Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-03-09
CHAPTER XXvI.-tContinued.)
She was uying.

Ooulu any one OF those who watched
her doubt 1t? For the first day, indeed.
II seemed as though the bitterness of
death was already over. But with the
deceitfulness of the disease which con-
sumed her, she rallied. She came back
TO lie, and to a certain amount of
strength; she was able to be dressed and
20 SIT propped with cushions in an arm
chalr, before the fire. A bright color
tlnged her wax like cheeks, her eyes
shone and glowed with a strange prefer
natural brilliancy, and yet she was going
to die, they all knew it; it was death
robbed of all his horrors, death clad in
beautiful and altogether wonderful
garment, but it was death all the same.
hepplngton Hall was a changed
house. Instead of solitude and silence
and desolate empty rooms, there were the
hushed steps of many feet along the pas
sages, and fires in many rooms, where the
Gaddened little group of friends, who had
rallied about her, had taken up their
quarters, meaning to remain by her till
the end, or at least until her husband
should come to her. To find Brian was
the difficulty. RosamOnd, who had seen
him last, only knew that he had return
ed TO London, and only hoped that he
might be there still. The house in
Lowndes Square was shut up. Roy
could think of no better plan than to
telegraph to his club. They did so, but
no answer came. The telegram lay there
a whole day, then the lawyers clerk
called and fetched it, together with sew
eral letters, and took it round to his
masters office. The lawyer found it the
following morning. According to his In
structions from his client, he opened it;
then being altogether shocked by its i'm
fcrt and fearing to deal too sudden q
blow to the husband, he telegraphed the
substance out to Mentone, not to Des-
mond, but to his cousin, Edgar Raikes.
A great deal of all too precious time was
thus wasted while this took place.
At Keppington they watched and wait
ed, longing for news. Poor Mrs. Succur-
den's dismay and CONSERVATION, upon
learning that the little maid whom she
had bullied and scolded, was no other
than the wife of her master, was most
pitiable. She lamented her blindness,
and walled over her past conduct in a
fashion that was almost ludicrous More
especially was her remorse great in the
matter of the broken crystal goblet.
ITO think" she cried, that / should
have been so dreadfully angry at her
breaking that glass goblet, when all the
time it was her own, and she was free
to smash it into powder if she chose, and
nobody dare say word!
Il would not be so very unhappy at
that Mrs SnonnrInr
who happened to be the recipient of her
complaints. 1T was certainly not your
fault that Mrs. Desmond chose to fill so
humble a position in her husbands
house; it is no use regretting the past;
what we have to do now is to see if by
any chance we can save her poor frail
life now"
But though Rosamond spoke brightly
and hopefully, she did not believe In her
own words. As Roy entered the octa-
gon roOm bearing the small, frail form
that was but a feather weight in his
arms, she felt that it was impossible
that in anything so white and fragile the
flame Of life should ever blaze up again
into vitality.
Tenderly and gently Roy put her down
III lHC DIS ullcu Will CuSU-
ions, that had been prepared for her.
She smiled at him gratefully, but for
some moments she was too exhausted to
speak. Her breath came quick and
short, her head sank back wearily
against the pillows, and her thin little
hand, which she lifted for moment
between herself and the fire, fell back
again nervelessy into her lap. Roy,
standing a moment behind her with wild
anxious eyes fastened upon her, felt all
at once that he could not bear the sight.
There came great choking lump in his
throat, a singing in his ears, and
binding mist before his eyes. He turned
away swiftly and noselessly, and left
the room.
Presently Kitten looked up. No one
was with her but Rosamond. Mrs.
Earle knelt in front of her chair upon
the hearth rug, the red fire glow shone
upon her beautiful face, and upon the
pitiful, tender eyes which she bent upon
the sick girl.
A little while ago, perhaps, Kitten
might have been startled at the sight of
her, she might have shrunk away, turn
jealousy. But she was past all that
now. Nothing surprised her or seemed
wonderful now, nothing even distressed
her. She looked at her steadfastly, with
those strange eyes, that Rosamond had
likened to human soul, and then glanc-
ed upward to where the colored minia-
ture of handsome Rosamond Gray, in
her dropping beaver hat and feather
smiled down happily upon the two wom-
en- who had held Brian Desmond's heart
between them.
"You are Mrs. EarleT she said softly.
For all answer Rosamond lifted the
wasted fingers for a moment to her lips.
"And you love BrianT
"My dear, all that is past long, long
ago. Do not trouble yourself about it."
she murmured soothingy.
"Is love ever past" Kitten said
dreamily. almost to herself