Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1910-05-13
CHAPTER XIV.

Derring found Seth watching for his
coming. and saw at a glance that he
was very i'll. Even less practiced
eye could not have mistaken the signs.
The hands that lay outside the faded
patchwork cover were yellow and
wrinkled: the veins stood out, a net
work of cords. across the backs. They
were the hands of an old man Rich
ard noted their feebleness as they
closed eagerly around his own strong,
firm fingers Seth seemed to him to
have aged 20 years since he saw him
last
Il am glad you have come, Dick.
was afraid you would not get here l
wanted to see you again. My life has
been a failure. It's hard to say that
when you come to die" he rambled
on. Yours won't be failure, Dick
And | helped to make it. | thought
perhaps / should die easier if | could
look at you again and see something
that | had helped to do in the world"
After this first greeting he said no
more of the comfort of Richards pres
ence. But it was evident in the glance
of his eyes as they followed the young
man about the room and in his rest
lessness when Richard was absent for
a time.
Richard saw that his place was here
as long as Seth needed him, and he
quietly made arrangements to stay for
an indefinite time. He established
himself as caretaker and nurse. Young
as he was. his experience of life had
been deep enough for him to under
stand that it is not often that one man
can do for another what his mere
presence did for Seth.
The old man did not speak again oil
himself or of approaching death. But
he questioned Richard eagerly about
his work and the life he led Every
detail of it interested him. 1t was as
if he were listening to the story OF
what his own life might have been
And Richard, understanding by sub
tie sympathy what it meant to him
and the men, the hurry and rush OF
the city. and the haste and true hos
pitality of the social life.
A stranger looking into the room
would not have guessed that it was
soon to be the chamber of death
Laughter often interrupted the re
cital Richard had often fancied tha
when he came to die he should mo-
, want the humor of life taken from
him. And the account of his. Chicago
life was not dehumorized for a dyins
man. Seth, listening. seemed to gain
quiet strength OF soul as his physica
strength failed.
The story of Helen and his love fol
her was too closely interviewer will
the life of the year to be omitted
even had Richard cared to do so. Lit
tie by little he had told it all. Sell
i listened eagerly and questioned Dicl
closely He made him describe he
8 minutely-her personal appearance
her characteristics, her likes and dis
likes, her work-everything that con
q cerned her. AS Richard talked of her
. the older nan would watch his face
seeking something Then smile o
content would cross his face and h
would close his eyes as If asleep. Blu
! when Richard stopped he would say
! I'm listening"
7 One day when they had been talk
: ing of her he asked Richard to opel
t a leather trunk that stood at the foo
S of the bed and hand him box tina
= he would find there.
: AS he lifted the lid of the trunk tn
young man knew that he was looxin
3 into the grave of Seth's love. 1t wa
a filled with letters and old-fashione'
a trifies, evidently keep-sakes. A long
4 wristed glove and riding whip la
across the top of small box Careful