The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-01-30
CHAPTER XXI.
Tell Me, Teit 1t All.

| ell Me, SN " All.
| The day was gray one, the first
! of the kind in weeks. AS Doris
stepped into the room where Oswald
sat, she felt how much a ray of sun
shine would have encouraged her and
yet how truly these leaden skies and
this dismal atmos sphere expressed the
gloom which soon must fall upon this
hopeful, smiling man.
| Advancing slowly, and not answer
| ing because she did not hear some
casual remark of his, she took her
stand by his side and then slowly and
/ with her eyes on his face, sank down
| upon her knees, still without speak.
ing, almost without breathing. :.
what is the matter, child? So
| weary, Ell? Nothing worse than that,
I hope"
"Are you quite strong this morn
! ing? Strong enough to listen to my
| troubles; strong enough to bear your
| own if God sees fit to send them
came hesitatineIy from her lips as she
watched the effect of each word. In
| GREATNESS anxiety.
Troubles? There can be but one
trouble for me-" was his unexpected
| reply. THAT / do not fear-will not
fear in my hour of happy recovery.
| So long as Edith is well-Doris!
Doris! You alarm me. Edith is not
ill-not ill.,"
The poor child could not answer
save with her sympathetic look and
hating, trernulous breath; and these
signs, he would not, could not read,
lis own words had made such an echo
| In his ears.
I'll! l cannot imagine Edith ILL., !
i always see her In my thoughts. sssI
eaw her on that day of our first meet.
ing; perfect, animated woman with
the joyous look of glad, harmonious
nature. Nothing has ever elouded
that vision. If. she Eese- ill i would
have known it. We are AaslrnlE ape
that-Doris. Doris, you Sdp Ipt apeak:
You know the depth, OF my Wow fe
terror of my thoughts. Is,EditM IN ss''
The eyes gazing wildly into his.
slowly left his face and raised them
selves aloft, with a sublime look.
Would he understand? Yes, he UNI
derstood, and the cry which rang from
his lips stopped for moment the
| beating Of more than one heart in that
little cottage.
Dead" he shrieked. and fell back
! fainting in his chair. his lips still
| murmuring in semiunconsciousness,
Dead! dead!"
|. Doris sprang to her feet, thinking
| of nothing but his wavering. slipping
life till she saw his breath return, his
| eyes refill with light.
| But the rest must be told; his
brother exacted it and SO did the sit.
uation. Further waiting. further hid.
ing of the truth would be insrpport.
able. after this. But oh, the bitterness
Of it! No wonder that she turned
away from those frenzied, wildly-de.
manding eyes.
"Doris?"
She trembled and looked behind
her. She had not recognized his
voice. Had another entered? Had
his brother dared-No, they were
alone; seemingly so, that is. She
knew-no one better-that they were
! not really alone. that witnesses were
within hearing, II not within sight.
"Lorls," ne urgec again, anu TINS
time she turned in his direction and
gazed, aghast. If the voice were
strange, what of the face which now
confronted her. The ravages of sick.
ness had been marked, but they were
nothing to those made in an In
slant by blasting grief. She was
startled, although expecting much,
and could only press his hands while
she waited for the question he was
gathering strength to utter. 1t was
simple when it came; just two words
"How long?"
She answered them as simply:
"Just as long as you have been Ill,
said she; then, with no attempt to
break the inevitable shock, she went
on: Miss Challoner was struck dead
and you were taken down with ty
phoid on the self-same day."
Struck dead! Why do you use
that word, struck? Struck dead! she
a young woman. Oh, Doris, an acct
dent! My darling has been killed II
an ACCIDENT"
They do not call it accident. They
can 1t what it never was. What Il
never was" she insisted, pressing hin
back with frightened hands, as he
strove to rise. Miss Challoner was
How nearly the word shot had LEFT
: her lips. How fiercely above all else
;. In that narrowing moment had riser
the desire to fling the accusation o.
that word into the ears of him whit
listened from his secret hiding-place
. She refrained out of compassion fol
the man she loved, and declared in
j stead, Miss Challoner died from I
, wound: how given. why given. no ont