Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-11-18
CHAPTER XIV.

/ ioui Cioch SnFlSlndS morning. lie
passed so easily that Jed, sleeping
in the loungechair beside him. did
not know that death had gone through
the chamber until an hour after the
event. Jed awakened me. In the case
of such an expected happening as this.
the perceptions start slowly. The
fact that the benignity which so i'm
perceptibly had dominated the house
had ceased to exist took hours to as
sert itself.
Jed was composed when he aroused
me. Later, when the sun came up to
make radiant all the white witchery
the storm left. his sense of loss began
to assert itself, and acute as was the
grief in the house. none was deeper
seated or more profound than that Of
the rascally old servant
| Mrs. Sidney accepted the event with
serenity which I discovered after
ward was born of long-fixed resolu-
ton. For years her life had been a
denial Of her moral instincts-happy,
in spite Of that, because of her great
devotion to the wonderful man she
loved. The chapters which he dolni-
mated in her book were ended. With
| tenderness she laid them aside.
| Isobel did not permit herself in
diligence in any weakness. What had
happened was written in the contract
Of life. In later full knowledge of
Isobel. never ceased to admire the
wonderful acceptivity with which she
! met her trials Nothing came to her
with catastrophe shock. She had
reality within her vision. and she per-
ceived.
For myself saw the end Of a mode
of life which, even when unhappy,
had been ecstatically so. MY reason
for being in Hartley house lay dead
in he'd.
should look back. knew, many
times. as a struggling practitioner.
possibly in poorer districts of the city,
possibly in small town. to the
strange but beautiful time when l was
at Hartley. This experience would be
only an episode. remaining as the
memory of a time when my life halted
for wonderful moment, satisfying,
rich and joyful, and-having had this
moment-went on in the drab fashion
ordained for 1t. An occasional kindly
letter from Mrs. Sidney. or possibly
from 1sobel, might quicken the men,
Ory. but l and this period would fade
from their lives as 1t never could from
mine. should be packing a pill
case on late and Improbable rounds
in that soul-destroying routine with
its ceaseless invasion Of the intimate
personal economics Of uninteresting
people. abnormally egoistic in the pain
Of small or large disorder-the
cherries life of small physician.
serving his useful purpose. have no
doubt. but how little serving his own
We got through Christmas day in
dazed fashion. The necessary offices
for the dead compelled routine
which relieved the tension, although
they contributed dulled terror to the
day-those terrible, exacting practical
details with which some one in the
bereaved family must occupy himself.
Mortuary details are jocose to the pes.
simist. l know no more comic figure
than an undertaken. no more gigantic
shaft OF human egotism than a tomb.
| stone.
| Mr.. Sidney. we found. had left brief
but explicit directions for his burial
This. in the case Of man with life
SO we'll conceived. was strange, but
his wishes, as we found them. were
simple and startling. He was to be
buried by the river, close to the pool
which had been invested with the add
ment was an unreal thing and that
! did not consider It at all. Later
took that back. Now can tell you
that 1t Is q very real thing, but It Il
different now with me. have suffered
q Shock. Something's the matter with
my world. 1t is not % bold or conf
dent.
what I'm getting at Is this."> H<
held up the manuscript. ''This 10 Mr.
Sidney's diary. have talked to Mrs
Sidney. She thinks, az. think, tina,
you should read 1t. You'll probably
want to confirm what say. You'll
L esssSS W 0on 81 SIUut>ys ! KNOW yUl
are itching to read 1t. Il also know
that II one of your scruples inter
vened. you'd let your itch 60 unscratch
ed. But this is what came In for
and here's the manuscript
"You understand that In giving 4
to you surrender Internationally. /
know 1t, but want friends. The onl,
one I had is dead; must make othel
ones"
The extraordinary fellow shook m,
hand. left the manuscript in my lal
and went out, a more pathetic fgur'
Of sorrow than ever expected t,
see in Jed.
| l went at once to Mrs. Sidney. Jed
I said, had left the diary with me
Would 1t serve any useful purpose TO
me to read It, or should It not 90 di
rectly to the fre3
II think you should read II, John
| she said. II told Jed so. He 10 yer,
shrewd. His judgment and mine Il
this case agree.
j /. s,AY - - 49, 49,