The Washington herald., 1907-04-14
CHAPTER XVI.

Il reckon you'se feelin' a heap smart
better said a familiar voice. 7 reckon
dat my massa's comm roun' TO dis hesh
blessed earth again Praise, be TO de good
Gawd. o joy an Halleluuah."
Ryder opened his eyes slowly and visit
fully. He felt woak-oh. so weak-aRd
he saw things through a mist that how
cred before his eyes. Everything seemed
TO be far away. and the old. familiar
voice sounded most indistinctly.
"Oh. I'm so glad, came another we'll
known voice. "Oh, I'm so glad that he
is coming TO. Why, the doctor says that
it might have been a death blow" And
the voice ended in a sob. Ryder noticed
it, even though it sounded indisunct. and
miles away, as If It We're IN fog He
moved his head from side 10 side. and
tried TO sit up. but ne felt so faint that
he dropped back. thankfully. upon the
pillow He closed his eyes and did not
open them again until he felt a cool hand
upon his forehead
"Oh. I'm so glad, Mr.. Ryder" came
the same voice Il was Dorothy Fan
shawe-s; he could not fail TO recognize ii
now. I'm so delighted that sou are at
last yourself"
Ryder took the cool hand In his own
How long have I been here?" he said
weakly.
Miss Fanshawe's eyes were filled with
tears Of sympathy.
"Why, you've been here two whole
days she answered. And every one in
town has been here TO inquire about you
Look, there are some of the flowers that
people have sent you" She held out a
bunch of variegated sweet peas. and their
fragrance filed the chamber with d soft
insldious perfume.
Aunty June came over to the bed. and
in her hand she held a large tumbler-ouC
OF the few unbroken pieces of glassware
in the house.
Her voice was full of kindly emotion
Deed Use made you up a julep lnassa,
she said. Use been acquainted wild desc
accidents in de hunters field for dess
las twenty years. an de only thing dat'l
ever do you any good is dis here mint
julep. / done made dis one up myself
from a 'scTiption given to me by de bes
doctor in dis beah county"
Such loving thought could not be re-
fused by any mortal Ryder took thc
proffered glass and drank the contents
It seemed TO strengthen him; the has
left his eyes. and he was able to Sc,
more clearly and distinctly.
why the room is full OF flowers" h,
said, as Aunty June propped him up upor
three pillows. DO you mean to tell m,
that my good friends in Warrington have
thought 50 much of me as all that?"
And a good deal more than that
See" answered Miss Fanshawe Herr
is a silver punch bowl from the Jumpers
filled with most delicious jelly Do le
me give you some"
1t was delightful to be waited on by 81
fair a nurse. Il reminded Ryder of tn,
days when he was with his family II
England. It reminded him OF his good
sweet mother. and of his slsters-au mar
ried. now, and scattered TO the four cor
ners of the globe with officers of the arm,
and hardy English pioneers.
Miss Fansbawe's hand trembled slightly
when she fed him from a silver spoon. /
was not his own Ryder noticed that. fo
the few that he had possessed had beer
lost long since. DO you know. you saiC
horrible things when YOU were delirious
You talked lot about racing, about Eng
lahd. and about Steel. Now what in tn,
world is Steel? One would think that yol
were "A machinist,
1t was impossible for Ryder to suppress,
a laugh, very weak one at that "Oh
I talked a lot Of Steel, did /; of Steel
Why. that's old Tom Truscott's game
Tom told me to buy some United State
Steel stocks, you know; said that it wa
going up, or down. I've forgotten which
So 1 gave him some of the money tha