Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-12-02

|BBS MERRILL COMPANY M
ut the spotless coverlid. No; some one
might appear, and it would not do to
be seen in his present condition. 1t
was scarcely 10. Time enough for that
afterward
He drew out the drawer of chiffo.
nier, opened closet and gloated over
the order and plenty Of their contents.
He made difficult selection from these
and. steadying his progress by wall
and chair. opened the door of an ad-
Joining bathroom. 1t contained cir
cular bath with needle shower. With
st removing his clothing he climbed
tAts this, balancing himself with an
EBERT, found and turned the cold fau-
cot and let the icy water, chilled from
sCtesian depths. trickle over him in
hundred singing needle points.
It was n very different figure that
re-entered the larger room half hour
Later from tine Sinking mudlark that
had climbed the rose trellis. The old
Hugh lay, heap of solled and sodden
garments; the new stood forth shaw.
en-, fragrant with fresh linen and clean
and fit apparel. The maudlin had van.
ished. the gaze was unvexed and
bright. the whole man seemed to have
settled into himself. to have grown
trim. nonchalant. debonair. He held
up his hand. palm outward, between
the electric glohe and his eye. There
was not tremor Of nerve or muscle.
He smiled No headache. no fever, no
uncertain feet or trembling hands or
swollen tongue after more than q
week of deep potations. He could still
sober up" as he used to do with
.Blake. the butler. to help HIM when
1t had been u mere matter of an even.
ing's tipsiness And how fine it felt to
be decently clad again!
He crossed to u cheval glass The
dark, handsome face that looked out At
him was clean cut and aristocratic.
perfect save for one blemish-a pale
line that slanted across the right brow,
q birthmark. resembling scar. All
his life this mark had been an eyesore
to Its owner 1t hntS Il trick of turn.
ing an evil red under the stress of an,
ger or emotion
On the TEXTURES. young and vigorous
rs they We're. subtle lines VI self in
diligence had already set themselves
and beneath their expression, cavalier
and carcssing. lay the unmistakabIs
stigmata of inherited weakness hut
these the gazer did not see He re
garded himself with cgotistic compla
cency. Here lie was Just us sound as
ever. He. had had his ding and laugh,
1.-THE governor" that he could get along
well enough without any paternal heil
IL he chose.
He attentiyely surveyed the room.
1t was clean and dusteu-eyidentiy II
had been carefully tended. He might
have stepped out of IL yesterday. Not
q thing had been disturbed--ycs, one
thing. His portrait that had hung over
his bed was not in its place. A mo.
mentary sense of trepidation, rushed
through him. Could his father really
have meant all lie lind said in his rage;
/ A%Aa AS iSAiis " dlo0nu
For an Instant he faced the hall door
with clinched hands Somewhere in
the house. unconscious of his presence,
was that ward of whose coming he hat
learned. Moreau was ii good friend t
have warned him. Was she part of {
plan of reprlsal-her presence there {
tentative thrent to him? Could his ia
ther mean to adopt her? Might tina
great house. those grounds, the bulk o.
his wealth. go to her. and he, the son
be left in the cold? He shivered. Per
haps he had stayed away too long!
AS he turned again. he heard sount
in the hall. He listened. A light steI
was approaching-the swish of gown
With sudden impulse he stepped int,
the embrasure of the window, as til,
figure of girl paused ut the door. Fl,
felt his face flush. She had thrown
crimson kilnono over her white night
gown, and the appnrition seemed I,
part the dusk of the doorway like thu
red breast of robin. She held in he
hands bunch of the pale Marecha
Mel roses, and his eye caught the Ion.
rebellious sweep of her bronze hal
and the rosy tint of bare feet through
the worsted meshes Of her night slip
pers.
To his wonder the sight Of the light
ed room seemed TO cause her no sur
prise. For an Instant she stood still a.
though listening. then entered ant
placed the roses III vase on a readin,
stand by the bedside.
Hugh gasped. 10 reach the stant
the girl had passed the spot where b,
stood. but she had taken no note o
him. Her gaze had gone by him rs i
he had been empty air. Then he real
lied the truth; Jessica Holme wa
blind! Moreau's letter had given hin
no inkling 81 that So this was th,
girl with whom his father now threat
ened him! Was she counting on BIZ
not coming back. waiting for the wind
fall? She was blind-but she wa
beautiful! Suppose he were to turf
the tables on the old man, not onl,
climb back into his good graces through
her. but even
The thin line on his brow sprnn,
suddenly scarlet. What supple
graceful arm she had! How adroit he
fingers as they arranged the ros,
stems! Was he already wholly black
ened In her opinion? What did sh,
think of him? Why did she brin,
those flowers to that empty room
Could 1t have been she who had KEEP
| 1t Glenn and fresh and ,,,nItarad n ro ins
his return? A confident. daring lool
grew In his eyes, He wished she coult
see him in that purple tie and velve
smoking JACKET. What an opportnnit!
for a romantic self justification
Should he speaki Suppose it sloult
frighten her!
Chance answered him His respira
ton had conveyed to her the knowi
edge of n presence in the room. II,
l