The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1913-02-12

However the case. the neart SLOWLY
but surely began to take up its lob
like an honest force-pump, the face
began to lose its death-lIke pallor. the
breathing became more nearly nor
NAL. Doctor Thayer. with Mrs Stod-
dard quiet and efficient at his elbow,
worked and tested and worked again,
and finally sat moveless for some
minutes, watch In hand, counting the
pulsations OF James heart At the
end Of the time he laid the hand care.
fully back under the clothes, put his
watch in his pocket. and finally got
up and looked around the room.
Mrs. Stoddard was pouring some
thing into a measuring glass. Agatha
was standing by the window, looking
out into the blue night; and Aleck
could be seen through the half-open
door, pacing up and down the hall.
Doctor Thayer turned to his sister.
Give him his medicine on the half
hour and then you go to bed. That
man Hand will do now" Then he went
to the door and addressed Aleck.
We'll, Mr.. Van Camp, unless some
thing unexpected turns up, think
your cousin will live to jump over
board again."
Offhand as the words we're, there
was unmistakable satisfaction, happi-
ness, even triumph in his voice, and
he returned Alexis hand-clasp with a
vise-like grip. His masculinity ignored
Agatha, or pretended to; but she had
followed him to the door. AS the old
man clasped hands with Aleck, he
heard behind him deep, 20 Doctorl"
The next instant Agatha's arms we're
around his neck, and the back of his
bald head was pressed against some
thing that could only have been a
cheek. Surprising as this was, the
doctor did not stampede: but by the
time he had got clear of Aleck and
had reached up his hand to find the
cheek, it was gone, and the arms, too.
Susan Stoddard somehow got mixed
up in the general TIE Deum in the
hall, and for the first time, now that
the fight was over, allowed her femi-
nine feelngs-that is, a few tears
to come to the surface.
Aleck, however, went to pieces,
gone down in that species of mental
collapse by which deliberate, judicial
men become reckless, and strong men
become weak. He stepped softly back
into the bedroom and leaned again
over the curved footboard, his face
quite miserable. He went nearer, and
held his ear down close to the bed
clothes, to hear for himself the regu-
lar beating of the heart. Slowly he
convinced himself that the doctors
words might possibly be true, at least.
He turned to Hand, who had come in !
and was adjusting the shades, and |
asked him: do you believe he's
asleep?" in the tone of one who de-
mands an oath. |
"Oh, yes, sir; he's sleeping nicely,
Mr.. Van Camp. saw the change the |
moment / came in"
Aleck still hesitated to leave, fear
full, apparently, lest he might take the
blessed sleep away with him. AS he
stood by the bed, low but distinct !
whistle sounded outside, then, after
a moments interval, was repeated.
Aleck lifted his head at the first sig
nal, took another look at James and
one at Hand, then light as a cat he
darted from the room and down the
stairs, leaving the house through one
of the tall windows in the parlor. Mr..
Chamberlain was standing near the
lilac bushes, his big figure outlined
dimly in the darkness.
Shut up!" Aleck whispered fierce
ly, as he ran toward him. He's just
got to sleep, Chamberlain; gone to
sleep, like baby. Don't make an in
fernal racket"
"Oh, didn't know. Didn't mean
to make a racket" began Chamber
lain. when Aleck pumped into him
and shook him by the shoulders.
Hes asleep-like baby!" he re-
iterated. And Chamberlain, wise COM
rade, took Aleck by the arm and
him off over the hill to settle
his nerves. They walked for an hour
arm in arm over the road that lay like
a gray ribbon before them in the
night, winding up slantwise along the
rugged country.
Dawn was awake on the hills mile
away, and by and by Aleck found
tongue to tell the story of the night,
which was good for him. He talked
fast and unevenly, and even extrava-
santly. Chamberlain listened and
loved his friend in a sympathy that
spoke for itself, though his words
were commonplace enough. BY the
time they had circled the five-mile
road and were near the house again,
Aleck was something like himself,
though still unusually excited. Cham
berlain mentioned casually that Miss
aeynier had been anxious about him,
and that all his friends at the big ho-
tel had worried. Finally, he, Cham
berlain, had set out for the old red