Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-01

and this evening especially. in spite of the
blazing glories of the low sun, there was
that crystalline clearnesS in the air which
usually led on to frost when its direct rays
were withdrawn For the house stood
high and exposed on those gray-purple
heathered hills of Caithness not seeking
protection from followed and sheltered val
ley or screen of trees. and the rigors of cold
and frost were felt there without abate-
ment.
The table laid for dinner In one corner, a
desk Uttered with correspondence and
woman's nook near the fireplace, all in the
same big room, gave the impression of en-
campment and of Temporary and unex-
pected habltation. and this was borne out
also by the holland sheetings which had
not been removed from the big glass chan
deler that hung from the middle of the
ceiling and still enveloped the larger ar
ticles of furniture All pointed to sud-
den and not abiding stay, as II the occu-
pants of the house were content with the
necessities of life and dispensed with it's
habitual adornments. Such indeed was the
case, for Lord Thurso and his sister had ar
rived here suddenly two evenings ago. pre-
ceded by a telegram only to the caretaker
to make room or two no more than habit
able, she merely to keep him company and
deliver him from the tedium and detection
of solitary evenings after what must be
anxious and depressing days. For in the
village of Stratton. a mile below the lodge,
there had broken out scourge of typhoid,
sudden and virulent, and since the village,
like everything else within this wide hori-
zon, was part of Thurso's estate. it had
seemed to him, clearly and without ques-
ton, to be his business to leave town and
come up here to what possible
to stop this pestilence and do what could
be done to bring relief to the homes al
ready stricken with II. Lady Thurso, how
ever. though her name and active support
were ever at the service of charitable
schemes, had not In the least seen her way
to accompanying him. II Thurso thought
he had better go, why by all means he
must do So but there was clearly no useful
end to be served by her going with him.
For herself. she did not see what object
was to be gained by his going since he
had already telegraphed orders to his agent,
a careful. sensible man. to do all that the
doctors wished done, but she was aware
that she and Thurso often looked on this
sort of question with different eyes, and
had no more attempted to dissaude him
from going than he had attempted to per-
suade her to come with him. But 1t had
seemed perfectly clear to Maud that Thurso
could not go all by himself, and without in
the least criticsing either openly men,
tally his wifes refusal TO go with him, she
had merely taken her place. Indeed. she
had scarcely offered her companionship:
she had just Joined him at early dinner
before driving to Kings Cross to catch the
night mail and go north with him.
The state of things which they had found
on their arrival seemed to them both to
Justify his coming A panic-terror. such as
is only possible among ignorant, unedu-
Gated folk. who are naturally healthy and
know Httle OF Illness anu ulstdse, Hdu SSiZeu
the village at this sudden 81 liking down
Of the strongest and healthiest among them.
Mixed with il. too, was distrust and fear
OF doctors, arising from that same ignorance
and the inability to believe that il could
be right when a man was Frustrated by
the exhaustion of a mortal weakness pro-
duced by the fever TO deny him morsel
OF meat a crust of solid food. Doctors
were there and nurses, but it was not the
medical attendance. but the obedience to
the orders of nurses and doctors that had
been so difficult to enforce. And II was
for this purpose that Lord Thurso found
at once that he had been right In coming.
since a word from him did more than
dozen orders from a doctor. For feudal
obedience. In spite of distrust of doctors,
was on his side, and now that the laird
ranged himself on the side of the doctors.
who ordered windows to be opened when
all folk OF common sense would be inclined
TO shut every chink and Granny by which
the air might enter and give cold" to the
patient, and forbade solid food to be given,
though the puir body was crying out half
the NIGHT for bit of bread" 1t was neces-
sary to follow these incomprehensible de-