Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-12-07

Does the nurse know this?"
"The nurse is a puzzler."
How so"
Half nurse and half But go see
for yourself. Here's a package to take
in-medicine from the drug store. Tell
her there was no one else to bring it
up. She'll show no surprise"
Muttering his thanks. Sweetwater
seized the protfered package and has
been a far as the turn before. but
now he passed the turn to find. just
as he expected, a closed door on the
left and an open alcove Oh the right.
The door led into Miss Cumberland's
room. The alcove. circular in shape
and lighted by several windows. pro-
jected from the rear of the extension
and had for it's outlook the stable and
the huge sycamore tree growing be-
side it.
Sweetwater could not see Arthur's
face. But his dropping head. rigid
with desperate thinking; his relaxed
hand closed around the neck of a de-
canter. which nevertheless he did not
lift. made upon Sweetwater an impress
sion which nothing he saw afterward
ever quite etfaced.
"When I come back that whisky will
be half gone" thought he and fingered
to see the tumbler filled and the first
draft taken.
But, no. The band slowly unclasped
and fell away from the decanter, his
head sank forward until his chin rest
ed on his breast. and a sigh, startling
to Sweetwater. fell from his lips. Hex.
ford was right-only one thing could
arouse him.
Sweetwater now tried that thing. He
knocked softly On the sickroom door.
This reached the ear Obvious to all
else. Young Cumberland started to
his feet, and for a moment Sweetwa.
ter saw again the heavy features
which an hour before had produced
such a repulSive effect Upon him in
the rooms below. Then the nerveless
figure sank again into place with the
same conStraint in it's lines and the
same dejectinla.
Sweetwaler's hand. lifted in repeti-
ton of his knock, hung suspended. He
had not expected quite such indiffer.
ence as this. 1t upset his calculations
just a trihe.
The door was opened to him this
time. AS it swung back lie saw first
a burst of rosy color as q room pan
eled in exquisite pink burst upon his
sight. then the great picture Of his life
the bloodleSs features of Carmel
Gained for the moment into sleep.
Sweetwater gaZed at the winsome
brown head over the nurses shoulder
and felt that for him a new and i'm
case with his recognition of this wo-
mans great beauty. How deep a fac
tor he was far from suspecting or he
would not have met the nurses eye
with quite so CHEEKY and self confident
a smile.
Excuse the intrusion" he said.
I'VE thought you might need these
things. Hexford signed for them"
Pm obliged to you. Are you-one
of them?" she sharply asked.
"Would it disturb you if 1 were? 1
hope not. I've no wish to seem intru-
sive.''
what do you want? Something, l
know. Give it a name before there's
a change there"
She nodded toward the bed, and
Sweetwater took advantage of the mo-
ment to ScrutiniZe more closely the
| nurse herself. She was a robust, fine
looking woman, producing an impress
sion of capability united to kindness.
Strength of mind and rigid attendance
to duty dominated the kindness, how
eve
II want another good look at your
patient. and l want your confidence
since you and l may have to see much
Of each other before this matter is
ended. You asked me to speak plain
ly and l have done So"
You are from headquarters"
Coroner Perry sent me-" Throwing
back his coat. he showed his badge.
THE coroner has returned to his Of
fee. He was quite upset by the cutlery
which came from this room at an IN
happy moment during the funeral"
II know. 1t was my fault. l opened
the door just for an instant. and in
that instant my patient broke through
her torpor and spoke"
She had drawn him in by this time
and. after another glance at her pa
tient, softly closed the door behind him.
II have nothing to report" said she.
"but the one sentence everybody
heard"
Sweetwater took in the little memo
randum book and pencil which hung
at her side and understood her posi-
ton and extraordinary amenability to
his wishes. Unconsciously a low ex-
clamation escaped him. He was young
and had not yet sunk the man entire
ly In the detective.
His eye went wandering all over the
room as he spoke until it fell upon a
peculiar looking cabinet or closet let
into the wall directly opposite the bed.
whats that?" he asked.
Il don't know. l can't make it out,