The Washington times., 1920-12-16
about the last thing
you thought I'd do. wasn't
itY" asked Val after telling

you thought I'd do, wasn't
a it?" asked Val. after telling
me that she wanted Jim to try to
reach Lane by long distance.
Then she collapsed. She went on
into a long faint which was almost
a coma and didn't come out OF IL
until long after Jim and Pat had
carried her up to the guest room
and Jeanie and Bertha and i had
undressed her and laid her In the
big four-poster.
The doctor said IL was shock.
wrote prescriptions galore, ordered
an Ice bag and digitalis for her
heart and left orders with the nurse
that no one was to disturb his pa
tent. But scarcely were we through
the break fast, which had been so
long delayed as to become break
fast-lunch-"brunch as Jim called
it-when the nurse appeared with
the Information that Mrs Cosby In
sisted on seeing me.
You'd better come. It's best not
to let them work themselves up"
said she.
shut the door" commanded Val
when / appeared in answer to her
summons. land lock it,"
did as she bade me. Then l sat
down beside the bed.
Mustn't agitate yourself, Val"
81 won't. But I'm not SO sick
that / don't know what / am doing.
I'm not going to tell you a thing"
she declared.
mo. Val. the only person you
must tell anything to is Lane" !
replied.
Val stared at me for a moment
with an air of looking through
my head into my mind. Then she
asked tersely:
HAS Jim reached Lane YETI
mot yet. But the call is in for
Montreal, and the stop either side
Of there"
"Oh--thats good! What's Jim
going to tell Lane when he gets
him?'
HIS LAST WORDS.
Just that you were smashed up
a bit by a tumble down the river
bank on the boundary of the Har-
rison place"
We'll, that's so, isn't it? de-
manded Val.
III that's all I'll open your door
and call the nurse"
"No-waitw commanded Val. Az
ter a moment she asked: Have
you had any news from Mason
Towers"
pat went over" I replied.
Val dragged herself up in bed
and WINGED with pain. But she
demanded with sort Of breath
less vigor:
What did she say"
Evelyn? Pat didn't see her.
She wouldn't come down. Mrs.
Mason told him
Told him what? Talk faster
Told him that Shelly is gone"
L replied. trembling with fear OF
the effect my words might have.
~ knew that" said Val, looking
at me inscrutably. HE was gone
when We got to them down there
by the river. He died in Evelyn
Mason's arms. He was speaking to
her when he died. j wonder-l
wonder-what he told herr"
Her voice trailed off. and my as
constituent banished discretion.
"Val" / cried. wal! You, speak
of his going as If a pet poodle had
gone You don't seem to care. Shell
don's dead. / thought when Envy
took him home that he'd come out
of his swoon and the doctors could
bring him back. But he's dead
He died in her arms" repeated
Val. He died speaking to Envy
Mason. I've had plenty of time to
get used to that idea. What's
death? Nothing. It's living that's
hard sometimes. Living when
you're restless and always unsatis-
fed, always wanting to conquer and
to go on-on to what you haven't
got But what's the use-you
wouldn't understand"
Il don't" I replied, but wouldn't
you be happier if you explained"
II wonder what Envy Masons
going 20 do?" rcplied Val ignoring
what I'd said. Il wonder"
She stared at me for a moment as
II seeking the solution in my eyes.
Then she laughed oddly.
AND JIM ENTERS.
-Only day or so ago you
thought l was n heroine because l
put out the fire that was threaten
ing the little Willoughby girl. 1
had to. l can't bear to see beauty
marred. But death: Pooh. And
today you think--no, on the whole,
| won't say what you think. But
you're wrong. You're always wrong
about me, Anne. Run along now
and send Jim to me. He speaks
my language"