Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-09-26

and happy, but We can't know until we
see her again. and that may never be.
She may have gone too a that place
her father went down. ONE Of that
Limberlost, 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"
"Hart. for PHYS sake stop""
Il can't" cried Henderson desperate
ly. ~ am forced to tell you. They are
fighting brain fever. He did go back
to the swamp and he prowled it night
and day. The days down there are not
now, and the nights wet with dew and
cold. He paid no attention and forGou
his food. A fever started. and his un-
Gle brought him home. They've never
had a word from her or found u trace
of her. Mrs. Comstock thought she
had gone to O'More's at Grand Rapids.
so when Phil got sick she telegraphed
there. They had been gone all hummer.
so her mother is as anxious as Phil"
1.-THE O'Aiores are here" said Edith.
II haven't seen any Of them, because
l haven't gone out much in the few
days since we came. but this is 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
a sick man. Edith. His hands are
burning and shaky and his breath was
hot against my face"
why are you telling me?" 1t was a
cry of acute anguish.
"He thinks you know where she is"
II do not! l haven't an ideal"
"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 cross the water
and suffered keenly. At last he turned
over hers.
Edith" be said. do you realize how
serious this isl"
II suppose | do"
do you 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 IL search for
her there will be Il tragedy that no aft
er regrets can avert. Edith, what did
you say to Miss Comstock that made
her run away from Phil?"
81 told her Phil was mine! That it
he We're away from her an hour and
back in my presence he would be to
me as be always had BEEN
edith. do you believe that now"
The beautiful head barely moved in
negation. Henderson gathered both her
hands in n Of his and stretched an
arm across her shoulders to the post
to support her. She dragged her hands
from him and twisted them together.
mo! l do not believe it now! l
know it is not true. | killed his love
for me. 1t is dead and gone forever.
Nothing will revive it-nothing in all
this world".'
She dropped back against his arm
exhausted. Henderson held her and
learned what suffering truly means.
He famed her with his hat, rubbed
her cold hands and murmured broken,
incoherent things. BY and by great
slow tears slipped from under her
closed lids. 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
very near. Maybe some Of our crowd
are on it. Hadn't we better get away
from here before it lands?"
IF l can walk" she said. "Oh. L am
so dead tired. HART!
Yes. dear" said Henderson sooth-
ingly. Just try to get past the land
ing before the boat anchors. If l only
dared carry you"
They struggled through the waiting
masses. but directly opposite the land.
ing there was a backward movement
in the happy. laughing crowd. the
gang plank came down with a slam
and people began hurrying from the
boat. Crowded against the fish house
on the dock Henderson could only adj
vance a few steps at u time. He was
straining every nerve to protect and
assist Edith.
Henderson shot a swift glance to-
ward the boat. Terrence O'More just
had stepped from the gangplank, es-
corting a little daughter, so like him,
it was comical. There followed a pic,
ture not easy to describe. The Angel
in the full flower of her beauty. richly
dressed, a laugh on her cameo face,
the setting sun glinting on her gold
hair. escorted by her eldest son, who
held her hand tightly and carefully
watched her steps. Next came Elnora,
dressed with equal richness, a trihe
taller and slenderer, almost the same
type of coloring. but with different
eyes and hair. facial lines and ex-
preston.
AS the crowd pressed around the
party an opening was left beside the
fish sheds. Edith ran down the dock.
Henderson sprang after her, catching
her arm and assisting her to the street.