Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-05-21


thought of it afterward
81 wonder what can be wrong with
| Chrissy?" said Philip, when he and
/ Norman had seen the two ladies into
a cab.
"She spoke of the heat Of the ROOM"
suggested Norman.
yes" said Philip; "but a nurse is
accustomed to hot rooms, isn't she? |
can't account for her indisposition,
he added testify, for he felt that the
fates had been unkind. eve were
having such a good time, tool"
Norman said nothing; he was great
ly concerned about Christabel, and as
he reflected on the longed-for oppor-
tunity he had lost through no fault of
his own he could not but think that
fate had indeed played him scurvy
trick. Somewhat silently the two
young men walked to the Arts club to
| spend the rest of the evening.
Christabel wished to be alone. SO
that she might think out and COM
pIetely realize her position. She was
disposed to hate herself for having
broken down so ANONYMOUSLY, but
the crisis had come upon her so sud-
denly, and was of SO unforeseen a ma
ture, that it had caught her utterly I'M
prepared. She had set out, full of life
and spirit, to spend a happy evening
with her lover, her brother, and his
friend-and this was the disastrous
result How disappointed Norman
| would hn che thnuOhf
and they could not even dimly guess
the tragic thing that had happened to
her. How was it that she had not
borne it better? she asked herself.
! Suffering acutely, she took herself to
! task bitterly, and determined that
nothing of the kind should ever hap
pen again; henceforward she must be
ever on her guard.
It was terrible to Christabel to have
| to return to Hans Square, and yet she
knew she must, as that was her obvi-
Gus duty Honor babe her go back to
act as nurse to Sir John, just as honor
| babe her be silent regarding what she
had learned respecting him. She
knew that she was not really i'll, and
that by and by she would regain her
calm and composure. And yet it was
terrible to her to think that she must
continue to play her part, knowing
what she did. For one moment she
thought of asking the matrOn of her
institution to send another nurse in
her place. but almost Immediately dis
missed the idea as that savored of
again breaking down in face of
crisis-it was like running away.
Against her will she had run away
once; never would she do so again,
she was resolved. She must nurse
Sir John, and continue to meet Max
we'll as if nothing had occurred to
make any difference.
She knew that Maxwell had seen
her leave the restaurant and could
hardly help being aware of her os-
tensible reason for doing so. That
hateful Maxwell! His appearance had
been the last straw. She might have
borne up if it had not been for him,
but when he came upon the scene she
had felt unable to regain her self-con-
troll AS she thought of it there came
the swift apprehension that she had,
perhaps, betrayed herself to him; yet,
on second thoughts, that did not seem
at all Iikely-it was a preposterous
notion.
But in the background of her mind
there was something deeper which
had come to her while Norman was
telling her the story of his fathers
death-the death which she had seen
| spelt murder How was she to meet
him again, with this dark secret in her
mind? Would it not rise up between
! them and hopelessly divide them?
| The secret must be kept from him;
never did she swerve from this de-
| termination, and yet this was by far
| the most terrible thing of all.
1t was no more than 9 o'clock when
she and Ada Arlington arrived at Sc
| Hans Square, and she went immedi-
| ately to her room. There she found
note from Mary Sisterson asking her
| to see her when she came in, if she
was not too tired. Il am too tired"
thought of Mary's grief and sorrow
and in thinking of these forgot to a
slight extent her own troubles.
About midnight Maxwell returned to
his home, and went at once to his
fathers room, in which Mary was
sitting.
Have you seen Nurse Joyce TO-
niglt?" he asked her, noticing that Sir
John lay in a comatose state.
mo. Lady Sisterson has given her
an evening off"
HAS she not returned YETI"
81 don't know; but don't think so. "
Restlessly Maxwell took turn up
and down the room before he spoke
again; then he halted in front of his
sister.
81 dined with Anderson and Lorimer
at the SavOy-they are our two big
gest customers in England" explained
Maxwell. 'And there, if you please,
saw Nurse Joyce with her brother and
Norman Forde."
Norman Forde?" said Mary, shrink
ingly.
81 told you the other day that | had
learned from her that Forde was her
brothers partner, did l not?' he asked
angrily; and then, with half-smoth
cred curse, he added, but rather to
himself, WAS there ever anything sc
peculiar as that she should come
here?" Speaking again to Mary he
went on, "And if | am not mistaken
Forde and Nurse Joyce are in love