The Washington times., 1913-10-12

| ingly.
''I'll have to go myself. in that case
1 IL you don't mind being left, said a
| voice behind Mrs. Ashley.
] She turned and saw Robin standing
/ in the easement
Certainly not. You must 60 at once. y
] she said.
/ After the servants had disappeared
! she asked anxiously:
You saw, then, Robin? And Dysart
how is she?''
1T is-horrible" groaned Robin, with
a convulsive shudder. He's sit
| ting there, with her poor head on his
knees, and her blood all about him, star
ing into her terrible wide eyes, and
cannot make him hear me or speak.
Il don't think he was even conscious
that i was in the room, and his face is
| as fixed and awful as hers. ] cannot
even if you did. 1 doubt If you could
do anything with him. 1 hate to leave
you alone here. but"
"Oh, don't mind me!' Mrs. Ashley
| hurriedly broke in. Don't think of
me-there is no time to lose! I'd go
! would be best-but don't you think II
| would be wisest to leave him alone for
| a while? AS long as he Is taking 1t so
| terribly, had we not better leave him
with his dead, for just little?"
Perhaps you are right replied Rob
in, albeit trifie doubtfully.
Il do think l am," she said earnest
| ly. He will realize soon. and then
grief will come; and after the first out
| burst is over he will be all the stronger
| and more able TO endure it. And now,
| Robin, go quickly"
He wrung her hands silently, and then
strode away across the lawn rapidly
| with bowed head.
The time seemed interminable to
Madge Ashley as she paced madly back
nd ha nd nd RI
kept his fearful vigil upstairs.
The minutes were centuries long, and
! the deathly stiffness which brooded over
| the house was charged with a nameless
horror. 1t seemed to her that hours
passed-that Robin and the others would
! never come.
Suddenly a thought recurred to her.
and she halted, with hands pressed
| tightly against her burning temples, as
| If distraught.
Her dream! The terrible dream which
| had awakened her, Of something hap
pened to Victoria 1t seemed to her that
she could hear again that horrible CUR
CLING scream which, in her vision, had
! issued from Victoria's lips.
| But-and a cold perspiration seemed
| to battle her covering body as an ap-
palling idea flashed across her mind
: suppose that scream, which had been
the elimination of the dream, had been
something more than a mere fgment of
| her braln-plcture?
Suppose it had actually been Victo-
| ria's dying cry? Then, If she could fix
in her mind the time at which she had
so suddenly awakened, they could know
at what time Victoria had met her
death,
She never afterward knew how long
! she sat lest in her gruesome, fearful
thoughts, while the pine branches muir
INJURED in the morning breeze and the
sun streamed over the broad veranda
and into the silence Of the stricken room
upstairs.
She only knew that, after a long, long
time she heard a distant cry, and saw
Lucille running swiftly to her across
the lawn, with her arms outstretched
and tears streaming down her cheeks.
and after her came Phillip Merriman n
and Bertram and Robin.
The two women waited on the We
randa-there was nothing they could do
in the room where Victoria lay and the
atmosphere of dread which seemed to
brood over everything within doors
stified them.
They clung together for mutual SYM
pathy, and in sheer terror of the very
thought of the grim tragedy which had
fallen so crushingly upon them.
They were incapable of speech. save
mere distointed exclamations of horror
and grief: meanwhile, they strained
their ears to catch the slightest sound
from above
Finally. just when it seemed that
they could not bear the suspense an in
stant longer. they heard the soft closing
of door. then dull thud, as of a heavy
body falling-and after a minute, the
slow. deep tread of steps upon the
stairs
Rushing TO the easement, they saw
Phillip and Bertram carefully descend
ing, supporting between them the un-
conscious figure of Dysart.
With a little cry, Mrs. Ashley darted
ahead Of them. threw open the library
G0or. and. rushing to the divan. smooth
cd the cushions and helped TO ease the
inert form down upon them.
Lucille brought some water in a bowl,
and they bathed his forehead anxiously.
| but he showed no sign of returning
consciousness.
He didn't recognize US said Bert
ram i'll low tone. He didn't under
stand a word we were saying TO him,
hut he let us lift her head from his
hnees-my God. but II is frightful; her
! throat is cut from ear to Garland VIC
led him from the room. Just outside
the door he fell. unconscious"
I'm only afraid for his heart" whis-
pered MadSe Ashley. Somebody lind
some brandy, puickly!'
Per;ram dashed into the dining ROOM
and returned with small cordial glass,
and Madge tried vaialy to force some
of the liquid between the set teeth anxi-
should awaken to the consciousness of
his great grief
She managed at last TO get a few
drops Of the potent liquor into his
throat. and with a shuddering gasp he
stirred and swept one hand dazedly
over his brow.
At that moment Robin entered the
room, thrustinG a KEY into his pocket
a. he came His eyes were red and
swollen, and his voice when he spoke
WAS tAiCk and muffed
After one quick glance they all SYM
pathctically ignored his emotion.
How is hc?"
'f?etter. ! think. Robin" answer
MHGgc, He's just coming to-speak to
him"
'Dy I'D man" said Robin brokeniy.
his hand on tho shoulder OF the pros-
tratc form. us Robin. Won't you
speak to mcleod, He doesn't know
me-
For Dysart had opened his eyes full
upon his brother with no sign Of recOs-
milton in their fixed gaze, and then he
tossed about feverishly. mutts-ing unin-
t'ligibly to himself. Finally. as tney
all watched anXiously about him he
seemed to fall into a troubled sleep.
broken by restless turn Of his head
now and then upon the cushion and a
sighing moan.