Evening star., 1909-07-06


never been successfully baked, the Fight
ers voice resounded again and again in
that harsh. domineering order:
tDey. Come back
calling upon his seemingly dead love
to re-enter the frail flesh she was even
now quitting. Conover threw into his ap
peal all the vast strength that was his
and the immea sura bly, enforced power Of
ms despair and alteration. He held the
white hands gripped tight to his chest;
ms face close to the silent girls: his
.iSht eyes blazing into hers: his every
racutN bent with superhuman pressure
upon drawing an answering sign from
the hfelesS form
1t is Madness muttered the doctor:
infected, nevertheless. by the dominant
magnetism that played about the Fighter
and that vibrated through every tone OF
his imperative voice. 1T is madness.
She Is dead, Or
Conover did not heed nor hear. He
had no consciousness for anything save
this supreme battle OF his whole life.
Vaguely he knew that the innate master
snip within him which for years had sub
dued strong men TO his will had been as
nothlng 10 the nameless power that love
was now enabling him to put forth.
From the threshold of death-NeS. from
the grave itself-she should come at his
call: this little, silent wisp OF humanity
that meant life and heaven to him.
The red-haired man was fighting.
He had always been fighting. But The
been as child's play by comparison with
this contest with the Unknown. Once
again he was taking the Kingdom or
Heaven by violence This time literally.
The mad whim had possessed him
through conscious volition OF his
own, and he had acted upon it without
reflection. He was matching his mortal
power against the Infinite.
He was doing what science knew could
not be done: what the most hvsterical
spirituakst had never claimed power 10
achieve. He was trying. by force Of per-
sonality and sheer desire. To check the
flight of a soul upon the Borderland.
And over and over again his voice
swelled untring. through tho room. in
that one all-compellns demand "A de
mand that held no note of entreaty. nor OF
aught else save utter; fierce domination.
"Dey. Come back
The doctor. scared. irresolute slipped
from tho room. This type of mania was
outside his experience. In time il would
wear itself ont. In the meanwhile. hts
nerves could not endure the sound %
that ceaseiess calling: the sight Of the
tense, furiously masterful face.
1t was two hours later that DR.. Colfax
the first of the summoned New York spe-
cialists. arrived Jack Hawarden met him
at the entrance of the hotel and briefly
explained the case.
II wish.' the boy added. you would
go in and see what YOU can do for Mr..
Conorer. I'm afraid he has lost his mind
I looked into the room several tunes
He shuddered al the picture conjured
up. His nerves had gone to pieces.
1T was TERRIBLE he went on. II didn't
dare interrupt him. He was crouchiug
there, holding her close to him and look
ing at her as If he'd drag her spiri.
by main force back into her body. And
all the time he was saying over and
over"
~ crilI on nm :. Sai5 ,ha r,arialiS+ o,,,
ting in the narrative. Even if tn.
local physician did not complete full
examination To make sure she was dead.
such insane treatment would destroy any
chance of life. Show me the way"
Together they entered the sick room.
Conover had not stirred. Through the
closed door they had heard the hoarse
rumble of his eternal command:
'Dey. Come back"
DR.. Colfax walked briskly across to the
bed
Here he said. addressing Caleb in the
sharp tones used for arousing the de-
llirious. This won't do, You must
He paused. his first idle glance al De-
siree's pale face changing in a flash Ia
one of keen professional interest. He
caught one of her wrists. at the point
where it was engulfed in Calebs great
hand held it for an instant: then. turn
ing. flung open his black medical case
Jack who had fingered at the door.
hurried forward on tiptoe.
You don't mean? he whispered.
quaveringly.
The local physician was mistaken" re-
turned DR.. ColfaX in the same key. ''Or
She" he hesitated
Il have heard of such cases. he mur-
INJURED. in wonder. But | only know Of
Two that are authentic. 1t is more PROB
able that she was merely in a collapse
can inquire later
While he talked. he had been selecting
and filling hypodermic needle. Now.
stepping past Conover, who had no; noted
the newcomers presence. he pressed the
needle-point into DeSiree's forearm.
You really think, then" cried lack
Il think it is worth a fight snapped
the doctor. go down and see if my
nurse has come. j left her at the station.
She could not walk fast as l. Go out
quietly This man doesn't even know
we arc here. but ] don't want to take
any chance just yet of breaking his i'm
fluence.' Time enough for that when the
disitalis begins to act.
Caleb. Conover stretched himself and
sat up. He felt oddly weak and de-
pressed. For the first time III his life lie
was tired out.
For twenty hours he had slept The
afternoon sun was pouring in at the win
doNs. Caleb glanced stupidity about him
and recognized the anteroom leading Off
from the sick chamber. Vaguely at first.
then more clearly, he recalled that some
one-eNer and ever so long ago-had
shaken him by the shoulder and had re-
peated over and over in his cars. she is
alive.
Then. at last the iterated words OF COM
mand that had been saying themselves
through his own lips for three hours had
somehow ceased and something in his
head had given way. He had lurched into
the anteroom. tumbled over on a sofa and
had fallen asleep at once from sheer eN-
haustion. And Dey-?
Weakly cursing the gross selfshness
that had let him sleep like a log while
Desiree's life had hung in the balance
Conover got to his feet and made for the
door of the sick room. His step was
hearing It, came out from the inner room
to meet him. Caleb gazed at the man
with dull vacancy. He did not remember
having seen him before.
"Miss-Miss Shevlin?" asked Conover.
thickly: his throat agoniZingly raw from
the long hours of tireless, unremlttent
calling.
She will get well. l think" answered
the specialist. ''The crisis is past. The
SHINE was not injured But convaiescence
will be slow. Nursing Is the only thing
York by the 6 o'clock train.
Caleb's apathetic look slowly changed
to deep growing wonder.
II think went on DR.. tolfaX, watch
ing Conoyer. narrowly. st may be barely
possible that you can thank yourself for
her recovery Perhep ps l am mistaken.
You see we doctors deal with facts. But
once in a century something happens out
side the realm of fact. Mind you. / don't
go on record saying this Is one of those
executions Butt should like to ask you
sAtNc tt~Io Ss sr1