The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-11-21


Mr.. Brewsters man? Oh! don't hold the dog
He'll chokep in alarm at the immense brute's eff
forts to break away from the OBTAINING grip.
"Is his man Pompey. yes, missy, | is. Pluto, yo'
sho'ly is de debbil, | clar fo de Lawd! Don yo'
tech him, missy, cose he ain nebber like one cep
and Mass G'oge 0 Lawd!" as with final
wrench and snarl, Pluto freed himself and, darting
across the room, crawled under Mr.. Brewster's bed
From that point of vantage he ominously growled
as Pompey went belligerently after him.
'Let him alone" Ruth urged. GIVE seen dogs
act that way before"
Pompey, who had gone down upon all fours to
peer under the bed rose with painting difficulty.
"Lawd Yo' dom gwine to say Massa Goge
gwine die?" Pompey shifted piteously, abandoning
all attempt at dignity
81 hope not" was all Ruth could say.
Gle done look pow'ful bad" said Pompey, mis-
erably CAIN dat jes' awful, de way he breave?"
'Thats mostly from the ether" Ruth consoled.
She laid her finger on Mr.. Brewster's wrist Pluto
growled forbiddngly as her skirts touched the bed
"Fo' de lub O. God' begged Pompey "be keer-
full O. dat ole fool Pluto"
eyes," said Ruth tactfully. He intends to stay
here, so | think, Pompey, I'll be be obliged to keep
you, too"
"Jes' so, missy. Pse glad to stay, I is. Ne an
Pluto s de two pussons dat hub Massa Goge bes in
dis worl. Ain yo' gwine like him, too!" wistfully
Il like him immensely" Ruth assured the old
man.
Pompey watched her wonderingly as she gave his
master hypodermic. weird silence, disturbed
only by Mr. Brewsters agitated respiration, settled
upon the room. Slowly the minutes dragged by into
hours. For instant Ruth wondered which meal
the butler brought to her. when he entered with her
dinner. Pompey waited upon her attentively. She
swallowed what she could The old servant, and the
dog under the bed, would touch neither food
drink. Both grew so silent and motionless as the
night wore on that Ruth believed they were asleep.
They were not. The devoted human being and the
dumb, faithful brute alike waited in tensely alert
misery for what would happen to their best friend.
DIR. Stagg fingered long at the next visit But
Ruth knew that he oitered more because he thought
the end was very near than because he anticipated
any result from his new directions
There may still be some change in the morn
ing" the doctor forced himself to murmur at the
door.
Ruth duhfully nodded. biting her lips mean
while. She wished irritably that physicians would
be strictly sincere with their nurses at least Why
the farce of holding out hope when none existed?
1t was shortly before the calm, beautiful dawn
that Mr. Brewer Unexpectedly stirred and opened
his eyes. Ruth smiled hopefully into the WIDE
bright eyes gazing wildly at her.
''You feel better2" she said softly.
II don't know gasped the man distractedly 81
mant move. What was it Where am l %
Pompey leaned forward eager, happy, agonized
in one second. Pluto at the sound of Mr.. Brew
ster's voice, crawled out from the cramped quar-
tiers in which he had been crouchng and pressed his
bloodless hand lying at the edge of the bed
Don't worry" said Ruth, soothingly ''You
must rest quietly"
"But what happened to me?" Mr.. Brewster per-
sisted in a pitifully weak tone. II wasn't sick. My
God, know" he cried suddenly, and he struggled
so to sit up that Ruth laid her arm firmly across
his chest.
Don't, Mr. Brewster! You were in an automo-
bile collision, and Dr. Stage operated upon YOU
Everything will be all right" She mixed some
thing hastily in a tumbler. Il am glad you have
come out of the ether so well. Drink this"
Instantly Pompey was at her assistance taking
the tube and glass from her when she would have
set them down.
"Ah. you Pompey," breathed Mr. Brewster, but
his strength had exhausted itself, and directly he
drowsed.
'fHe aim gwine die3" begged Pompey, family
tearfuly.
''I hope not"
Pluto licked the cold white hand. Ruth watched
and counted the quick, noisy respiration AS the
morning sunshine stole in between the drawn cur
tains Mr.. Brewster again returned to full CON
sciousness, but then his breathing became very
very slow, like lawn drawn-out heart-broken signs
He began to talk in pharases quickly uttered, but
broken because of the choking presently coming
upon him.
you're my nurse? / remember all. 1t was
straight, clear road-the branches-of the elms-
meeting overhead. For while-it seemed to me-
l was twenty-instead of ffty-fve. 1 was travelling
along a straight, clear road-on day-exactly
beautiful. l saw heaven through the blue sky
at the end of-that straight, clear road. No obsta-
Gle intervened-no evil menaced-1ne on the-way
to God-waiting for meat the end. [ was twenty
and / meant to be priest"
Ruth Involuntary started and, impelled by a
peculiar curiosity, her gaze left for a second the
livid features of her patient. In the lightning
swift glance she sent around the apartment she
caught sight of dim ivory crucifX low upon the
wall, beneath copy of the Sistine Madonna 1t
bore and unexpected significance !. Mr. Brew
ster's eyes had closed. Ruth hesitated Should she
rouse him, should she question? A wave Of uncer-
tainty, of miserable confusion somehow involved in
her own fate, swept over the girl.
"The beauty of that day" he spoke more
family after the pause, and Ruth bent her head to
catch the gasped-out words. Its unselfsh aspira-
tions-and its peace-returned to me-dfter thirty