News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1921-11-30

II knOw--old man" the other man
muttered. He looked anxiousy at Pc
ters terrible face. In the silence the
ter, after an endless five minutes,
turned away, 1t was to speak to his
friend In an almost normal voice.
II must go down and see Cherry,
Fred. She took her husband to the
old house they were living there"
Helen will stay here the old man
assured him quickly. \"I'll drive you
down and come back here. We thought
perhaps few of us could come here
tomorrow afternoon, Peter" he added
timidly, with his Redeemed eyes filling
again, land talk of her a little, and
pray for her little, and then take
her TOTO rest beside the old doc
tor"
Il hadn't thought about that" Peter
answered, still with the air of finding
it hard to link words to thought. "But
that Is the way she would like it.
Thank you-and thank Helen for
me"
ooh, Peter, to do anything" the
woman faltered. "She came to us, you
know, when the baby was so ill--day
after day-my own sister couldn't have
been more to us!"
Did she?" Peter asked, staring at
the speaker steadily. THAT was like
her."
He went out of the house and got
into waiting car, and they drove
down the mountain. Alix had driven
him over this road day before yester-
-yesterday-no it was today Ne
remembered.
THANK God I don't feel it yet as
| shall feel it, Thompson he said
quietly. The man who was driving
gave him an aqKious glance.
you must take each day as it
comes" he answered simply.
Peter nodded, folded his arms across
his chest, and stared into the early
dark. There was no other way to go
than past the very spot where the hor-
rOr had occurred, but Thompson told
his wife later that poor Joyce had not
seemed to know it when they passed
it. Nor did he give any evidence of
emotion when they reached the old
Strickland house and. entered the old
hallway where Cherry had come nying
in, few short years ago, with Mar
tins first kiss upon her lips
Two doctors, summoned from San
Francisco, were here, and two nurses.
Martin had been laid upon hastily
moved bed in the old study, to be
spared the narrow stairs. The room
was metamOrphosed, the whole house
moved about it as about a pivot, and
there was no thought but for the man
who lay/sometimes moaning and some
times ,ominously still, waiting for
death.
"He cannot live!" whispered Cherry,
CHASTITY of face, and with the utter
chaos of her soul and brain expressed
by her tumbled frock and the careless
lyapushed back and knotted masses of
her hair. His arm is broken, Peter,
and his leg crushed-they don't dare
touch him And the surgeon says the
spine, too-and you see his head Oh,
God 1t is so terrible" she said in
agony, through shut teeth, knotting
her hands together; at is too terrible
that he is breathing now, that life is
there now, and that they cannot hold |
it,"
She led Peter into the sitting room,
where the doctors were waiting.
SIS there any hope?" he asked, when |,
Cherry had gone away on one of the |
restless, unnecessary journeys with |
which she was filing the endless |
hours. One man shook his head, and in |
he silence they heard Martin groan.
st is possible he may weather it, |
IF course" the older man said doubt
'ully. "He is coming out of that first
'tupor, and we may be able to tell bet |
er In short time. The fact that he |
s living at all indicates a tremendous
Cherry came to the door to say
Doctor" on a burst of tears. The
physicians departed at once to the
study, and Peter was Immediately sum-
noned to assist them in handling the
zig frame of the patient. Martin was
thoroughly conscious now; his face
'halk white. Cherry, agonized, knelt
beside the bed, her frightened eyes
moving from face to face.
There was brief consultation, then
Jherry and Peter were banished.
Peter watched her with a confused
ense that the whole frightful day had
'een dream. Once she looked up
nd met his eyes.
"He can't live" she said in a whis-
,er.
perhaps not" Peter answered
cry low. Cherry returned to her SOM
Ter musing.
ave didn't see this end to it, did
ve?" she said with a pitiful smile
fter long While.
"Oh, no-nOr Peter said, shutting
IS eyes and with a faint, negative
lovement of his head.
"Poor Cherry-if could spare you
II this !" knOtting his fingers and feel