Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-02

Tue poor olu tltdtuit, IluICuiouS III
pink flannel nightdress and sparse
cray hair. with wide and blinking
eyes, turned mumbling and whining.
retreated TO the unknown upper re
gi0ns and vanished in the dark
"All crazy All stark, ravin' luna
tic, An know it, too" ! heard
her solilquize from the s,air.head.
Joel, he amt right in his mind, but
he's mighty sane compared with this
here crowd. | cal'late'"
A door slammed violently~-for Mrs.
Spragg, when not scared blue, had a
fnllgrown temper and silence came
again. silence rs before, with wind
and rain battering the old house and
shaking il betimes, despite its stout
frame of hand.hewn tmbcrs.
Very angry and terribly shaken, |
returned downstairs, passed through
the hall whore now white ashes from
the fireplace had been blown about
the floor by the down..usting wind,
and stopped 10 lay another log on In"
fire. Then | returned 10 the bedside
of Alexandra.
Aroused a. ! now was, | felt
strength to f e every cpntine ncy.
WAc her And should re-. url tr NOT
mat cred nothing 10y IT.. i AID DE-
termination buoNcd me- up / would
stand by the woman I'LL the list
ounce of my energy had been cXpend-
ed-lill the last drop of my blood. il
need were, should have been con
sumed
Exhaustion | no longer even felt.
New life, and fresh. ineNhaustible
forces had been awakened in me
Alexandra still lay there. passive;
but her position had somewhat alter
ed. She evidently scnsed my enter.
ing the room by me slight vibration
made BY the jar OF the eaisscn doors
in closing With Il mute bcckoninG
she raised her richt hand.
seemed to sense n subtle change
in her--a kind of alert intenlresS MOI
only was the Noni,a awake and fuzzy
conscious. but certain fresh activity
and energy seemed to radialc from
,er in a way could MOI understand
could only sense it, with the ntui
lion which we women have and which
men never yet have understood and
never will
I
eagerly then released i, again ana
CROPPED foi her pencil and her pad
Tell me- she wrote. What has
happened"
Nothing Of any importance"
answered speaking into the audi
phone.
BE frank with me! What is IT,
she insisted Il have felt violent jars
and disturbances. What do they
mean? II will be better for me I,
know than to excite my self with spec
ulation.'
Swiftly / pondered. Alexandra va!
right. To deceive her, il she fathomc,
the attempt at deception, would Ger
Z tainly wogk unlavorably upon he
nerves. raise her temperature, and IN
crease her hematic pressure. Thus
might work her a grave, perhaps Al
irreparable injury.
dared not assume the risk Bette
for her TO know The truth, unpleasant
though II were.
Listen, Alexandra, said |, speak
ing very quietly into the receiver
r .YNothins4,f any real Importance ha
I happeneN Yet it is true there ha
been a little disturbance DO not eA
cite or disturb yourself in the least
= You know, of course, that Vital
T Ergazy is a drus-addict?"
Her hand. moving, wrote:
Yes. Morphin.'
VERY we'll" continued "lIe ha
merely taken an overdose
Not fatal?" she wrote with som
agitation.
mo. He is merely unconscious 10
while. That is all. In a few hour
he will recover Meanwhile | will sta
with you till Andre returns"
NO." lied to speak confidently and t
~" ~ With equal confidence that Andr
"ou"e come back at midnight; hut tn
hud within me was filled with terr
''ars' (nisgivings.
Row" said !, you understand
Try you are not alarmed?"
understand. and have no fea,
(oes not disturb me. save than 70