The Delta independent., 1914-12-25
CHAPTER LII.
The Last Trump.

TOWard the evening OF the tniro
day following the motor spill. Judith
sat in the deeply recessed window OF
a bedchamber on the second floor of
a hotel situated In the heart of Call.
fornia's orange-growing lands.
Behind her Seneca Trine sat. ap-
parently asleep. In a wheeled invalid
chair.
There was no occupant OF the room.
Though he had lain nearly two
progress toward recovery OF his nor
NAL state had been rapid Now. &C
cording to a council of surgeons and
physicians who had been summoned
to deliberate on his case. he was in
a fair way to round out the average
span OF a sound mans lifetime. He
had apparently suffered nothing in
consequence OF his accident more
serious than prolonged unconscious
ness. For the last twenty-four hours
he had been in full possession OF his
faculties and (for some reason impos-
sible to Judith to fathom) uncom-
monty cheerful.
From this circumstance she drew
e certain sense of mystified anxiety.
Twice In the course of the morning
she had caught his eye following her
with a CLEAN OF sardonic exultancy.
as though he nursed some secret of
extraordinary potentialities.
And yet Cshe argued II was quite
impossible that he should have some
fresh scheme brewing for the assassin
alton OF Alan Not a soul had had any
sort OF communication with him since
his recovery but the attending sur
geon. a man OF unimpeachable char
acter. n meek hammered trained nurse.
and herself. Judith Under such cir
cumstances he simply could not have
set a new conspiracy afoot
And yet She was oppressed
by a great uneasiness.
Perhaps (she reasoned) the wealth
er was responsible for this feeling. in
some measure at least The day had
been unconscionably hot. a day with
out n breath of air. Now. as II drew
toward its close. its heat seemed to be
come more and more oppressive even
as its light was darkened by n por-
tentous phenomenon-afv vast pail of
inky cloud shouldering' up over the
mountains to the music of distant rum
blings.
Nor was this all: a considerable de-
gree OF restlessness was surely par
donable in one Who from her window.
watched carriage-drive populous
..sf.h ha ~
tor carsl bringing to the hotel gayly
dressed men and women. the guests
invited to the wedding OF Rose Trine
and Alan Law.
Within another ten minutes the
man Judith loved with all her body
and soul would be the husband OF her
sister
She had told herself she was re-
signed. but she was not. and she
would never be. Her heart was break
ing In her bosom as she sat there.
watching. waiting. listening to the
ever heavier detonations of the ap-
preaching thunderstorm and TO the
jubilant pealing OF great organ down
below.
The had told herself that, though
resigned. she could not bear to wit
ness the ceremony. Now as the mo-
ment drew near when the marriage
would be a thing finished, fixed.
irretrievable. she found herself un-
able to endure the strain alone.
Slowly, against her will. she rose
and stole across the floor to her ia
ther's chair.
His breathing was slow and regu-
lar: beyond doubt he slept: unQues-
tionably there was no reason why she
should not leave him for ten minutes;
even though he walked It could not
harm him to await her return at the
end OF that scant period.
Like a guilty thing. on feet as noise
less ms any sneak thiers. she crept
from the room. closed the door ST.
lentiy, ran down the hall and de-
scended by back way. a little-used
staircase. to the lower hall. approach
Ing the scene of the marriage.
Constructed in imitation of an old
Spanish mission chapel, II contained
one OF the finest organs in the world !:
at this close range its deep-throated
tones Wed with the warnings OF the
storm. Judith. lurking In passage
way whose open door revealed the
altar steps and chancel. was shaken
to the very marrow OF her being by
the majestic reverberations OF the
music.
Since they had regained contact
with civilization In a section OF the
country where the Law estate had
vast holdings of land. the chapel was
thronged with men and women who
had known Alan's father and wished
to honor his son. -.
Above stairs, in the room judith
had quilted. Seneca Trine opened
both eyes wide and laughed q silent