The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-08-31
CHAPTER x.-continued.

CHAH %.-ICnCInueO.
He was heartily glad when the serv-
ice was over, when the casket had been
lowered into the grave, when the viii
lage hearse had turned off into a street,
the horse going at sharp trot, and he
and DR.. Gordon were left alone. He
drove. Gordon sat hunched into cor
ner of the buggy, as he had sat in a cor
ner Of the hotel parlor. James hesitated
about saying an ything, but finally he
spoke, he felt foolishly enough, altho
he meant the words to be comforting.
"You did all you could to save his
life,' he said,~
Gordon made no reply.
When they reached the house, Glenn
ency's head disappeared from the win
dow, where she had evidently been
watching. She met them at the office
expression on her little face. James
kissed, her furtively, while Gordon's
hack was turned, as he Invested him
self of his gray coat.
"Dinner is nearly ready,' Clemency
sa!9 On a Is sEtates asked Ee5fe Gordon then
before she had time to reply, he added
almost roughly. "What- on earth are
you fretting about9"
81 am not fretting,' Clemency an
swered in weak little voice.
"There is nothing in all this for you
to to concern conc y 70 " with Put it out
eyes, Uncle TOm.'
elbow is she9'
"She has been asleep all the after
noon.''
s'She has not had another attack"
emo, Uncle Tom.'
'>' Then the dinner bell rang.
To James surprise, but everything
surprised him now, Gordon seemed to
recover his spirits. He ate heartily.
he went upstairs to see Mrs. Ewing,
and when he came down insisted that
James should accompany him to the
hotel for a game of euchre. James would
have preferred remaining with Glenn
> ency, whose eyes were wistful, but Cor
don hurried him away. They remained
until nearly midnight in the parlor,
short time before, playing euchre, tell
ing stories, and drinking applejack.
james noticed that the hotel man often
cast an anxious and puzzled glance at
Gordon. He began to fancy that what
seemed mirth and jollity was the mere
bravado of misery and a CHASTITY mask
Of real enjoyment: He was glad when
George K. stood in the door watching
the two men unite the horse and get
into the buggy. "Take care of your
self, Doc,' he halloed, and there was
real affection and concern in his voice.
Gordon drove now, and the mare, be-
ing on her homeward road, made good
as Aaron had gone to bed. His deep
shores sounded thru the stable from his
room above It. s a pity to wake up
anything," Gordon said. "Guess We'll
put the mare up ourselves.' Now his
voice was bitter again. Gordon had the
key to the office door, and after lock-
threW some 5hs Wood on the e
The lamp with it's dangling prisms was
burning. Sit down a minute,' Cor
don said, IT have something to tell
you. I may as well get it off my mind
now. It has got to come sometime'' ;
James sat down and lit cigar. He
felt himself in a nervous tension. Cor
don filled his pipe and lit it, then he
began to speak in an odd, monotonous
voice, as tho he were reciting.
"That mans name was James Men
don. He was an Englishman. When I
first began practice it was in the West.
That man had ranch near the little
town where I lived with my sister Alice.
Alice was a beautiful girl. We had
lost our parents, and she kept house
for me. The man was as handsome as
a devil and he had the devil s own way
with women. God only knows what a
good girl like my sister saw in him.
He had a bad name, even out in that
rough country. Horrible tales were cir
eulated about his cruelty to animals for
one thing. His cowboys deserted him
and told stories. His very dog turned
on him, and bit him. God knows how
he was torturing the animal I saw the
scar on his hand when he lay on his
deathbed. Well, however it was, my
sister loved him and married him, and
he treated her like a. fend. She died.
and it was mercifu1 release He de.
serted her three months before her