The Alaska citizen., 1913-07-07
Between Midnight and Morning
Virginia Terhune Review
Virginia Terhune

Up and down. up and down the
long room the man walked from
the wide front windows to the per
there's hanging before the door which
shut off the den at the rear Of the
great drawing room In This den tho
master of the house WAS eloseted
with the family physician and his
colleague. whom he had summoned
in consultation as to the chances OF
life for the daughter lying in the
room upstairs. In the parlors walk.
ed and waited the man who loved
her. who was 10 marry her III tire"
months time if she lived.
If she lived, The aWfnlness Of
this if caught him by the throat
as though it We're a new word to
him and he had not said ii over to
himself again and again within the
past week. If" He ground his
teeth savagely. There must be no
If" Such a cruel thing could not
come between two people who loved
each other so dearly. He could mo-
bear il. he would not bear il, He
twisted his fingers together in agony,
and the projections on the ring he
wore cut into his flesh and recalled
him to himself. Half automatically
he stopped under the lighted chan
delier. and looked at the little ahra-
sion on the skin caused by the ring
on the third finger of his left hand.
Then he studied the ring as he had
done many times before.
1t was a curiously wrought design
"a large spider, the longest legs of
the insect interlocking to form the
band about the finger, the thick,
rounded back making the central
ornament The shorter legs, which
did not join in the band, were drawn
up close to the gold body projecting
slightly, so that at times they caught
in rough fabrics thereby annoying
the Wearer He remembered that oc-
casionally when he had stroked Hell
ems hair these protuberances had
caught some of the golden strands
and pulled them, SO that she had
uttered a little exclamation OF pain
and indignation at the cross Old
spider" whose fault it was. The ring
had been her gift to him. She had
picked it up in a Turkish bazaar
while abroad last year and had liked
the oddly of it, the live" look OF
the creature with its cleaning emer,
aid eyes. In giving it TO him she
had said softly:
He will hold your finger tight.
just as my love holds you fast, and
he will watch you all the time, just
as my love would if it could
John Drake recalled the words
moodily, recalled them with the keen
appreciation of human powerlessness
which all know. who have seen how
the might of love seems as nothing
when fever and illness grasp the
loving or beloved. He resumed his
walk, up and down, up and down, as
he had paced to and fro for the past
two nights while Helen Morton lay
battling with Death in the room
overhead.
The door OF the den opened; the
physicians passed into the hall TO
don hats and coats, then shut the
front door softly behind them. Hell
ems father came out of the little
room and Drake strobe to meet him.
"Wen?" he asked anxiously.
The older man grasped the lovers
hand
No change, Jack Just the same
old thing. She may get well-she
may lnger on for fortnight longer
and-then-go."
The fathers voice broke on the
last word. Then he flung up his
head,
but she shall not If we can save
+ her, my boy! Wen believe in the
/ best And now for her sake rs
well as your own. you must go home
and get some rest. You are worn
out. So am |. l propose to go to
bed and make Helen's mother do
the same. Both of the doctors say
that there will be no sudden change,
at least for several days yet. We
all need a few hours rest None
of us has really slept for three