The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1915-07-16

| power to thwar death, ut least IN this
| instance, had it's effect, not 0nIy On
the wounded man but on those whG
attended him. Doctor Holder and the
nurses were not slow to admit that
her magnificent courage, her almost
scornful self-assurance, supplied them
with an incentive that otherwise might
never have got beyond the form Of Z
mere hope. There was something pos.
| itively startling in her serene convic-
| ton that Frederic was not to die No
less skeptic than the renowned
Doctor Holder confided to Lydia and
her mother that he now believed in
the supernatural and never again
would say there is no Cod With
the dampness OF death on the young
mans brow, remarkable change had
occurred even as he watched for tire
last fleeing breath. 1t was as IL some
secret, unconquerable force had sud-
denly interviewed to take the whole
matter out of natures hands. 1t was
not In the books that he should get
well; 1t was against every rule of na-
ture that he should have survived that
first days struggle. He was marked
for death and there was no ALTERNATIVES.
Then came the bewildering, mystify-
ing change. Life did not take its e.
pected fight; instead it chung, flicker
ing but indestructible, to its clay and
would not obey the laws of nature.
For days and days life hung by what
we are pleased to call thread; the
great shears of death could not sever
the tiny thing that held Frederic's
soul to earth There was no hour In
any Of those days in which the be-
wildered scientist and his assistants
did not proclaim that 1t would be his
last. and yet he gave the lie to them.
Holder had gone to James Brood at
the end of the third day, and with the
sweat of the haunted on his brow had
whispered hoarsely that the case was
out of his hands! He was no longer
the doctor but an agent governed by
spirit that would not permit death to
claim its owni And somehow Brood
understood far better than the man of
science.
The true story of the shooting had
long BEEN known to Lydia and her
mother. Brood confessed everything
to them. He assumed all of the blame
for what had TRANSFERRED on that tragic
He humbled himself before
them, and when they shook their
heads and turned their backs upon
him he was not surprised, for he knew
they were not convicting him OF as
sault with deadly firearm. Later
on the story of Therese was told by
him to Frederic and the girl. He did
his wife no injustice in the recital.
Frederic laid his hand upon the soft
brown head at his knee and voiced the
thought that was in his mind.
you are wondering, as l am, too,
what is to become of Yvonne after to-
day." he said There must be an
end, and If it doesn't come bow, when
will it come? Tomorrow we sail. 1t
Is certain that she Is not to accom-
pany us. She has said SO herself, and
'ather has said SO. He will not take
her with him. So today must see the
Ind of things"
Frederic, l want you to do some
hing for me-" said Lydia, earnestly.
There was a time when l could not
lave asked this of you, but now I
mplore you to speak to your father
n her behalf. love her, Freddy, dear,
cannot help it. She asks nothing of
ny of us, she expects nothing, and
et she loves all of us-yes, all of US.
'he will never, by word or look, make
single plea for herself. have watched
er closely all these weeks. There
7as never ali instant when she re-
called the slightest sign of an appeah
he takes it for granted that she has
o place in our lives. In our memory,
es, but that is all. think she ID
econciled to what she considers her
ate and it has not entered her mind
, protest against it. Perhaps it ia
atural that she should feel that way
bout it. But it is-oh, Freddy, 1t Ia
srrible! If he would-would only un.
end little toward her. If hez-
Listen, Lyddy, dear. / don't be,
eve it's altogether up to him. There
barrier that we cant see, but they
o-both of them. My mother stands
stween them. You see, i've come to
now my father lately, dear He's not
stranger to me any longer. l know
hat sort of heart he's got. He
sver got over loving my mother, and
I'll never get over knowing that
vonne knows that she loved him to
e day she died. We know what it
as in Yvonne that attracted him from
e first, and she knows. He's not
rely to forgive himself so easily. He
dn't play fair with either of chem,
ats what I'm trying to get at.
MT believe he can forgive himself
y more than he can forgive Yvonpe
: the thing she set about to do. You
., Lyddy, she married him without
re. She debased herself, even
,ugh she can't admit 1t even now.
owe her. too. She's the most won-
-ful woman in the world. She's got
J finest instincts . woman ever
,sessed But she did give herself
the man she hated with all her soul.