The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-11-25

ley HGIEOF1c career III Los
Angeles had attracted considerable at
tention in newspaper and financial cir
rIes. All that was known of him was
that he had been engaged in sheep
raising, and 1t was generally supposed
he was a Virginian who had come to
the oil fields with some small capital
and had made a lucky strike in the
Good Hope gusher.
His impulsively generous nature and
his magnetic personality, coupled with
his youth and good looks. had made
him a marked nah in the small bust,
ness world of oil and mining men. in
which he had in few months become
so important a factor; hence it was the
terrible injuries that had befallen him
while inspecting his mining properties
had been given much space in the
newspapers. The reports were meager
as to just how his injuries had been
sustained save for the fact that his
physician, DIR. Frank Durand, stran-
| ger to Los Angeles, had by good fortune
been with him at the time of the acci-
dent. DIR. Durand had stated to the
newspaper reporters that the injuries
| sustained by Mr. Powell had occurred
by the collapse of building during
drunken riot at the Mammoth mine.
which Mr.. Powell owned.
| The papers also stated that MIR.
| Powell's business affairs would be
looked after by his cousin and eastern
business associate. Blair Stanley of
1 TlSo "A
to Los Angeles by Mr.. Powell just pre-
vious to his accident.
The papers made dramatic story
| of the return of the young millionaire
to his new palatial home. his first
/ homecoming to it, crushed, shattered.
/ unconscious and seemingly dying man
And then the accident ceased to be
a three days wonder, and other sensa-
tional happenings and events of inter
est supplanted it in the papers, and
John Powell and his affairs gave no
further concern save to those who We're
personally interested.
Among these was pretty young wo
man who lived quietly under the name
of Esther Harding at a modest hotel
Esther, after ner first rebuff at the
portals of the Powell mansion, the day
after the injured man was brought
back, returned again and again and
was persistent i'm her demands to see
the injured man.
I 1t was not as a timid pleader Esther
had come to the so called Powell man
sion on a last occasion. She was de-
termined to see Arthur. Tactfully she
had waited, with the watchful Quab-
ba lingering near. until she had seen
Durand and his shadow and accom-
plice, the dapper Count de Vaux, leave
the premises. Blair Stanley she knew
J was at Arthurs offices. already taking
charge of his affairs
Esther was not afraid of them. col
lectively or singly. but she deemed it
best to encounter Vivian Marston. who
she learned was in charge of the sick
room alone Esther had no desire to
bring notoriety and ruin perhaps upon
!. the injured man. known here in Los
, Angeles as John Powell, by any pre-
mature disclosure of his real identity
If she could help it. But she was de
termined to go even to this length were
it necessary and were she further de-
nied access to the one in all the world
she loved with every fiber of her brave
and loyal little heart
J Some intuitiye sense of Esther's at
titude must have impressed Vivian
Marston. for she did not upbraid the
manservant Instead she said Il will
see the young lady, and followed the
servant from the sickroom where Ar
thur lay semiconscious in restless fe
vered sleep
Vivian was in her costume as nurse
masquerade she had assumed in fur
therance of the plot against the help
less Arthur. She spoke as one having
, authority.
;. "You cannot come in here" she said
tensely. Mr. Powell is at deaths
door. Any intrusion or excitement
would be his DEATH
Esther faltered. Then the Stanley
spirit asserted itself. Better he die
with true friend By him than live
with such as you and your associates
ministering to him.. she said scorn
fully.
Vivian was cool and kept her wits
That will be matter for our FRIEND
to decide when he is able to decide it
VIII you believe me if | permit yoJ
to enter and you can see for yourseH
that he is delirious?''
Esther bowed assent If her enc
mies-for she knew they We're, enenie:
were lighting fairly it behooved hel
to do as much
Arthur lay with eyes closed, tossing
in fevered sleep. Esther knelt by thu
bedside, and her hand caressed the poor
bandaged arm nearest her Her gazt
was upon the fevered, anguished coun
tenance of Arthur. She kept no heed Of
Vivian, who passed by the foot Of thu
: bed and took small instrument froI
the table there. Then Vivian passed
softly to the back OF the bed between
the injured man and the window She
, laid a hand, as though soothingly
upon the free arm of the uneonsciou:
Arthur. 1t was in this manner the
two women-the one who loved hin
above all else and the one who loved
him not at all-waited in the silence
of the sick ROOM
Then his eyes opened, and he saw
her. Esther he murmured is i
you, dear?"
Yes she whispered softly 1T is
Esther
: He smiled aud was about TO try tc
A