The San Francisco call., 1909-12-19

much courage it required, nor how the feel of the
cold flesh me shuddering back again. swayed
against the low reading table and bottle toppled
into my lap 1t contained the little white tab
1cts-the doctors prescription" Nela took to make
her sleep On the table was the glass in which the
dose had been dissolved.
A great hope spEang up in In her agitation she
had taken slight overdose and this the result
a state of coma that would pass when the doctor
rived. l dragged myself suddenly across the floor
and with my hand trembling so that could scarcely
hold it caught up mirror from the dressing table.
"For Gods sake, miss what are you going to do?'
one of the maids whimpered.
The housekeeper, having summoned the family ply
sician, came over and touched my Come
away" she begged
But caught my breath and pulled myself up close
to the figure on the bed l held the mirror against
the parted lips and waited while the endless ticking
of the clock in the adjoining sounded loud as
the crack of doom.
And then came the sharp ring of bell; footsteps
tore up the steps. | drew my free hand across my
eyes and forced myself look down at the face OF
the glass. Not a sign of mist marred the surface
it was as clear as when l had taken it up
remember gaspng for breath like under
water Then must have shrieked, for 1 can still
hear cry ringing After that blessed dark
The voice of Mrs Pennng was the first to greet
me when regained consciousness. 1t came from
adjoining room and I looked about dizzily, to find
myself on couch in the boudoir A maid was bath
ing my head in eau de cologne another with smelling
salts in her hand bent me-
'The papers must not know" Nella's mother was
moaning 1--WE must keep it from the reporters; it
must be kept out of the newspapers" 1t sounded
monotonous dirge.
l started up "Is sheis she dead? It was all L
could do to say the word
One of the maids nodded and frightened tears
raced down her cheeks.
at was an accident, tell Mrs. Psnning. have
proof found myself saying dazedly AN ac-
cident," kept repeating, do you hear?" l gripped
the girls shoulder and shook it. i want to see Mrs
Pennng. / must tell her
Nella's mother in, weeping weakly, painful
streaks making grotesque patterns across the powder
on her face "Oh, my dear, to think that you should
have been the 6rst Isn't it too dreadful9 l don't
know why she shoud"=
"She didn't" almost shouted Il tell you, have
letter from her saying that she wanted to see me
today, asking me to come Here pulled Nenas
note from the gold mesh bag attached to my bracelet
then pushed it back again. NO, you can't see It,
She said must not let any one
CALL 1T ACCIDENT
Rutherford Penning had come in from the bed
room He sent the servants and led his wife to
a chair, gently strokng her shoulder Its all right,
my dear. Don't worry 1t was accidental They've
fixed on asphyxiation There'll be no mention OF the
morphine Well have to buy off the coroner and his
could have shrieked again. Was no one think
ing of Nella? "An accident! An accidentF
thought | should go mad hearing them repeat the
word If only l could have given up the note and
quieted theml But even in my irresponsible con
dition realized that the scandal it would bring to
light must be avoided at all costs
He came over to me- You poor child you're all
with some one, and be careful not to say any
thing He helped me up and went down the stairs
with me. "On the whole, think I'd better take you
myself - ,,,, hs,r,,,
l clung to his drew up before my door i
want to be alone-alone must beF II only the
chattering and felt unsteady on my feet You tell
them" pushed him into the lighted library, where
l could hear my mother angriiy questioning maid
When reached my room locked both doors and
flung myself on a couch. A weighted pendulum was
pounding in my head and it bobbing back and
forth like that of a japanese figure had no power
to control it
Yet my mind astonishingly active.
All the terrible trial of the last few days, all the
winters misery had eliminated in this. 1t was the
work of the systematic Unsuitable social system that
produced such Grant Haywood, the system OF
which Nella and and all the rest were slaves Nella
had gone down under It, and r.
1t had robbed me of hopes, of ideals; it had wrung
from all that dear; it had laughed at me and
thrust me back into mans each time had
succeeded in freeing myself 1t had wounded Dick,
taken Nella from 1t unappeaSable brute,
crushing the souls from us vlctims mocklng tnelr
struggles to survive 1t twisted and turned them IN
its great claws, making OF them creatures or the
senses like itself gloating over their impotent
efforts to tear from its grasp.
sat up pushing the hair from my eyes There
was throbbng behind them and they things red.
If only could keep my head from bobbing though
it were on wresi If only the tears would comel
wondered why should go on living ina world
despised, world that had nothing to give me, not
even taste of love. This afternoon had resigned
myself to the inevitable But there no way out
had not Nea shown it to me?
Nela was deadl Before had cringed from the
word now there was infinite peace in it, wanted to
be free of lying of DECEIT of hypocrisy of the vile
ness of life as had learned know it. loathed the
present, l dreaded the future-and Nella had shown