Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-07
CHAPTER xxx.
A Mere Woman Fighting for the
Thing She Loved.

Louisa reached the landing slightly out
Of breath. She knew her way about the
old house very well. Two doors now were
opposite to her. One Of these had been
left ajar-intentionally. no DOUBT 1t was
the one that gave on a smaller morning
room, where, in the olden days, Lord Rad
clyffe used to have his breakfast and write
his private letters: the library being
given over to Mr.. Warren and to official
correspondence
From this side of the house and right
through the silence that hung over it.
Louisa could hear very family rising from
the servants quarters below the sound of
womens voices chattering and giggling
The nurses, then, had not returned To
their post With the indifference born OF
long usage they were enjoying every min
ute of the brief respite accorded them,
content to wait for the doctors call If the
patient had immediate need OF them
Through the chink Of the door the red
glow of a shaded lamp came as sharp
crimson streak cutting the surrounding
gloom
Louisa pushed open the door that was
ajar and tiptoed softly in.
The little room had been transformed
for present emergencies. The, desk had
been pushed aside, and small iron bed
stead fitted up for the night nurse. A
woman's paraphernalia was scattered
about on the massive early victorian fur
niture-a comb and brush, q cap and
apron neatly 1OiOeU, n couple VI jOHS plHSs
Uttered the table which used to look SO
severe with its heavy inkstand and frm
blotting pad. The piano had Eeen rele-
gated into a corner and the potrait OF
Luke, which always hung over the man
telpiece, had been removed.
The door into the bedroom was wide
open, and without any hesitation Louisa
went in. The bed was Immediately in
front Of her. and between it and the hang
ing lamp beyond a screen had been placed.
so that the upper part Of the sick man
figure was invisible at first in the gloom.
and the light lay like a red patch right
across the quilt at the foot.
Louisa advanced noiselessly and then
halted beside the bed. The room was
pleasantly warm, and the smell of disin-
fectants. Of medicines and OF lavender
water hung in the air-the air OF q sick
room. oppressive and enervating.
Gradually Louisas eyes became accus-
toned to the semi-darknesS. She fixed
them on the sick man, who lay quite still
against the pillows. his face no less white
than the linen against which 1t rested
Louisa had no idea that any man could
alter so in such brief while. 1t almost
seemed difficult to recognize In the white,
emaciated figure that lay there with the
stiffness Of death, the vigorous man OF q
few months ago.
deep lines from the nostrils to the corners
of the mouth accentuating its hollow ap-
pearance: the hair was almost snow
white now, and chung matted and damp to
the forehead and sunken temples.
Lord Radcliffe seemed unconscious OF
Louisa's presence in the ROOM but his
eyes were wide open and fixed on spot
high upon the wall Immediately opposite
to the bed. Louisa looked to see on what
those eyes were gazing SO intently, and
turning she saw the splendid portrait OF
Luke de Mountford. painted by the great
est living master of portraiture, which We
all admired in the rooms OF the Royal
Academy q few years ago. 1t had been
taken away from the boudoir and brought
in here SO that the sick man might have
the semblance now that he was parted
from the reality.