Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1908-12-17
Through a
Woman's Heart.
By Sidney Warwick.
By Sidney Warwick.


snow. No other sound 1t was
trick his nerves had played him. On
ly trick-yet he had still found him.
self listening feverishly.
How like to stealthy footsteps the
wind was that crept about the house!
Like the footsteps of some one fur
lively trying windows and latch, as
if bent on gaining admittance-as
though the dead man had stolen from
his cold resting place to cry pitifully
at the door of the House of Life that
would never open to him again.
Stephen Ruthen had to set his teeth
hard as he lay fighting these horrible
haunting fancies, waiting for the night
to pass. If only he could have slept
could have drowned thought and con-
seriousness in the deep void of sleep!
And then at last the dawn.
He had shrunk from going down
stairs to meet Hilda's eyes-from the
revelation that inevitably, as it
seemed, the day must bring. Perhaps
the grim discovery had already been
made Was there any fear of sus-
picion falling upon Olive?
Il have been sitting by her bedside
for the last hour or more" the
nurses lie that would seem to prove
an alibi ran in his mind. And he,
priest of the church, was clinging to
a lie, as a drowning man to a spar.
No suspicion must fasten upon
Olive, or if it should it must be COM
bated by that lie! Olive, who had suf-
fered SO deep a wrong, who-whatever
the law might say-could scarcely
have been responsible for her act
when she stole out on that wild err
rand. She was lying delirious now,
mercifully oblivious of that desperate
justice she had exacted; Stephen had
spoken with the nurse as he came
downstairs.
But how could any suspicion attach
to her? After the tragedy only one
witness had come upon them-a blind
man. Even if any person had seen
Olive stealing out, the nurses lie
would seem like conclusive proof that
he had been mistaken as to the lden-
tity OF the woman he had seen. The
powerful motive of self-interest would
cause the nurse to stick to her lie.
Stephen made the poorest pretense
of eating; he felt as though food
would choke him. 1t was relief to
him when the meal was over and he
could go to his study and be alone.
He had a sermon to prepare that
day. But work was impossible. Even
the attempt was beyond him. He
started nervously at every ring at the
door, thinking that it was the news he
knew must come.
At 10 o'clock that morning the doc
tor came. If the discovery had been
made, the doctor would almost GER
tainly have heard. Stephen went out
into the hall, expecting the worst.
But the newcomer smiled at him in
his usual genial fashion, as he shook
the sno-7 from his coat, and his face
only became grave as he glanced
second time at the parson.
why, what's up with you, Ruthen?
You don't look up to the mark at all.
| shall have to be prescribing for you
next" he exclaimed.
The doctor went upstairs to see his
patient, without any reference to
Hume. Evidently nothing was known
yet. When a little later he came
downstairs again, accompanied by
Hilda, he was looking very grave.
81 can't understand it at ALL he
said-"the change since yesterday in
the patient. The temperature has
gone up alarmingly. I suppose she
cannot have caught a chill through
tiinging off the clothes or attempting
to get out Of bed?"
Stephen Ruthen caught his breath.
Hilda answered in surprise:
Il don't think so, doctor. The pa
tient hasn't been left alone for min
ute. Esther, the nurse, or Martha,
or I have been with her constantly"
IT must look in again later; this
relapse is serious"
The doctors manner was unusually
grave. Stephen accompanied him to
the door.
"But-but there's no danger?" he
said. speaking with an effort,
The doctor noticed that his face was
curiOusly white and drawn.
I'VE must hope not; but there's
sudden change for the worse that l
wasn't prepared for, and that I'm puz-
zled to account for I'll look in again
about noon, or as near noon as posi-
ble I've some outlying cases to at
tend to, and with this heavy going it's
impossible to time myself-my horse
q
we aren't at the end of it yet. We
shall be showed up at this rate, and
then what shall I do about getting to
my patients? Have to hire snow
plough | suppose. By the cross roads
near Hume's place, where they eaten
the wind, I hear of drifts eight or nine
feet deep Well, I'll look in as near
noon as | can"
The doctor ran down the path to
his trap, swinging his arms to keep up
his circulation. There had been
brief lull, but now the snow was fall
ing again in great flakes
Near the Cross Ways the drifts
were eight or nine feet deep! That
was why the tragedy had not yet
come 10 light. Under the drift the
dead man lay in his white sepulchre,
unsupported by passersby. And the
snow was still falling, building higher
and higher this white tomb, guarding
that secret which he alone knew! A
sudden sense of unreality swept over
Stephen Ruthen. He looked back on
the stress of the previous night; it
seemed hardly real, more like a fan