The Washington herald., 1911-08-23
THE PURCHASE PRICE
By EMERSON HOUGH.
Author o. Mississippi Bubble"
1911 The
Bv EMERSON HOUGH.

! slightly contracting, making neither pro-
test nor assent. He drew long breath OF
satisfaction.
"Of course you'll stay he said Its
the right thing to do, and we both know
il. You don't want to kill a man. nc
matter how much he desires or deserves
1t. Doctors and women-they sometimes
are fatal, but they don't consciously
mean to be; now. do they? We don't ask
many questions out here in these hills,
and l will never bother you. 1 feel
entirely free to ask you to remain at
least for a few days-or maybe weeks"
her eyes still were on his face. 1t was
d face fit for trust. Very well.' said
she at length quietly. If you think it is
necessary ~
1t was thus that Josephine St Auban
became the head of Tallwoods house
hold. Not that week did she leave, nor
the next, nor the one thereafter. The
winter advanced, it was about to wane,
and still she remained. Slowly, the mas
ter advanced toward recovery. Meantime.
under charge of the mistress, the house
hold machine fell once more into proper
ways The servants learned obedience.
The plans for the work of the spring
somehow went on much as formerly.
l Everywhere there became manifest the
presence of a quiet, strong, restraining
and self-restrained influence.
In time the doctor became lighter in
his speech, less frequent in his visits.
You're not going to lose that musical
leg, Dunwody," he said. "Old Ma Nature
beats all US surgeons. In time she'll fill
you in a nice new bone along there may
be, and If you're careful you'll have two
feet for quite a while yet to come.
You've ruined old Eleazar's fiddle,
though, taking that E string! Did I ever
tell you all about that coon dog Of mine
| had once?'
Dunwody at last reached the point OF
his recovery where he could grin at these
remarks; but If anything, he had grown
more grim and silent than before. Once
in a while his eyes would linger on the
face of Josephine. Little speech Of any
kind passed between them. There were
no callers at Tallwoods, no news came,
and apparently none went out from that
place. 1t might have been a fortress,
an island, a hospital, a prison, all in
one.
At length Dunwody was able safely tc
leave his room and to take up a resting
place occasionally in the large library
across the hall. Here one day by acci-
> dent she met him. he did not at first note
her coming, and she had opportunity now
n carefully to regard him as he stood mood
lily looking out over the lawn. Always a
tall man, and large, his figure had fined
down in the confinement of the last few
weeks. 1t seemed to her that she saw
the tinge OF gray crawling little higher
on his temples. His face was not yet
thin, yet in some way the lines of the
mouth and jaw seemed stronger, more
deeply cut. 1t was a face not sullen,
yet absorbed, and above all full, now, Of
a settled melancholy.
Good mbrning," said he, smiling. as he
saw her. Come in. I want to talk to
| DleaSa don't Old
argument about the compromise, and
about slavery and the rights of man.
You've been trying-an these weeks when
I've been down and helpless and couldn't
either fight or run away-to make me be
a Bentonite, or worse, an abolitionist-
trying, haven't you? to make me an
apostate, faithless to my State. my be-
liefs,, my traditions-and I suppose you'd
be shrewd enough to add, faithless to
my mat rial interests. Please don't, this
morning. I don't want subjective thought.
l don't want algebra. / don't want his
tory or law, or medicine. I want
She stood near the window, at some
distance removed from him, even as she
passed stopping to tidy up a disarranged
article on the tables here or there. He
smiled again at this. Where Is Sally?''
he asked. And how about your maid?"
Some one must do these things" she
answered. Your servants need watch
Jeanne I can always find-but it is with
her young man, Hector
He shook his head impatiently. 1T all
comes on you-work like this. What could
have done without you? But yourself.
how are you coming on? That arm Of
yours has panied me"
1T ceased to trouble me some time
since. The doctor says, too, that you'll
be quite we'll, soon. That's fine"
He nodded. It's wonderful, isn't it?'
said he. You did it. Without you I'd
be out there" He nodded toward the
window. beyond which the grass-grown
stones of the little family graveyard
might be seen. You're wonderful"
He wheeled painfully toward her pres
| emily. Listen. We two are alone here
in spite Of ourselves. Face to face again,
| in spite of ALL and well enough. now,
both Of US, to go back to our firing lines
before long. We have come closer to-
gether than many men and women get
to be in a good many years; but we're
enemies, and apart, now. At least you
have seen me pretty much as I ANA
savage-not much more. I've seen you
for what you are-one woman out Of
hundreds, of thousands. There isn't going
to be any woman in my life, after you
Would you mind handing me that paper,
please?"
He pass d the document to her opened.
| ftere nat i meant 10 DO II i QlQnt
come III G .gh. 1t wasn't much. But
am to -; and If / had died, that was
ali I could pay. That's my last will and
testament my dear girl. I have left you
all have. 1t is a legal will. There'n
never be any codicil."
She looked at him straight. 1T is not
valid" she said. Surely you are not OF
sound mind,'
He looked about him at the room, for
the first time in his memory immacu-
lately neat. From distance there came
the sound of a contented servants voice.
! An air Of rest and peace seemed In some
way to be all about him. He sighed. Il
never will be Of sound mind again,
fear.
Make this paper valid!' he suddenly
demanded "Give me my sound mind
too You're given me back my body
sound"
| Her lips parted in a smile sufficient to
/ show the row Of her white and even
teeth. "You are getting well. 1t Is time
/ for me to go. As to this" She handed
| him back the paper folded.
"You think it's only an attempt to heal
the soreness Of my conscience, don't
/ you?'' he said after a time, shaking his
lead 1T was: but II was more Well,
you can't put your image out OF my
heart, anyhow. I've got that So you're
] going to leave me now? Soon? Let .s
i be soon. / suppose It has to come"