The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-02-10
CHAPTER XVIII.
"Say ~'Sandry'!"

or the stricken man IN the pine Of
fee. All Of the day and as much Of
the night as her strength would per-
NIT she was beside him, soothing his
restlessness, tending him with a
skill that showed intelligent training.
Outwardly she was as quiet as the
spring days. Inwardly she painted and
suffered with the abandon of the pas
sionate nature which sees it's desires
in danger. More and more she grew
to fear and hate the silent, soft-footed
girl whose face between it's dark
braids was a mask of tragedy. With
her woman's instinct and her almost
unnatural cleverness she knew that
way lay danger. Seltishly, in self
centered passion, this loved.
and to gain the object Of that love she
felt within her heart that she could
wreck the universe. And it's object
was in twofold danger-from Sandry's
death and from Siletz.
Therefore she began to watch Siletz
with catlike ~glances from under her
lashes, and to think with all her bril-
liant brain of some way to eliminate
her from the question, of some bond
stronger than her work with Hamp-
den to bind herself into Sandry's life,
should he ecove
AS for Sandry himself, he was far
on that road which has no turning.
For a day or two he had lain in tor
por, to u at last, as a high fever
set in, to delirium. He began to talk,
first in a rambling, reminiscent whis-
per Of his early life. He was a charm
Ing, eager, high-souled boy again, and
the woman beside him saw clearly into
the clean depths of his life.
But on the second day of his de.
lirium something seemed to fall upon
him from the past that drew a line OF
trouble around his lips and set some
great, hard question in the hot, blue
eyes. For long intervals he lay silent,
as il the tired mind were turning and
returning some important thing, to
break out suddenly in excited speech.
mo-" he cried out suddenly; mo,
by heaven! Not while I'm alive to
right it,"
And again:
Legitimate! My God, it's done le-
! gitimately!"
This was as the sun, a soft, golden,
benign u Of early spring, dropped
over the western ridge, sending long,
blue shadows across the narrow val.
ley. AS the shadows darkened into
twilight Ma Daily, bearing some
Strengthening brew, doomed hugely in
the Office door.
I'll take watch now" she said,
you ben on guard a long while. Bet.
ter go get some rest"
But Poppy Ordway, who was bend.
ing closely over the cot, sprang sud.
denly erect. Her cheeks were flushed,
and in her face was a strange excite
ment. NO." she said firmly, 81 shall
stay the night out. He is delirious
still and l cannot leave him."
Ma Daily, that shrewd old general
of men and meals, took keen note OF
every small thing in the hushed room
set down the broth and turned away
her whole kindly heart filled with sus
picion.
Outside in the darkness Siletz stood
a little later and looked through the
open window at the figure on the
white cot, and the watcher beside it
Her hands were clasped tightly to
gether and her dark eyes were heavy
with unshed tears.
IF he-dies," she gasped dryly be
tween her parted lips, IN kill her anG
go with him to hell, for he has ne
God"
But Sandry did not die. For a weel
he travelled on strange paths Of mem
DRY, calling on Ruth to come out O.
the cleaning of a far land, standing
aside to watch Naomi send back tn,
ones she loved, and sometimes crying
out sharply, "Oh, Absalom! My son
my son!" Again he laughed bitterl!
and spoke of lost faith in men.
Throughout the week Poppy Ordwa!
stood such a vigil a only a woman
who loves, be she good or bad, cal
stand. With a clever jealousy she KEEP
everything under her own capabl,
hands, only giving grudging place t,
Ma Daily when she could no longe,
command her overtaxed strength.
One night she refused to leave San
dry at all, firmly dismissing Ma, VIII,
ragged inwardly but was no match TO
her in the open ways of bluff. At mid
night the owner of the Dillingwortl
suddenly opened his eyes, weak ant
tired, but sane. He saw, On the din
background of faint light from a shad
ed candle. the TRANSPORTED face o
the watcher, and with a feeble smil,
of utter content dropped back to OF