Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-01-12

After certain time--how long
cannot say--the tension became uDen-
durable Out into the hall ! crett
again, realizing how weak a thing Al
heart even the strongest woman is
when the affairs Of men are under
way.
ht the stairhead could distinguish
little The fire had gone low, AMI
through the hall gray glimmer was
beginning to he yisible--the wan. for
lorn premonii0n Of the rainy April
morning
In tie pale ghost OF light crept
down the long stairs Of the landing.
past the inperturbabe clock, down in
to the hall itself! My whole body was
shaking, my teeth chattering with cold
and nervous exhaustion
The sight OF Vital Ergazy's corpse
in limp sprawl amid a pool of black,
cOagulated blood turned me- sick and
faint. Not that the spectacle OF death
was any novelty to me or in itself inn
pressve but to witness thus the ultI-
mate outcome Of tragedy for which
! felt myself largely responsible work
ed terri Nv on my nerves.
Slow 81 ntlr. 'ieenly on the
watch for my SIGN or SOui Il " nure.
| approacned the body. knt t. beside
it, and bN the duh glow of The Goals
looked tor long moment into t"at
dead face beneath the bandases.
Then, filled with pity yet sensing
very real relief, | once more arose and
kept on down the hall.
Singularly enough. though | was
armed only with that rather futile
poker, felt now no alarm. rue,
Brodeur was still somewhere in this
part of the house, but | no longer
seemed to dread him. The double
tragedy had SO strongly reacted on ne
that | now almost longed to see the
Frenchman again and talk with him,
tell him the truth. discuss the matter
with him-slsy me though he might
at last My indifference to cOASequen
ces verged on recklcssness
| understood now tina, he had loved
Alexandra and had hoped for every
thing, His work for her had been
filled with personal elements. with
aspirations, and with dreams. | want
ed TO tell him of her death and of her
last endearing thought of him
Perhaps | might still justify my &C.
ton in his eyes. Evil though | be-
lieved MIN to be- and knowing that his
hands were crimson, yet lonsed for
speech with him once more.
Thus with strange new courage /
went forward, paushg not to listen
nor looking backward any more at
that still figure so stark and chill un'
der the wan light of morning And
30 | came to the surgery. stopped at
its open door, and peeyed in.
No light was burning there, but the
place was dimly Illuminated by an in
candescent in the ward, the rays from
which shone gari-hly out through the
caisson doors, both open. These
beams made ghoslly CLEAN and gilt
ter all among the test-tubes, the re-
forts, the brass and steel instruments
30 costly and so carefully ch0sen--all
having served for naught despite their
delicate wonder-naught save TO have
forwarded the course q horror, trae'
edy. and death.
All was silent in the ward as |
passed through the surgery and reach
cd the caissons A strange present.
n,ent all at once came over me |
seemed to foreknow what | was to
find there. thus my surprise was not
oyerpowering. Yet that suffered a
esrtain shock cannot deny when my
eyes first fell on the body of Andre
Brodeur.
II was hail lying on The bed, bali
lolling on the floor. The left hand
held some crumpled paper, The right
arm, eloquent even in death, was ~
ing over the sheeled body Of the WON.
an Alexandra, mercifully yelled from
my sight. Something about the atti.
tude--as If even beyond the gates Of
oblivion Andre was seeking to caress
and to protect her-brought lump
into my throat and tears into my
eyes.
| stopped at the foot OF the bed my
henri aching with an immense grief