The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-03-20

the assistant he sent arrived. A spe.
cialist, called in by Flint 1T Lady Sis
terson's request. came and went, after
endorsing the surgeons opinion that
nothing more could be done for Sir
John than had been done-which was
very little-at that time, but he prom.
Used to hold himself ready to return.
at an instant's notice. It thus hap
pened that, when few minutes past
eight O'Clock curious change came
over Sir John, Flint was the only med.
ical man present.
But he was not alone with his pa
tient. The Sistersons dined at half
past eight, and, as II by common con-
sent, Lady Sisterson and Sir Johns
two children-his son Maxwell and his
daughter Mary, the only child of his
first wife-had gathered in the room
before going in to dinner.
OF the three. Mary Sisterson showed
the most feeling. Her eyes were wet
with tears and her cheeks were pale.
She was not physically strong wo-
man. and was often i'll, owing to an or.
ganic weakness of the heart. She had
a great, deep love for her father-an
almost doglike devotion. blind and un-
reasoning, which was still the greater
because she knew she was the only
person in the world who really cared
for him. AS, his daughter-that is, as
prospectively very rich woman-she
had had many suitors, but none of
them Lad touched her affections; the
one man she might have chosen had
never spoken.
The terrible accident to her father,
his pitiful condition. wrought upon her
nerves, and it was with difficulty that
she kept herself from breaking down
utterly. No more striking contrast
could be conceived than that between
her stepbrother and herself; she was
gentle. emotional creature-as soft
as he was hard. Lady Sisterson and
Maxwell were seated, while she stood
by her fathers side with her face,
bleached and tearstained, fixed on his;
the position of the three was signifi-
cant.
All at once. as she bent her gaze on
Sir John, he stirred slightly and his
lips, which had been shut tight partly
Enclosed. Flint. instantly noting the
movement, put some drops Of a clear
fluid into Sir Johns mouth-there was
iuttering of the eyelids and of the
skin under the eyes, which slowly
opened and shut, then opened and shut
again. while Sir John mumbled unin-
telligible sounds.
He is coming to HIMSELF" exclaim-
ed Mary Sisterson, excitedly. but Flint
flung up his hand for silence.
Sir John kept ON mumbling, num-
bling. mumbling, with lips that trem-
blcd. while his eyes remained closed.
The sounds dropped, died away,
stopped altogether, then began once
more the eyes opened wide. Now he
was speaking, haltingly, brokenly, but
so that all in the room heard and un-
derstood what he said.
Over, over" he said. DOWN.
down fifty Observation-Disclosures
meant it, Tom--its murder-tempta.
tion-too much for me-impulse-nev.
er meant to murder you. Tom-never,
Tom, never-coming, Tom, coming,
Tom, CON-
The rest was lost in a muff1ed gasp.
as tremor shook Sir Johns body,
which in another moment was tense,
rigid. deathlike as before
Three blanched faces looked at him
appalled,. and then at each other. ask
ing mutely what was the meaning OF
this dark saying.
"Delusion, mere delusion," said
Flint. "Often the case"
Ito Be continued.> &c.