; he is
spared some weeks of suffering. But that
poor child. Excuse me. are you related
10 him ," Gerald shakes his head. TO
her perhaps"
NO, to neither. I only know them
through Miss Carlyle"
All" SAYS the doctor retlcctively "A
woman in a thousand. She'll stay the
night of course"
As he speaks JEANNE comes in with
her arms full of books and knick- knacIls
She has cleared away all supcrfluous arti-
Giles from the table, which il now wanted
for other things Her face is pale. but
her lips are firm. and there are no tears
in her shreWd clear eyes as she looks up
at the doctors face
"You will come again" She says inter
negatively.
Certainly shall
"Cissy will be glad to think after
wards-that We did everything possible
JEANNE says sadly. she does not realize
anything now"
When lie is gone Sister Jean turns to
her right hand man. who has supported
her 50 well through this terrible emer-
gency.
1t is very late, are you going home 2"
she asks. in the soft, subdued tone they
all involuntarily use, though their voices
cannot penetrate into the sick room.
Not if | can be OF any use. 1t IS about
eleven"
You might take a note home for me.
if it is not asking too much Mrs Hall
day knew was coming here and may be
anxious