The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1909-01-29
CHAPTER VI

CHAPTER vi.
Constable remembered turning into the
driveway after his terrific exertion; re-
membered that the girl and her mother
were standing upon the veranda that the
former stretched out her hand to help him
and the elder woman released a cutting
remark. Then q servant brought chair,
And pillows Of nausea surged over him.
Just ~ his consciousness waned, and he
was launching, chair and all, into space,
Lara's voice reached him again. =
Then he was in the hallway, through
some miracle, and insisting most uncom-
monty that he was not to be taken into
The library, but into the music room, be-
cause the windows there commanded the
mountain.
He awoke to the interesting discovery
that Miss Stansbury was tanning him.
Presently she re-chilled a towel IN the
Iced basin and folded it upon his fore
head, now deliciously cool.
ITS mighty sweet of you to take care
Of me this way" he muttered gratefully.
tsHow IL Pelee? How long have l been
here? The last remember, I was lost
In the hall, and you found me-"
you've been here about three hours,
Mr.. Constable. Pelee Is quiet again, but
the whole world is white outside per-
feet blizzard Of ash has faIlenl They
say terrible thing has happened at the
extreme northern end of the city. The
River Branch overfowed her banks, and
ran with boiling mud from the volcano.
Thirty people are reported killed and the
Usine Guerin destroyed"
She thought he was considering the
disaster in the silence which followed, but
In reality he was battling with the old
problem.
"Miss Stansbury," he said finally, 'is
there anything . man possessed Of full
faculties could do, say or bring about that
would induce your mother to spend the
night off-shore?'
She shook her head.
"You know that the Madame could be
brought in for the mails tomorrow morn
Ing"
Il have taken the liberty to suggest
that to mother" Lara replied. "She says
that tomorrow will be time enough"
Miss Stansbury, won't you put your
self In the care of Captain Negley to-
night? l hope I'm wrong, but the Guerin
disaster may be only a preliminary dem
snstration-like the operator experiment.
Ing .t6 find If 1t Is dark enough to start
the main fireworks. You know, would
stay ashore, and Negley is a good old man
Of the sea-"
Don't you understand, Mr.. Consta-
ble?" she said. in real distress for deny
ing him SO repeatedly. Don't you see
that such thing would bring down a
miserable scene upon our heads2 Besides,
/ am not thinking Of my own safety as
such a paramount thing. l don't want to
be one of Jobs lone survivors. Mother
and Uncle Joey and you must go-when
I do"
The pale, searching face regarded her.
Again he was silent. His lips were shut,
his eyelids half-closed. A swift
intuition was borne to the woman. He
was about to renew the siege. She was
not ready, and shrank from being moved
to decision which she had not formed
In the privacy Of her own mind. The
hast two days Of suffering had rendered
her strangely responsive to his mental &C
lions. His quest had filled her brain with
wonders, but they were not yet coalesced
impulses and inspirations without
unity, unbound as yet by judgment. She
wanted to yield with grace, If 1t came to
that, but not to be overthrown. His hand
seached for hers. but she drew away.
Miss Stansbury-"
"Please don't say 1t now |" she whis-
pered swiftly, her words startling herself
quite as much as the man. ''These are
such dreadful hours! We must think of
the crisis-only of that-putting behind
al that passed last nightl'
"Until?" said Constable, sitting up.
"Oh, who can tell2 One knows-Mr.
Constable, isn't it wicked of you to mud
die me this way"
A smile from him had given her the
saving turn. The tension was eased.
Now, as he held out his hand to her, she
was not slow to accept 1t, or to miss
the meaning Of the compact.
"Pelee will be beyond the sky line for
us all pretty soon," he said cheerfully.
well be very good pals in the mean
time. Please 60 to the window and see
how our ogre IL faring-the giant who
thinks he's going to eat US when we're
prime-'member the fairy story? BY the
way, Miss Stansbury, did you ever have
set Of billiard balls cracking off caroms
on your brain PAN"
Yes, and ten-pins. Men don't know
headache matters. The north
- clearer, sir. A little while aso Il was
I'll seethins mass Of blacks and srays."
An exclamation broke from her lin.
and Cohstabts Joined her at the window
A dozen birds had fallen to the lawn from
the caves. Most Of them were dead from
the tainted air. The sight brought the
situation more forcibly than ever to her
mind.
81 should think the birds would 6v
sway!" she said pityingly.
perhaps the mother birds are waiting
for mails to come in" suggested a voice
behind them. Mrs. Stansbury was stand.
ing in the hall doorway.
A gracious rain cleared the air Of earlv
evening, and Constable settled himself
for further nap at the north window
upstairs. He had not realized his ex-
haustion, and was astonished to find that
It was midnight when he awoke. He was
stronger, but a cyclonic headache still
oppressed him. Glad though be was for
the hours passed, still he was by no means
unappreciative Of the chances he had
taken. A forlorp hope of saving the Isdv