Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-29

just when any more than can. Il
all depends on Developments
But it is only a matter OF a few
days now. surely
Probably only TWO or three Your
bondage is nearly at an end.
Thank Heaven she wrote. her
hand tracing the words with tremb-
ling feryor. Then she lay quite still
What were her thoughts at realiza-
ton of the approaching metamorpho-
sis? Her dreams, her hopes, her pray
ers? Who could have told?
arose from the bedside, consultec
my written instructions and made
some careful adjustments of the ap.
paratus controlling the heat, humidity
and lieht-rayS. Upon reading the in
struments | found that the sphygmo-
manometer registered a sensible in
crease of blood-pressure, and that the
arm-thermometer showed rise of ?
degrees. Obviously the mental slim
produced these results. | decided to
talk with her as little as possible for
the present, and TO try by all means
to keep her calm, passive and at rest.
The changes had noted were in
themselves rather favorable than
otherwise, The polychromatic lines,
| noted, now were showing still more
markedly than ever the tendency to
converge that Andre had spoken to
me about.
Should this continue onl, at the
same rate as now operating, the cru
cial moment must, | fancied, arrive
some time between midnight and the
next morning, during Vital Ergazy's
period of duty. l rejoiced that the re-
sponsibliiy would at least not fall on
me, and resolved to keep the process
from going forward any more rapidly
than at present
Just keep calm and strong little
while longer, dear Alexandra" | said
to her, taking her hand.
She pressed mine and relaxed, max.
ing no further effort to write. Eyi-
IDENTIFY she realized that the final
hours were now drawing on and on;
and she was bracing herself, gather.
ing her forces together for the crucial
moments soon--as we both, alas, even
then believed--to be ended by the
triumphant emergence of perfection
Thus the late afternoon dragged
by, and six O'Clock came near In Il
little while | knew Vital Erga2y
would relieve me. | looked forward
with keen longing to my time of rest
The strain and tension Of the past
weeks were beginning to wear even
my iron nerves and weaken my vital
forces.
felt that for some time had been
making oyerdratts Oh my reserves O..
nerve and energy | had been too
deeply absorbed III the case to notice
my own condition or care much for
it; yet every day my mirror had
shown me a face more pale and
drawn. with deeper lines and eyes
more followed and weary.
Nurse and physician though | was,
and thus supposed to stand outside
the pale Of human emotions or the
weaknesses and frailties OF a woman's
emotions, yet | could not quite sup.
press a tinse of unworthy, feminine
envy. just a taste Of gall and worm
wood touched my lips.
Alexandra, another woman, was
soon to emerge from her long dark.
ness. beautiful and queenly beyond
compare, to be acclaimed by all,
while |, to whom all this would be so
very largely due, was growing older,
palmer, and more unattractive day by
day. My care for her. my sleepless
nights, and days of anxious thoughts
and Watching-these were in part the
price of her perfection. | could not
help feeling pang of jealousy HeaN.
en- help me,--for as Alexandra had
more than once said, | was a woman,
too.
tried, however, rcsOlutely to put
all such unworthy thoughts from my
mind that afternoon. As it drew to a
close my WEAKNESS grew upon me. /
felt a yearning eagerness to have the
ordeal end; to write Fnis at the close
Of the strange narrative; TO return to
my own practise and forget those cX.
traordinary events, which even as
they happened seemed To posses elo.
ments Of unreality, so strange they
were.
Six o'clock came at Iength on leaden
feet longed now to behold even
de black. bearded face and evil smile
of Vital Erga2y, even the ugly look
in his drug.contracted pupils --- any
thing to relieve me from HE lntolera.
bic strain
Impatently | waited, but Ergazy
did not arrive Five minutes passed,
then ten and presently the clock
marked els, Still no sign Of the
doctor
rrO 1E CONTINUED
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