Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-05
Bv ANNA Katherine Green
*f**

Once. in Mrs Postlethwafte's presences
she yentured to ask the doctor, whose
visits were now very frequent WhaS
he thought Of the young laoys conoi-
ton.
knowledged, "or she would be here IN
stead of in her own room ~ erieves
her not to be able to wait upon ner gem
The word fell heavily. Had II been
used as a test? Had the alarm ex-
pressed by others communicates tssn
at last to the physician? was inc
charm which had held him subsefvient
to the mother dissolving under the
pittable state of the child. and was ne
trying to aid the little detective nuroe
in her effort to sound the mystery OF
her condition? The silence which on
sued was broken by Mrs. Postlethwaitss
'She will live-this poor Helena-how
long?" she asked.
Il do not understand Miss Postls-
thwaite's case. ! should ike, with your
permission. to consult some New YORK
physician" answered the doctor
"Of course you will do what you
think best, as you know l never inter.
fere with doctors decisions But
and here her natural ascendancy or
tone and manner returned in all Its po-
tency, at would kill me TO know that
a stranger was approaching Helena's
bedside. 1t would Kill her; Snes TOO
sensitive to survive such shock
Il am doing all I can for her. We
will wait another day and note the ef-
feet of my latest prescription" said ths
doctor.
Another day.
The deathly calm which overspread
Mrs. Postlethwaite's features as this
word left the physicians lips warned
Violet not to let another day go BY
without some action But he gave the
appearance of being under Mrs Postle-
thwaite's complete thrall. and watched
with fascinated eyes every movement
of the one unstricken finger which
could do so much.
To make the old man speak, To
force this conscience stricken but re-
bellious soul to reveal what the clock
forbade. How could il be done?
At o'clock Violet suddenly left the
room. Slipping down into the lower
hall. she went the round OF the clocks
herself. listening to every one. There
was no perceptible differences in the
tick. Satisfied that 1t was simply the
old mans imagination which had sup
piled them each with separate speech.
she paused before the huge one at the
foot Of the stairs-the one whose do
tate he had promised himself to follow.
With a wary look about her and q
listening ear turned toward the stair
top she stretched out her hand and
pulled open the door guarding the PEN
dulum- and peered in at the workA
smiling slyly to herself as she pushed
IT back Into place and retreated up
stairs to the sick room.
When the doctor came that night she
had a quiet word with him outside Mira
Postlethwaite's door. Was that why he
was on hand when old Mr.. Dunbar stole
from the room to make his nightly cir
cult Of the halls below? Something
quite beyond the ordinary in the
good physicians mind. for the look he
cast at the old man was quite unlike
any he had ever bestowed upon him be-
fore. and when he spoke il was to say
with marked urgency:
our beautiful young lady will not
live week unless get at the seat OF
her maiady. Pray that l may be en-.
abled to do SO. Mr.. Dunbar"
A blow to the aged mans heart
which called forth a feeble Yes. yes,s
followed by a wild stare which i'm.
as the look of one hopelessly old. who
hears for the first time a distinct call
from the grave which has long been
awaiting hfmi
hall No other sign Of life was visible
anywhere. To listen to the clockS
united hum. the old man started fore
ward upon his course. Did some whis.
per. hitherto unheard. warn him that 10
was the last time he would tread that
weary round? He was trembling very
much when, with his task nearly com.
pleted. he stepped out again into the
main hall and crept rather than walked
back to the one great clock to whose
dictum he made 1t a practice to listen
last.
Chattering the accused words, They
say yes, They are all saying yes! now:
but this one will say no." he bent his
stiff old back and laid his ear to the
unresponsive wood But the time for
no had passed. 1t was yes! yes, yest
yes, yes! now. and as his strainine
ears took in the word he appeared to
shrink where he stood. and after .
movement of anguished silence. broke
into a low wall. amid whose lamsntaa
tions one could hear:
THE time has comet Even the clock
she loves best bids me speak. Obi Ara
bella, Arabellai"
In his despair he had not noticed tha4
the pendulum hung motionless. or that
the hands stood at rest on the dial Il
he had he might have waited long
enough to have seen the careful opens
ing Of the great clocks tall door an4
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