Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-12-10
Through a
WOnan'S Heart.
By Sidney Warwick.
By Sidney Warwick.

Iap-Lap-Jap! SnaKlnS ike a
leaf in a gale, Stephen listened to the
metallic sound dying away in the dis
lance down the white road.
Then, at last, he turned to Olive.
Gomez"
He pulled the heavy cloak more
/ tightly round the slender figure, bare
! ly sufficiently protected from the cold
by the few clothes she had donned
before stealing out on her wild Grand,
supporting her by his arm he led her
! towards the rectory.
No sound, no word from her. OBJ
liviOusness to outward things had
touched the fevered brain behind
| those restless eyes. In silence the
/ road was traversed, with the snow and
/ the wind about them-a nightmare
/ eternity Of suspense that journey
] back seemed to Stephen Ruten's
raclled nerves. Every moment he eX-
/ pected some human figure to loom out
| from the binding snow mist-a wit
! ness to testify afterwards to having
! seen them coming from the direction
| of the Cross Ways Stone. But the
road, always lonely after nightfall
! seemed tonight to be given over to
! absolute solitude and the mad revel
of the storm. The rectory gates were
reached. No one had seen them
thank heaven, no living soul!
! Into the hall, up the stairs to the
! landing, where the door Of the pa
| TENTS room was still as he had left it.
! Stephen had scarcely dared to hope
| for it. but the nurse still spraWled nj
the armchair with closed eyes, snor-
| ing; and Hilda and the servant had
not yet returned.
| "Olive, you must go to bed at once,
and you must not waken that woman
by any sound!" he whispered, as one
might issue a command into the ear
of a sleep walker
Then, as he closed the door and
stood outside, strong man though he
was, Stephen Ruthen reeled and al
most fell in the reaction after the long
agony of suspense.
He waited few minutes, fighting
TO control his quivering nerves; then,
in pursuance of the plan in his mind,
lie klOCh0u DIT INC uUOI Sudl ply
"Nurse!" he cried, loudly.
There was no answer; but he heard
the stirring Of the woman in the chair.
'Nursei"
He heard her pull herself to her feet.
Yes, SIR" she cried, hastily.
A moment later she shuffled to the
door and opened it With rather a
guilty air, furtively cycling him, trying
to appear wideawake
Did l hear you call to me a minute
ago, nurse?" Stephen forced himself
to say. Olive lay in the bed, with
staring eyes rowing restlessly, bright
with the light of fever.
NO, sir; I didn't call" The nurse
looked surprised.
Then did the patient cry Out?"
NO, sir; she has been very quiet"
said the woman, brazenly, treasured
that her negligence had not been sus-
pected; and as Stephen saw, suspect
ing nothing in turn.
by the way, Miss Ruthen said 1
was to remind you to give the patient
her sleeping draught."
eyes, sir; | hadn't forgotten was
just a-going to give it TO her when you
knocked; I've bin sitting by her bed
side holdin' her and for the last half
hour or more, sir" said the woman,
bare-facedly. THE pore dear-It
seemed to soothe her like! I'm that
conscientious, sir, when I'm missing
a case, [ wouldn't close my eyes on
duty for all the Bank of England"
She turned to measure out the sleep
ing draught Stephens eyes had been
caught by the cloak soaked with snow
and the sodden shoes, lying on the
floor near the bed. The room was
only dimly lighted; the nurse, scarce
ly awake when she answered his
knock, could not have seen them yet.
Instantly he picked up those tell-tale
traces and carried them TO the door.
The woman took the sleeping
draught to the PATIENT with dimmed
eyes Stephen fingered on the threshold
to watch Olive drink the drug that
would bring the sO-needed healing
balm of sleep to the troubled, over
wrought brain; then, with an over
whelming rush Of thankfulness, he
closed the door again, and went down
to his study with the wet cloak and
shoes.
Safe! Thank goodness, safe!
Throughout the poignant drama OF
that terrible night only one witness
had come upon them-and that wit
ness blind! And the nurse had no
suspicion of Olives absence, had just
assured him that she had not closed
her eyes since she went on duty that
night
The nurses lie established an alibi!
'HeaSen pity my poor Olive and
help her to forget this nights mad
ness," the man who loved her Whls-
pered, brokenly. MANS law shall
never touch her--I've saved her from
that. No one can ever find out now
the truth Of that mans death. what
ever befalls. no one ever shall!
With the face of a haunted man,
Stephen Ruthen crossed to the WIN
dow For a moment he stood holding
the curtain aside, looking out into the
night Outside the snow was SUN
falling, mounting in drifts by the ola
pagan cross in the MISUNDERSTANDING
white stitch by white stitch, the dead
mans shroud He let the curtain fall
back with a shudder.
Heaven help us!" he whispered, IN
the silence of the room. what Will
to- borrow bring forth?
If he could but have known!