Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-24

what he wants, Jeff. That will satisfy him.
won't it, Please. Jeff, for my sake. Sell out
the srnelter and the mine"
"Never.r Jeffs law set and he rose. put
ting her aside almost roughly. I'll never
give them up while I've an ounce of blood to
fight"
His tongue faltered and was silent Ca
milla followed his startled gaze through the
open window at an automobile, from the ton
neau of which man hurriedlv descended.
what can it mean" eff was asking as
though to himself. Sort Bent! What does
he want
dts very curious, Camilla said slowly.
40 see YOU
X7HE\ Bent came into the room a mo-
mcnt later they were both aware OF
the imminence of important revelations.
Camilla had not seen him for two months. |
and she was conscious of a slight sense of
shock at his appearance. Jeff too noted that
he was very pale, and that in his eyes there
hung a shadow of the misfortune that had |
marked them all.
At the door Cortland turned to Mrs. |
Bcrkelv. who had met him in the hall "If |
you don't mind. Gretchen, I'd like to speak |
to him alone, and, when Camilla would have
gone, mo, Camilla it concerns you too.
While they wondered what was coming he |
walked past Ad11lllld ana put Il llttIlu OH
Teff's shoulder, the lines in his face softening
gently.
"They've told me, Jeff. | know. I've
come to offer you my hand" And as Jeff
still stared at him uncertainty, "You won't
refuse it, will YOU"
There was nobility in the simple gesture,
a depth of meaning in the quiet tones of his
voice Camilla alone knew what those few
words were costing him, and she stood
watching Jeff, who was standing as though
he had been turned to stone his head bent
forward on his breast, his deep set eyes peer
ing under his brows as General Bent 5 had |
often done His eyes found Cortland's at
last, searching them kcenly; but he found
in them only small bright flame OF fellow
ship among the cmbcrs OF regret Jcff's |
fingers twitched a littlc-then his arm came
forward impulsivcly and the two men
claspcd hands.
"Im sorry, Jeff, am, from the bottom
OF my heart | want you TO understand"
Il do, said Jeff with difficulty. ~ didn't
want you to know
I'm glad. l think it's better so" He
paused a moment before going on. 81 want
i want YOU and Camilla to go right back
with me. Can you3 That's what came to
ask. Father is ill
Ill" stammcrcd Jeff.
"A stroke OF apoplexy-thc sudden shock
OF discovery -all this Jeff and Camilla
started forward with one impulse of horror.
Rita and Aunt Caroline were with him, and |
Rita had told him the truth. The doctors
are there. He has recovered consciousness;
but his left side is paralyzed, completely
parayzed'
Jeff sank heavily in chair and buried his
face in his hands.
what do the doctors say?" asked Ca
milla anXiouslv
THAT he's very sick, that's all. Nobody
can tell. I've wired Chicago for a specialist
We can only wait and hope. It's pretty des-
pcratc, | know that. He's an old man
| and he S grown older lately"
| Cort stopped speaking and walked to the
window. while Camilla watched him pity
| ingly. He wasn't like the old Cort she used
to know, and yet there was something mex
prcssibly appealing in his gentlencss which
reminded her of the moods in him she had
liked the best. She glanced at Jeff. His
| head was still buried in his hands, and he
| had not moved. But Camilla knew that
this startling revelation was causing a rear
rangement of all Jcff's ideas. In that mo-
ment she prayed that Jeff's bitterness might |
be swectened, that the tragedy that had sud
denly stalked among them might soften his