Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-10-22
CHAPTER XIV

house for walk about the grounds,
had encountered a convict escaped
from the penitentiary and had come
back in great excitement.
Restoratives were given Mr.. Sid
ney, but DR.. BrOwnell said he respond
ed with more difficulty and more slow
ly than in other occasions. For sew
eral days he lay quite passive, as
nearly inanimate as a living person
could be. His immobile features, as
he lay unconscious, were set; and the
expression, it seemed to me, was one
of hate, indomitable, steady, enduring
hate.
DIR. Brownell came once every three
days for two weeks, during which time
Mr.. Sidney's recovery was painfully
slow. His mind cleared and became
active long before any strength came
back to his body. AS soon as his mind
did clear. he was, in disposition, his
former self. 1 thought that if such
thing were possible in so gentle man,
he was even gentler than ordinary.
1 am not exaggerating when 1 say that
the benlgnity of the man was seraphic.
I thought 1 saw a change of mood
in him. There was, if was right, a
less insistent claim upon life. There
was a yielding, an appearance of phys
ical and spiritual acceptance of the
| law of three score and ten. If 1 were
not deceived by little and impressive
signs 1 noted, Mr. Sidney was substi-
tuting complacently the will to die for
the will to live which had been in him
conspicuOusly indomitable.
On DIR. Brownell's last visit, he con-
| firmed what was in truth a fear.
HAS Mr.. Sidney, to your knowl-
edge" he asked, recently found a su-
| preme satisfaction in any event?"
"None that know Of" I said.
"Why?"
Hes changing. He is different now
| from anything / ever knew him to be.
l always have believed that his case
was out of our province, and that life
and death, for him, depended upon
resolve and that the resolve had a
purpose. You have not found things
wholly normal here, have you?"
"No, I haven't"
"There is something here" said DR.
Browneu. 81 don't know what it is
You don't know what. it is, but de.
pend on it, something of Importance
to Sidney has happened. 1t may not
have satisfied his life's resolve, but
l think it has. For the present, he
does not need me-possibly never
again."
Jed observed the change in Mr. Sid
ney. Afterward 1 knew that he wa.
a much more acute observer than /
for the good enough reason that hi!
observation had a background o.
knowledge which lacked. There was
no doubt directly as the consequence
of this, an unbelievable change il
Jed. He was very fond of Mr.. Sidney
In our unhappy experiences with him
we had overlooked this fact and hat
failed to use it as we could have. Hi
affection for Mr.. Sidney was the on
thing greater than his cupidity an,
self-love, with their attendant trail
of malevolence, violence, surliness
brutality and treachery.
He was convinced that Mr. Sidne
was about to die, and the though
affected him tremendously. He be
came gentle; he abandoned his rasI
ing manner-which, indeed, he neve
had carried into Mr.. Sidney's room
but which was an intermittent prove
cation elsewhere. He was more tina
ever with Mr.. Sidney, and each eve
ming, after the others had gone, the
O. had q bottle of wine which Jed drank
but he did not go singing down tn
halls afterward. He was quiet an
considerate, courteous to Mrs. Sidne
and thoroughly friendly to me.
October went and the brown mont
of November took even the white-oa
leaves, and the woods stood in mon
chrome. Isobel and l rode ever
morning. and just before the early SUI
down we usually took a short wal
to rustic the brown leaves underfo'
and enjoy the sweetness Of crisp q
filed with the Cdors of a seemly d,
cay underfoot. Soon after sunset v
were in Mr.. Sidney's room. He grea
ly enjoyed to have the family abo1
him, not engaged In entertaining hi
,or waiting on him, but occupied
any amusement or work that could
c undertaken by his fire.
Jed had Il cot moved In and spel
the night with him. He did not wal
+ the nurses to have this Office, and
e he was perfectly competent, 1 co
{ sented.
Il 1t was an intensely happy and
l. tensely unhappy experience for N
Mr.. Sidney, 1 was convinced, wou
D. not live to the hepatica season. Is
!. bel had permitted him to follow Il
changing seasons from spring to wi
is ter by bringing him flowers, and h
delight at seeing the first hepati
q had been as great as hers in bringil
70 it to him.
L Isobel could not realize that her
ID ther was dying. No one would ha
fl been so brutal as to tell her--or wou
it have been brutal? But Mrs. 81
ney knew, knew, Jed knew and \
in Sidney knew-and was happy.
< The day before Christmas came wi
iN q Qr1Vlng Snow WHICH SCI III WlIn
le east wind early in the morning.
IS was a real Christmas snowstor
l heavy, persistent and driving, but I
lie unkindly.
Y. In the afternoon Morgan of t
g Metropolitan agency came, drivi
L with difficulty through the drift
he banks of snow in the roads, TO 6
me again. 1 was full of apprehensi
as 1 told Jed to show him in. I
he mood was different from what it h
at been before, when he almost ragged (
Ut of the house. It seemed to me eve
De body's mood was changing.
Nevertheless a child's fancy ca
le- into my mind. Outside was the sto
ed, through which Travelled fierce amin
es. of northern forest, and here, out
~. the storm. came the werewolf.
en- "Doctor," said Morgan, "we h;
mt done a great deal of work since