The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-08-20

the wounded man but on those who
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 q
mere hope. There was something pos
itively startling in her serene convic-
ton that Frederic was not to die No
less a skeptic than the renowned
Doctor Holder confded 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. 1t was as II some
secret, unconquerable force had sud-
denly interviewed to take the whole
matter out Of natures hands II was
not in the books that he should get
well; 1t was against every rule of ma
ture that he should have survived that
tirst days struggle. He was marked
for death and there was no alternative.
Then came the bewildering, mystify-
ing change. Life did not take it's ex.
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 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 hands! He was no longer
the doctor but an agent governed by
spirit that would not permit death to
claim its own! 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, for he knew
they were not convicting him of as
sault with a 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 tor
day." he said. There must be an
end, and If it doesn't come now, when
will 1t come? Tomorrow we sail. Ii
is certain that she is not to accom-
pany us. She has said so herself, and
father has said So He will not take
her with him. So today must see the
end of things"
Frederic, want you to do some
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
cannot help 1t. She asks nothing Of
any Of US, she expects nothing, and
yet she loves all of us--yes, all of US.
She will never, by word or look, make
single plea for herself. have watched
her closely all these weeks. There
was never an instant when she re-
vealed the slightest sign Of an appeal.
She takes 1t for granted that she has
no place in our lives. In our memory,
yes, but that is all. / think she Ia
reconciled to what she considers her
fate and It has not entered her mind
to protest against 1t. Perhaps 1t is
natural that she should feel that way
about 1t. But 1t is-oh, Freddy, II Ii
terrible! II he would-would only uns
bend little toward her. II he"
Listen. Lyddy, dear. l don't be-
lieve it's altogether up to him. There
is barrier that we can't see, but they
do-both of them. My mother stands
between them. You see, I've come to-
know my father lately, dear. He's not
a stranger to me any longer. I know
what sort Of heart he's got. He
never got over loving my mother. and,
he'll never get over knowing that
Yvonne knows that she loved, him to-
the day she died. We know what It.
was in Yvonne that attracted him from,
the first, and she knows. He's not
likely to forgive himself so easily. He
didn't play fair with either OF them,
that's what I'm trying to get at
don't believe he can forgive himself
any more than he can forgive Yvonne'
for the thing she set about to do. You
see, Lyddy, she married him without
love. She debased herself. even
though she can't admit it even now.
l love her, too. She's the most won
derful woman in the world. She's got
the finest instincts a woman ever
noSsesead Rut she did give herself