The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1919-03-22

you'd run the risk of putin this here
gal out. Well, go ahead"
"Oh, thank you, thank you'll" ex-
claimed Kate.
Mcfarland looked at her and then
at the men surrounding him. What
am What are you-to do?" he
asked
You're to give her the came thing
you gave him out of this blue bottle"
answered Fallon, passing bottle and
syringe for the inspection of the COM
mittee.
Mcfarland frightened up. That's
fair"
isn't It'll" exclaimed the girl. "They
all seem to know that you wouldn't
hurt me-" She looked at the commit
tee with an all-embracing smile, and
the committee grinped back sheep
ishly.
you are satisfied that this is the
drug and the syringe that I used?"
asked Mcfarland, taking them from
Davis.
There was a chorus of yes" from
Fallon and several of the men who
had witnessed the administration Of
hypodermics to the late Joe Jennings.
Then, I am ready, dear" said the
girl.
With a blanket spread upon the
ground and with his coat for pillow,
Mcfarland made couch for his wife.
The committee drew near to where
she lay, facing the west and the great
gaunt limb of the oak casting its sha-
dow over her. He was pinching up
the skin carefully, preparatory to in
sorting the needle, when Davis sud-
denly called upon him to stop.
mo, you don't!" he cried, with
catch in his voice. you'll take that
dope yourself" And, strangely enough,
the committee agreed with him to a
man.
| The girl protested that she had abb
solutely no fear, but Davis would hear
of nothing now but that Mcfarland
himself should be given the hypoder-
mic. So it was that he changed places
with his wife, and she very daintily,
and not little frightened, admins
tered the injection to him.
How long will 1t be before you
come out O. that, Doc?" asked Fallon,
as Mcfarland lay back on the blanket,
smiling at the girl who sat on the
grass beside him. her hand in his.
Three or four hours at the most"
was the reply.
The committee put in the time play
ing three-card monte. They became
so interested in their game that it was
nearly five o'clock, by Fallon's Water
bury, when they threw down their
cards.
Amt 1t time he was wakin' up?"
queried Davis, strolling over to the
girl.
She knew quite little about medi-
cine, having quizzed Mcfarland in his
student days, and now, with pretty
professional air, she felt of his pulse.
1t was full, slow and strong. She
also noted that his respiration was
slow and deep. I'm afraid that might
have been very large dose, and he's
not very strong" she returned, a trife
anxiously. The effect may not pass
off for an hour yet"
The committee dealt another hand
around.
The girl kept her fingers on McFar-
lands wrist.
AS the sun dropped lower in the
west, look of great anxiety spread
over Hates features. Bruces pulse
grew feebler, more rapid his respira-
tons became distant, slower, and i'm
perfect, and were interrupted by in
tervals of almost death-like quiet. The
girl became frightened. She tried to
rouse her husband. The men left their
cards and stood around her, looking
solemn1y down at McFarland's pallid
face.
/ Cant you wake him?' asked Davis.
mol" she sobbed.
Fallon ran to a nearby brook and
filling his hat, dashed the water into
Bruce's face.
Davis laid his ear to McFarland's
breast. Then he rose and, with a sigh,
turned away. Fallon bent over the
still figure, vainly seeking for some
show of life. Finally he looked up at
his companions and shook his head.
1t was a remorseful vigilance COM
mittee that drew aside and consulted
as to what should be done. Fallon's
suggestion-that he take the girl to
his wife and leave the committee to
bear the body to the shack-was
adopted But when he asked Kate to
| go with him, she refused. and begged
them to leave her alone.
| They left her then, Fallon promising
the others that in little while he
would return with his wife.
The sun flung long russell trail
across the plain and up the mountain
slope, enveloping the form of the man,
Lying, like one asleep, upon the green
sward, and the girl who knelt silently
beside him, staring with wild, dry eyes
into that pale face.
Nature was effecting change In the
landscape; the day was dying Nature
was also effecting change in the