Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-09-01

faces of old friends, my husbands
amongst them"
/ viii warm the broth at once. IT
Is That that you want, and | win put
teaspoonIul OF brandy in it, as the doc
TOR SAID l was 10 if you had the sinking
feeling"
no brandy, my dear. hate the
taste OF it. but | will have the broth and
then try and 90 to sleep again"
In few minutes the broth was heated
and LAZY Hammersly again composed
herself to sleep.
The interruption had aroused Ella.
The fire was burning up cheerily, and the
room looked less d. small
''She win be all right soon," she muir
INJURED. And shall have only one more
night alone with her. Afterwards the
regular nurse will take my place, and
then shall not be troubled by these
dreadful thoughts"
She once more made a valiant attempt
to read, but this time sleep overlook
her, all unawares. Her head sank back,
the book slid from between her fingers,
and she slept-slept but to be awakened
by feeble cry from the bed.
She was awake and by Lady Ham
mersly's side in moment.
The brandy, child" murmured the
sick woman. "I-I--I-" and with half
closed eyes she sank back ON the pillow.
Ella FASTENED back to the table and
took up the green phial the doctor had
given her that morning.
SO far she had acted ON impulse, but
even as she drew the glass stopper and
held the little green bottle over the wine
glass she regained her mental balance.
The moment had arrived the coming of
which had haunted her all day long. At
first she had but vaguely realized the
power She held in her hand, but later on
the shadow had darkened into substance.
If Lady Hammersly, her benefactress,
lived, IL hundred chances stood between
her and possession of Quinton. Lady
Hammersly dead, and she was as good
as mistress of the place--onc short
month and her hand might close on it.
With one finger tip placed on the mouth
of the phial she waited a few terrible
moments, but, before the clock had licked
away a quarter of n minute, she had re-
placed the bottle, its contents undis-
turbed, on the table, and had filled the
glass half full of water, adding few
drops of water to flavor it.
The latter was. however useless pre-
caution. Blanche Hammersly was past
the power of distinguishing the flavor of
anything. With some trouble Ella made
her swallow the contents of the glass,
or rather part of it, and then, turning
quickly away, resumed her seat at the
fire. With elbows planted on the table,
I i 4. 81. l. l.
deaden the sound of any last struggle or
possible cry for help that might come
from the bed. she waited, with her eyes
fixed on the clock. She marked the hand
steal from the quarter to the half hour,
and move onward for another five min
utes. Then she slowly-very slowly
rose to her feet and moved towards the
bed, stopping over the motionless figure.
A minute later she was back at the
table, letting fall carefully. but with
| hand that shook, ten drops from the
green phial into a glass. This she threw
away amongst the coal. Another mo-
ment the bell rang upstairs in the
h0usekeeper's room. There was the hur-
rying of slipperless feet, ghost-like fig.
ures fitted along the corridor and en-
tered the sick room. A few minutes
more and groom was galloping into the
village and Ella, looking more lovely
than ever with her rich hair falling in
masses upon her shoulders, was whisper
ing to Harry Charlton at the door with
tears in her eyes. And he pitied her;
pitied also the kind hearted woman that
was gone, and yet. in spite of himself
there was a glow in his heart when he
Remembered that now he was lord OF
Quinton and master of his future fate
He pressed Elias hand, their eyes met
and she read in his that what had been
done had not been done in vain