The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-06-17
THROUGH THE STORM.

no longer live in the same house with
his mother "You must choose between
u.s." she said, her splendid voice vibrat
ing with all the unleashed emotion of her
being, yet with no faltering in it. IF
she stays I go.''
Stephen Fair, harassed and bewildered,
was angry with the relentless anger of
a patient man, reused at last.
go, them" he said sternly. 'I'll never
turn my mother from my door for any
woman's whim''
The stormy red went out of Emily's
face, leaving it like marble mask.
''You mean that?" she said calmly.
'Think well. If I 60 shall never re-
turn
II DO mean it," said Stephen. ''Eeave
my house if you will, if you hold your
marriage vow so lightly. When your
senses return you are welcome to come
back to me. ! will never ask you to-"
Without another word Emily turned
away. That night she went back to
John and Amelia. They, on their part,
welcomed her back gladly, believing her
W Ue WIOHScu dHu Ill-uSeu WOludu.
They hated Stephen Fair with a new
and personal rancor. The one thing
they could hardly have forgiven Emily
would have been the fact of her relent-
ing toward him.
But she did not relent. In her soul
she knew that, with all her just griev-
ances, she had been in the wrong, and
for that she could not forgive him!
Two years after she had left Stephen
Mrs Fair had died, and his widowed
sister went to keep house for him. If
he thought of Emily he made no sign.
Stephen Fair never broke word once
passed.
And now Stephen was ill. The
strange woman felt certain pride in
her own infexibility because Che fact
did not affect her. She told herself that
she could not have felt more uncon-
cerned had he been the merest stranger.
Nevertheless, she waited and watched
for John Phiiiipses' Homecoming.
At 10 o'clock she heard his voice in
the kitchen. She leaned out of the bed
and pulled open the door. She heard
voices below, but could not distinguish
the words, so she rose and went noise
lessly out into the hall, knelt dcwn by
the stair railing and listened. The door
of the kitchen was open below her and
narrow shaft of light struck on her
white, intent face. She looked like a
woman waiting for the decree of doom.
At first John and Amelia talked of
trivial matters. Then the latter said
abruptly, did you ever hear How Ste
phen Fair was ?"
Hes dying" was the brief response.
Emily heard Amelia's startled excla-
nation. She gripped the square rails
with her hands until the sharp edges
dented deep into her fingers. Johns
voice came up again, harsh and express
sionless.
''He took bad turn the day before
yesterday and has been getting worse
ever since. The doctors don't expect him
to live till morning."
Stephen, her husband-dying! In the
burning anguish of that moment her
own soul was as an open book before
her. The love she had buried rose from
the deeps of her being in an awful ac-
cusing resurrection.
Out of her stupor and pain a purpose
formed itself clearly. She must go to
Stephen, she must beg and win his for
giveness before it was too late. She
dared not 60 down to John and ask him
to take her to her husband. He might
refuse. The Phillipses had been known
to do as hard things as that. At the
best there would be a storm of protest
and disapproval on her brothers and
sisters part, and Emily felt that she
could not encounter that in her present
mood. 1t would drive her mad
She lighted lamp and dressed her
self noiselessly, but with feverish haste
Then she listened. The house was very
STILL Amelia and John had gone to bed
She wrapped herself in heavy wooden
shawl hanging in the hall and crept
downstairs With numbed fingers she
fumbled at the key of the hall door
turned it and slipped out into the night
| through the storm and blackness seemed
as an unbroken nightmare to Emily
Fairs recollection. Often she fell. Once
as she did so a jagged, dead limb Of
| fir struck her forehead and cut in it a
cash that marked her for life. AS she
struggled to her feet and found her way
again, the blood trickled down over hel
! face
ooh, God, don't let him die before ]
get to 't-don't-don't!" she
prayed desperately, with more of de-
fiance than of entreaty i'll her voice;
then, realizing this, she cried out in hor
ror. Surely some fearsome punishment
would come on her for such wickedness
she would find her husband lyine
dead.
| When Emily opened the kitchen dool
of the Fair homestead, Almira Sentnel
cried out in her alarm. Who or what
was this creature, with the white face
and wild eyes, with torn and dripping
garments and disheveled, wind writher
hair, and the big drops of blood tricklins
from her brow. The next moment she
recognized Emily, and her face hard
ened. She had always hated Emily Fair
| what do you want here?" she asked
| harshly.
''Where is my husband?" said Emily
"You can't see him." said Mrs. Sent
ner, defantly. "The doctors won't allow
anyone in the room but those he's uset
to. Strangers excite him.
The insolence and cruelty of hel
speech fell on unheeding ears. Emily
understanding only that her husband
yet lived, turned to the hall door.
| Stand back" she said, in voice thai
was little more than thrilling whisper
but which yet had in it something thai
cowed Almira Sentner's malice. Sui
lenly she stood aside, and Emily went
llnhindered up the stairs to the room
where the sick man lay. The two doc
| tors in attendance were there with The