Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-12-31
CHAPTER VII.
AS a Dream When One AWaketh.

SIcpn0u KuliCn went uUW u0CalA .
that morning, with the sound Of rain
and the thuds of falling snow beating
their significant message into his ears,
to find Hilda waiting for him with a
little air of suppressed excitement
"Such good news, Stephen" she
cried, eagerly. "Olive has recognized
me! Nurse tells me she woke in the
night with her mind clear; and this
morning she spoke to me quite ration
ally"
Hilda was a little surprised at the
way her brother received the news.
She had expected Stephen to be as
enthusiastic as herself; but for mo-
ment he seemed almost taken aback,
and when he spoke there was a trace
OF effort in his voice. He crossed to
the window and stood staring out. He
had known, of course, that now the
crisis was safely passed Olives re-
turn to normal consciousness was on
ly a question of time, and under Or
binary circumstances he would have
hailed Hilda's news gladly. Only the
circumstances were not ordinary.
Now that discovery Of the tragedy
was imminent, Stephen Ruthen was
conscious of sense almost of relief
At least the slow tOrturing suspense
OF the long waiting would be over;
it would be relief to know the worst
The horror of those constant refer
ences and speculations about Humes
disappearance that he had been forced
to listen to during the past three
weeks would be ended, and he could
drop the mask that it had needed an
increasing effort to sustain-three
weeks that had made the hair about
his temples grayer, had craven deeper
lines in his face. Yes, it would be a
relief to know the worst.
With far more dread than to the
revelation of Philip Hume's fate had
when Olive should regain her facul-
ties. Throughout her illness that
thought had haunted him. When, with
returning consciousness the fiOOdgates
of her memory swept back, what
would it's effect be on Olive-the re-
membrance of that nights wild ven
geance? He could not bear to con-
template 1t.
my poor Oliye!" the man who
loved her whispered to himself, as he
stared out into the desolate garden.
At breakfast Stephen was unusually
silent. For days past Hilda had been
struck by change in him that had
touched her with a vague uneasiness
"a change scarcely to be analysed,
ONLY that he seemed suddenly older,
grayer, more distracted. She realized
as She talked to him this morning that
he was scarcely listening. Once a
snatch of her talk broke through his
preoccupied thoughts:
aren't you glad the thaw has
come, Stephen? I'm so tired OF the
| sight of the snow. Three long weeks
of it-and so much of it lying on the
| roads that I'm afraid it will be long
| time going
Yes, it would probably take day
or two before the deep frozen drifts
by the cross roads, yielding reluctant
". inch by inch, before the conquer
| ing element, surrendered their secret;
| the wind shad drifted the snow so
| hieh-higher than the waist of the
| stone cross. At least another day, per-
haps longer, before the discovery
would be made. Stephens thoughts
slid back from the dead man lying
there to the woman upstairs coming
back to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to mem
Dry!
DR.. Sprent made his early visit. He
came downstairs from the sick room,
his chubby face radiant.
"Splendid!" he said-"splendid!
Even better than l had hoped. All
her faculties quite clear and normal.
The main thing now is to keep our
natient quiet and free from all excite
ment. She's rather of an excitable
temperament, too-which makes it all
the more important she should be kept
| quiet. BY the way, Ruthen, she's ask
ing for you. She's very insistent you
should go up and see her"
Olive was asking for hin-Stephen
could guess why! He could picture
the agony of suspense she must be en-.
during, the shock of the horror that
must have overtaken his poor Olive
as she found her way back from de-
lirium to the things that were real.
so you'd better go up, Ruthen
now" The doctor was still speaking
"She's so insistent. But you mustn't
stay more than a couple of minutes OF
so. And be sure you don't let her
talk much or excite herself"
Stephen Ruthen stole into the sick