The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-10
Five Frozen Notes OF Interrogation


IT, no servants. no luxury. no society. no
this and he looked around the room
deep bosoKned In culture and refinement
Would you prefer It alone?" There
was shadow Of Q smile On her lips, but
he never knew It
"Of course not he answered sadly,
but you'd never go there"
II would CO." That kiss had opened
gates which only death could close.
You would go?" he repeated in amaze
ment. This ehiid-woman that he loved
had tasted all the delights OF Englands
best
, II would TO-" she answered, gently.
keeping her face from him.
ITO poverty, hardship and roughing IT.
Then she rose and stood before him.
her face afiame-
with you. barefooted. to the end OF
| the world and beyond 1t oh, don't You
understands she whispered. when the
1 clear dawn comes to q woman, all the
| lights look SO garish and artificial. Oh.
tomorrow I'll be practical. SO practical.
but this hour is yours and mine for all
watching the dawn come down the
! mountains. Don't let's worry about the
conmissariat in the valley below"
| At last Marbourne tore himself away.
As he left the house and walked to his
car, he lit a cigar and deliberately held
he was awake. Slowly he drove home
and before long was deep In dreamless
siumber.
Suddenly he found himself wildly
awake. The church clock struck four.
He sat up in bed, desperately conscious
of some untoward happening. He heard
footsteps swift of motion, and voices
hushed but agitated. The thought of fire
came to him In a moment he was out In
the passage.
He saw Jack DaIlison fash by. breath
less; he saw the cygnet and her mother.
amorphous and indeterninate, others OF
the sextet undulated interrogatively about
the passage. Gale came striding along.
whats the matter. Gale" he said
quickly. 'fire?"
mo. something wrong with Miss
Strickland. Dallison's gone to telephone
for the doctor"
Tho cygnet was IN her element She
had been disturbed by q noise and nobly
nut her head outside the door. To her
Dallison had conveyed the news as he
fed to tho telephone. Her mother ap-
piauded her courage. The cygnet dis
claimed all merit with . self-eonscious-
ness that was memph1tic-
| Anxious moments followed. Mrs. Abed-
| nego came from the sick room with news
that Miss Strickland lay UNCONSCIOUS
! Salvolatile and hot water bottles were
sought, and the report that she breathed
1 e
able to diagnose the trouble. Dalison
| returned from the telephone.
THE doctor will be here in ten min
/ utes," he said shortly. I'm going to put
on some clothes in case OF need
"Elizha." murmured Gale to Danyers'
| Fastening to don tho mantle
| IT heard Elijah's chariot of fire return
tabout midnight" answered Danvers. and
then drawing Gale aside he said in low
| voice.
"As q topic of cross-examination. has
Il occurred to you"
Yes, it has. When Dallison comes
down, I'm going accidentally to leave II,
his bedroom copy Of Theocald.s oooA
on wills and o certain page turned down.
| He probably won't notice 1t till he 10 get
ting up. Then he and she will have No
time to plot together, before that topic
Of characterization 10 put to her IN
prepared. think breakfast may b
| amusing"
A few minutes passed and the seruneh
| Of the doctors car was heard outside
Daiiison hastsaed downstairs to rneei
him. Gale had way In court OF seiz1ne
the string OF his gown when long sho'
found its mark. Dsnvers saw him finger
| ing his dressing gown. resenting tho tas'
sci.
The doctor passed to the sick room
Reassuring news came almost at once
She was regaining consciousness. The
:. diagnosis followed; an electric shock
by the morning she would be all right
The crowd Of sympathizers melted int
obscurity and silence reigned again II
the great house, broken only by the nois'
I of beited dedf and the sound Of thu
i Doctors departing wheels.
There was but one topic Of conversation
= at breakfast next morning. and when
q Nina entered pale but courageous. every
{ ono hastened to voice the conventional
j inquiry. Gale noticed that Dailison alon<
( ohu Raft ar rat
= Ing lady was on the stage Her self
possession was complete, almost an
l. tagonistie. The effortiess security Of
the previous night seemed yelled, Just
9 the difference between a beautiful woman
perfectly gowned and a palmer siste'
: not quite sure OF her dressmaksr.
4 81 am so sorry" she said in her crate
full voice, as she sat down next to Gale
y ito have given You all such shock. no,
. nearly such . shock. though. as go
] myself" she continued with q smile ~
y was such an easy thing to happen.
- woke up feeling thirsty. put ont
Il hand on the tap Of the basin and ths
6 other on the electric switch. ] knew
e nothing more. The doctor talked iei
T about electric currents. I was too etupid
r . short circuit or something silly like
4 that tumbled IN . heap and biisteree
my hand"
t Every one plunged into electric reIninis-
= cence and the usual abonlination o
n breakfast desolatfon became an oasis o,
d conversation. Gale listened in silence
d That half spoken thought between hin
and Danvers cried for speech and yet nc
= one voiced it He wondered where Dali
Z iison was and whether he was reading II
4 his room. The cygnet was restless
= she was no longer attracting attention
u She had been hailed as Mothers Little
Scout" only to sink into obscurity ir
p the midst of silly grown-up converse
y ton she could not understand.
Il There came a pause and the cygne,
uplifted her small discordant voice.
> Miss Strickland"
= Gale looked at Danvers and turned
as II to speak to Nina He wanted II
- watch her face.
Miss Strickland" reiterated the voics
Of destiny.
Z Eyes. dear"