The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-02-21
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STOLEN 9&
@ q SINGER.
BY MARTHA BELLINGER.
. coomen4T I2u zHE 6oss1-46ea21 oo4eGoV
, MARTHA BELLINGER.
c0eNeaaz ~ a aosal -AzEeal1A oaNeAAY

face with his hands Agatha, watch
Ing, by and by saw a change come
over the sick mans face. She held
her breath, II seemed for untold min
utes, while Doctor Thayer reached his
hand to the patients heart and leaned
over to observe more closely his face
"See!" she whispered TO Aleck
touching his shoulder lightly, "he is
looking at US" When Aleck looked uE
james was indeed looking at them
with large, serious, half-focussed eyes
1t was as il he were coming back
from another world where the laws OF
vision we're different. and he was only
partially adjusted to the present con.
ditions. He moved his hands feebly
under the bedclothes. where they
were being warmed by the freestone
and then tried to molsten his lips
Agatha took a glass OF water from
the table, looked about for a napkin
but, seeing none, wet the tips Of her
! fingers and PLACED them gently over
Jane| lips. Elis eyes followed her at
first, but closed for an instant as she
came near. When they opened again.
they looked more natural. As he felt
the comfort Of the water on his lips,
his features RELAXED, and look OF
recognition illuminod his face. His
eyes moved from Agatha to Aleck.
who was now bending over him, and
back to Agatha. The look was a sa-
lutte, happy and peaceful Then his
eyes closed again
For an hour Agatha and Aleck kept
their watch, almost fearing to breathe.
Doctor Thayer worked, gave quiet or,
ders, tested the heartbeats. let no
movement or symptom go unnoticed
For time James kept even the doc
tor in doubt whether he was slipping
into the Great Unknown or into
ccep and couvalescent sleep. BY the
end Of the hour, however. Jimsy had
decided for natural sleep, urged there
to, perhaps, by that unseen playwright
who had dacreed another time for cur
tain; or perhaps he was kept by Doc
tor Thayers professional persuasions.
in defiance of the prompter's signal.
However the case, the heart slowly
Lut surely began to take up its job
like an honest force-pump, the face
began to lose its death-Iil;e pallor. the
breathing became more nearly nor
NAL. Doctor Thayer, with Mrs. Stod-
dGrd quiet and efficient az his elbow.
worked and tested and worked again,
and finally sat moyelass 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 90.
uF and looked around the room.
Mrs Stoddard was pouring some
thing into 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 viii do now" Then h5 wsnt
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"
OGhand 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 !
him to the door. As the old |
man clasped hands with AIeck he !
heard behind him a deep, 20 Doctorw |
The next instant Agatha's arms were
around his neck, and the back of his |
bald head was pressed against some
thing that could only have been q
cheek. Surprising as this was, the
doctor did not stampede; but by the
time he had got clear Of Alock and I
had reached up his hand to find the /
1heek, it was gone. and the arms, too. /
susan Stoddard somehow got mixed |
I'D in the general re Dcum in the |
1all, and for the first time, now that
he fight was over allowed her femi- /
line feelings-that is, few tears
% come to The surface.
AlecG however, went to pieces,
zone down in that species Of mental
collapse by which deliberate, judicial
nen become reckless, and strong men
become weak. He stepped softly back
nto the bedroom and leaned again
,ver the curved footboard, his face
luite miserable. He went nearer, and
leld his ear down close to the bed
,lothes, to hear for himself The regu-
ar beating of tho heart. Slowly he
convinced himself that the doctors
words might possibly be true, at least
10 turned to Hand, who had come in