The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1915-07-08


the wounded man but on those who
attended him. Doctor Holder and tbs
nurses we're 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 n
mere hope There was something pos
itively startling in her serene convic-
tion that Frederic was not to die No
less a 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 God" With
the dampness OF death on the young
mans brow. remarkable change had
occurred even as he watched for the
last fleeting breath II was as II some
secret. unconquerable force had sud-
denly intervened to take the whole
matter out OF natures hands. II was
| not in the books that he should get
we'll; II was against every rule OF ma
ture that he should have survived that
first days struggle. He was marked
for death and there was no alternative.
Then came the bewildering. mystify-
ing change. Life did not take its ex.
pected flight instead Il clung. 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 a 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 II 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 handsl He was no longer
the doctor but an agent governed by
spirit that would not permit death to
claim its ownl 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 transpired on that tragic
morning. He humbled himself before
, them, and when they shook their
heads and turned their backs upon
: him he was not surprised. .or he knew
!. they were not convicting him OF as
sault with a deadly flrearm. 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. =
y you are Wondering, as am. too.
y what Is to become OF Yvonne after to-
day." he said. There must be all
- end. and II It doesn't come now. when
;, will II come? Tomorrow we sail 1t
~ is certain that she is not to accom-
pany US. She has said-so herself. and
y. father has said so. He will not take
~ her with him. So today must see the
end of things" - -N--f
"a Frederic. want you to do some
A thing for me-" said Lydia. earnestly.
There was a time when | could not
have asked this OF you. but now
implore you to speak to your father
In her behalf. love her. Freddy. dear.
l cannot help II. She asks nothing OF
any OF US, she expects nothing. and
10 yet she loves all of us-yes. all OF US.
&c She will never by word or look. make
n a single plea for herself. have watched
ie her closely all these weeks There
~ was never an instant when she re-
u vealed the slightest sign of an appeal
et She takes II for granted that she has
iu no place In our lives. In our memory
y yes, but that is all. think she Is
OF reconciled to what she considers her
ig fate and 1t has not entered her mind
le to protest against It. Perhaps It ID
ID natural that she should feel that way
ne about II. But II is-oh. Freddy. 1t Ia
w terrible! II he would-would only un
IT. bend little toward her. II he"
n' Listen. Lyddy. dear. don't be
wv lieve it's altogether up to him. There
he Is a barrier that we can't see. but they
en do--both OF them. My mother stands
AZ between them. You see. I've come tt
he know my father lately. dear. He's moi
W. a stranger to me any longer. I know
is what sort OF heart he's got. Ht
Gu never got over loving my mother. ant
he'll never get over knowing tha
Yvonne knows that she loved him tt
Tn the day she died. We know what 7
er' was in Yvonne that attracted him frou
gn the first, and she knows. He's no
ng likely to forgive himself so easily. HI
In didn't play fair with either OF them
ed that's what I'm trying to get at.
er don't believe he can forgive himsel
II any more than he can forgive YyonnI
he for the thing she set about TO do. Yo'
u.s. see, Lyddy. she married him withou
Ite love- She debased herself. evei
I'D though she can't admit II even now
m love her, too. She's the most won
derful woman in the world She's go
We the finest instincts a woman eve
to possessed. But she did give hersel