The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-12-11

| IL AAo udAu IOuCl1Cu OllV0.
| An almost superstitious feeling
swept over Stephen Ruthen that, once
the blind mans hand was laid on
Olive, it might mean the truth drag
! ged to light, and letters of steel, of
shame, for the white, slender wrists
of her he loved! And on an uncon-
trollable impulse of panic he sprang
! forward and gripped the blind mans
outstretched arm; in a voice shrill
and Surely unrccognizable in it's tones
! of fsenzied horror and fear, he cried,
| harshly:
GO forward: that's your road! Go
forward--and don't once turn back!"
! "Tap-tap-tap!" Shaking like
leaf in gale, Stephen listened to the
metallic sound dying away in the dis
lance down the white road.
Then, at last, he turned to Olive.
/ "Come!"
He pulled the heavy cloak more
tightly round the slender figure. bare
ly sufficiently protected from the cold
! Ey the few clothes she had donned
before stealing out on her wild errand,
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
these restless eyes. In silence the
road was traveEsed, with the snow and
tie wind about them-a nightmare
eternity of suspense that journeE
| hack seemed TO Stephen Ruten's
raoked nerves. Every moment he es-
| nectcd some human figure to loom out
from tho 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 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,
he knocked at the door sharply.
"Nurse!" he cried, loudly.
There was no answer; but he heard
the stirring of the woman in the chair.
"Nurse!"
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 minute
ago, nurse?" Stephen forced himself
to say. Olive lay IN the bed, with
staring eyes rowing restlessly, bright
With the light of fever.
mo, sir; didn't CALL" The nurse
looked surprised.
Then did the patient cry out?"
mo, sir; she has been very quiet"
said the woman, brazenly, reassured
! that her negligence had not been sus-
lected; and, as Stephen saw, suspect
! ing nothing in turn.
by the way, Miss Ruthen said
was to remind you to give the patient
her sleeping draught."
! eyes, sir; / hadn't forgotten-I was
! just a-going to give it to her when you
! knocked; I've bin sitting by her bed
! side koldin' her and for the last half
; hour or more, SIR" said the woman,
Lare-facedly 1.-The rore dear-it
seemed 10 soothe her like! I'm that
cons, ientious, sir, when I'm missing
a case, wouldn't close my eyes on
duty for all the Bank of England"
j She tn; ned to measure out the sleep
ing tlrau2ht Stephens eyes had been
, caught by the cloak soaked with snow
i and the sodden shoes, lying on the
floor near the bed. The room was
only dimly lighted; the nurse, scarce
~ 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 nc