Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-05-22

slippery ~fern-covered rock, feeling his
feet dangling over nothing. He dug
his fingers into the yielding soil and
with knee and elbow strove frenziedly
to crawl to the path.
But the white bulldog was upon him.
The clamping teeth met in the striving
fingers, and with a scream of pain
Greet Kings hold let go and dog and
man went down together.
= :
Ten minutes later a motor was hurl-
ing itself along the Red Road to the
village. The doctor was in his office
and no time was lost in the return. En-
route they passed Judge Chalmers
driving, and seeing the flying haste,
he turned his sweating pair and dashed
them after the car.
So that when the major finally
opened his eyes from the big leather
couch, he looked on the faces of two OF
his oldest friends. Recollection and
understanding seemed to come at once.
"Well-Southall?"
The doctors hand closed over the
white one on the settee. He did not
answer, but his chin was ~Quivering
and he was wfnking fast.
How long?" asked the major after
a lengthy minute.
"Maybe-maybe an hour, Bristow.
Maybe not"
The major WINGED and shut his eyes,
but when the doctor, reaching swiftly
for a phial on the table, turned again,
it was to find that look once more on
him, now in yearning appeal. South
ALL" he said. send for Judith. II
must see her. There's time"
The judge started up. I'll bring
her." he said, and his voice had all the
tenderness of a woman's. my car
rage is at the door and with those
horses she ought to be here in twenty
minutes" He leaned over the couch.
"Bristow," he said, would you-would
you like me to send for the rector?"'
The major smiled, a little wistfully,
and shook his head. He lay silent for
a while after the judge had gone out
he seemed housing his strength-while
the ormolu clock or the desk licked
ominously on, and the doctor busted
himself with the glasses beside him.
Presently he said huskily:
you've had a bad fall, Bristow. You
were dizzy, l reckon"
"Dizzy!" echoed the major with
feeble asperity. ut was Greet King"
"Greef Kingi Good God!"
"He was hiding behind the screen.
He struck me with something. He
swore at his trial he'd get me. / was
"a fool not to have remembered his
time was out"
A look, wolf.like and grim, had
sprung into the doctors face. His eyes
searched the room. and he crossed the
door and picked up something from
the rug. He looked at it a moment,
then thrust it hastily into his breast
pocket.
"I-remember now. 1t was a pistol.
He snapped it twice, but it missed
fire."
"He can't hide where wen not find
himi" The doctor spoke with low but
terrible energy.
Not that l care-myself," said the
major difficulty. "But l reckon he'd
better be settled with, or he1l-be kill
Ing some n worth while n of these
days."
A big tear suddenly loosed itself
from the doctors eyelid and rolled
down his cheek, and he turned hastily
away.
There's no call to feel bad" said
the major grutfiy. "I've sort of been a
thorn-in-the-iesh to you, Southall. We
always rowed, somehow, and yet"
The doctor choked and cleared his
throat.
Il reckon" the major murmured
with a faint smile, you won't get
quite so much fun out of Chalmers
and the rest. They never did rise to
you as I did"
A little later he asked for the restor.
alive. 'Ten minutes gone" he said
then. chalmers ought to be at Rose
wood by now +. . what a fool way
to go-like this. But it wasn't-apo.
plexy, Southall, anyway"
At the sound of wheels on the drive,
Valiant went out quietly. Huddled in
a corner of the hall were Uncle JEFF
1CIoOn anu AuAt OuphhSS WIN SOAO
beam, the majors body-servant. Aunt
Daphne, her apron thrown over her
face was rocking to and fro silently,
and old Jer.boam's head was bowed
on his breast. Valiant went quickly
to the rear of the hall. A painful en-
barrassment had come to him-a curl
Gus confusion mingling with a fastidi.
ous ms Of shrinking. How should
he meet this woman who recoiled from
the very sight of his face? In the
swiftness of the tragic event he had
forgotten this. From the background
he saw Judge Chalmers lift down the
frail form. and suddenly his heart
leaped. There were two feminine fig
ures; Shirley was with her mother.
The doctor stood just inside the H.