Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-10
Copyright. ~ ~ Doubleday. Pass
AGO.

Copyf19nts IN " doubleday, p28o
AGO
CHAPTER XIV.
Wherein Eiith casr. Wasss . Battle
and Hart Henderson Stands Guard.
q 1lANY people looked. few fol-
IM lowed. - Edith Carr slowly
came down the main street Of
90 Mackinac. pausing here and
there to note the glow Of color in one
small booth after another, OVERCOMING
with curios. Despite the effort she
made to move lightly she was very
tired and. dragged her heavy feet with
an effort.
She turned at the little street lead
Ing down to the dock and went out to
meet the big lake steamer ploughing
up the straits from Chicago. Past the
landing place, on to the very end Of the
pier she went. then sat down. leaned
against dock support and closed her
tired eyes. When the steamer came
very near she languidly watched the
people lining the railing. Instantly
she marked one lean. anxious face
turned toward hers and with q throb
. Of pity she lifted a hand and waved to
Hart Henderson. He was the first
man OF the boat.
ibid you have successful trip"
she asked.
81 accomplished my purpose. Edith,
saw some one today in the Lake
Shore private hospital"
IAN accident?''
emo. Nervous and physical break
down"
..Phfl said he was going back to
the Limberlost."
HE went. He was there three
weeks, but the strain broke him. He
has an old letter in his hands that he
has handled until It is ragged. He held
It up to me and said, You can see for
yourself that she says she will be we'll
and happy. hut we can't know until we
zee her again, and that may never be.
She may have gone too near that place
her father went down. some Of that
I4imberlost gang may have found her
In the forest. She may lie dead in
some, city morgue this instant waiting
for me to find her BODY"
s'Hart, for PHYS sake stop!'
II can't" cried Henderson desperate
~. II am forced to tell you. They arc
fghting brain fever. He did 60 back
70 the swamp and he prowled it night
and day. The days down there are hot
now, and the nights wet with dew and
cold. He paid no attention and forgot
his food A fever started. and his un-
Gle brought him home. They've never
had word from her or found trace
OF her. Mrs. Comstock thought she
had gone to O'More's at Grand Rapids.
70 when Phil got sick she telegraphed
there. They had been gone all summer
% her mother Is az anxious - Phil"
''The O'Mores are here" said Edith.
s'I haven't seen any Of them, because
/ haven't gone out much in the few
DAYS since we came, but this ts their
summer home"
Edith, they say at the hospital that
It will take careful nursing to save
Phil. He says he will stay there Just
two days longer. The doctors say he
will kill himself when he goes. He is
q nick man, Edith. His hands are
burning and shaky and his breath was
hot against my face"
"Why are you telling me" 1t was
cry Of acute anguish.
He thinks you know where she Is.
II do not! I haven't an idea"
HE said It was something you said
to her that made her 60"
THAT may be, but it doesn't prove
that know where she went"
Henderson. looked across the water
and suffered keenly. At last he turned
70 Edith and laid firm, strong hand
over hers.
"Eaith,' 10 said, do you realize how
serious this isT'
II suppose I do"
"Do Won want as fine a fellow as
Phil driven any further? If he leaves
that hospital now and goes out to the
exposure and anxiety of search for
her there viii be a tragedy that no aft
or regrets can avert. Edith, what did
you say to Miss Comstock that made
her run away from PHILIP
VI told her Phil was mine! That II
he were away from her an hour and
back IN my presence he would be to
me % be always had been"
"Edith, do you believe that now r
The beautiful head barely moved IN
ueeation. Henderson gathered both her
hands In ono Of his and stretched an
arm across her shoulders to the post
10 support her. She dragged her hands
from him and twisted them together.
enc! do not believe It now! I
know Il Il not true! killed his love
Tor me. Il u dead and gone forever.
Nothing viii revive it-nothing in all
this sworld!s
She dropped hack against his arm
exhausted. Henderson held her and
learned what suffering truly means.
He fanned her with his hat, rubbed
her. cold hands and murmured broken,
lncoherent things BY and by great
slow tears slipped from under her
closed ld6, but when she opened them
her eyes were dull and hard.
Henderson thrust his handkerchief
into her fingers and whispered, edith,
the boat has been creeping up. It's
vsrys near. Maybe some OF our crowd
are on II. Hadn't We better get away
nom here before It landsr
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