Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-31

les, We Will come at once. But L nope
you'll find it's not as bad as you think.
Don't break down I'm sure it will be all
right"
What is it?'' asked Give and her aunt
| in a breath.
I'm not quite sure" answered the girl.
| "She was so upset l could hardly under
| stand her. Besides. the wires are still in
bad condition. But 1t seems some accident
or injury has happened to her husband.
Gerald Is away, and there is no one the
poor woman can turn TO, she telephoned
for me. And, Give. she wants to know II
you won't come too. Please, do. You're
| unhappy
Just as you WISH, acceded Standish.
| with no greet willingness but I'll be sorry
to have tonight's happiness marred by
another row with Conover"
Il gather from what she says he is in no
condition for row with any one. 1 told
her we'd come at once. Please hurry. dear.
l hate to think of that frightened little
alone"
In the great comfortless drawing room
or the Mausoleum, on couch hastily
pushed into the center of the room under
the chandelier lay Caleb Conover, rail-
reader Two doctors, who had been work
ing over him, had now drawn back a few
PAGES and were comforting in grave under
tones. AT the foot of the couch. clad only
in night gown and slippers, as she had been
aroused from bed, her sparse hair tight
dumped in a semcircle of kid-curlers Mrs.
SOiioNci tiouCHeu III ii iHpdHiHS, iOChiliS
heap. Scared, whispering groups of serv-
ants blocked the doorways or peered curl
ouSly in from behind curtains. The air
was thick with the pungent smell of anti
septcs.
The railroader, lying motionless beneath
the unshaded glare of a half dozen gas
jets. was swathed of head and bandaged
of arm. He was coatless. and his shirt
his mighty chest. Across the couch end
his feet, still booted and spurred, pro-
truded stiffly as a manikin's.
1t was upon this scene that Anice and
Give entered. At sight of the girl, Mrs.
Conover scrambled to her feet, and with a
wild outburst of scared sobs. scuttled for
ward to meet her, the bedside slippers
shutting and sliding grotesquely along the
stricken, weeping creature Into her arms
and whispered what words of comfort and
encouragement she could.
Meanwhile Give, not desiring to break in
on the doctors conference, turned to the
doorway again and asked a question of one
of the servants. For reply the groom,
repeat, with dolorous JUNCTION. for the tenth
time within an hour, the story of the &C
cident.
You see SIR he said, lowering his
voice as though in the room with corpse.
| Mr.. Conover sent word for me to ride
with him. We started off at a dead run,
and my horse couldn't noways keep up
with Dunderberg, so l follows along behind
L
| to the right distance between us to save
me. Mr.. Conover turns out of the drive,
up Pompton av'noo, sir, and on past the
Humason place, me a-followin' as fast as
It's in that dark, woody patch of road
just this side the quarries. The way l
happens to catch up is because Drunderberg
was havin' one of them tantrums of his an
Mr.. Conover was givin' 1t to him for all
he was worth, crop an spur, an Dunder-
berg a-whirling around and passagin' an
tryn' his best to rear An every time that
horses forelegs goes up In the air Mr..
Conover'd bring his fist down between his
ears an downd come Dunderberg all
| tours again. They was takin' up all the
road. wide it is, an Dunderberg was
| lashin an plungin' like he was crazy. an
Mr.. Conover stickin' on like he was glued
there an sendin' in the spurs and the
whacks of the crop till you'd "a thought
| makes a dive ahead an gets out along
| side the quarry pit an tries to rear again
Right on the edge of the pit
| paused and then?"
why. sir. 1 can't rightly tell, the ligh,
was bad. If it'd been any one else but
| Mr. Conover, I'd say he lost his nerve an
| when Dunderberg reared up he forgot tc
| bring him down like he'd done those other
| times, maybe he did hit the horse be-
tween the ears again an didn't hit hard
| backward-clean fifteen feet drop-fnto the
quarry. An Mr.. Conover under him. An
them
But Give had moved away. The doctors
had finished their consultation and one OF
them-Dr. Halves, the Conover family ply
s sieian-had a. again gain approaching that silent
At sight of Standish the second doctor
came forward to meet the young man.
No. he whispered, reading the I'M
spoken question in Gives face mo pos
sible hops. He can't last over an hour
longer at most. Another man. crushed as
he was. would have been killed at once.
AS it is. he probably won recover con-
sciousness- Nothing but his tremendous
vitality holds the shreds of life I'm him so
long as this
Does his wife know"
She is not in state to be told. l wish
we could persuade her to leave the room.
Perhaps Miss Lanier-"
A gesture from DR.. Halves drew them to-
ward the couch.
He is coming to his Senses" said the
family physician, adding under his breath
SO that only his colleague and Give could
hear; ut is the final rally. Not one man
in a thousand
But Give had caught Anice's eye and
beckoned her to lead Mrs. Conover to the
side of the couch.
The ralroader's face set like carven
granite, began to twitch. The rigid mouth
relaxed its set Wilderness and the eyelids
fiickered Mrs Conover at these signs of
terra. but a gentle. firm pressure of Anice's
hand in hers forestalled the outburst
With an aggrieved look at the girl Lefty
again turned her scared attention to her
husband.
DR.. Halves was bending more over
the PROSTATE man. seeking to employ
restorative Now he rose, and as he did so
Caleb's eyes opened.
There was no bewilderment 10 surprise
nor pain in the calm glance that swept his
garish surroundings.
rs he suffering" whispered Anice.
"Or-?'
"Horrtbly" returned DR. Halves in the
same tone. HE
The shrewd. pale eyes that scorned to
show trace of physical or mental anguish
slowly took in the group beside the couch
resting first on the two physicians, then on
Anice Lanier.
AS he saw and recognized Anice the first
change came over the dying mans hard-set
features. look of perpleXity that merged
into glad surprise lighted his whole face,
smoothing from it with magic touch every
line of care, thought time; transferring
it into the countenance of a happy boy
Long he sought and held her sympathetic
~la &hot laol Of