The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-11-17

would not have noticed. made him
start like elaps OF thunder. The
ticking OF the clock ON tho mantcl
haunted him with an Irritating per.
sistenee. lie xlared at II. AZ II It
had been some sentlent thing. an.
noying him purposely. lie took a
few more turns up and down the
room. thcn hc walked up TO the
fireplace and deliberately stopped
the clocki
lie began 60 think again OF hts
girl. lying on her bed In an agony
he sould not even comprehend. For
womRn's love Is far more com
plicatcd emotion than a mana In.
volVed in Il are feelings alien TO
masculine cmotion-more penetrat
] Ing. more poignant. moro unselfish.
! II In not that woman II tho weaker
I II Is that she has greater capacity
for suffering.
An airpiane buxxed It's way over
/ the bungalow. and anger came,
bringing momentary relief. Sim
liar noise. had gone along with
( the German raids over hospital
tents In the years gune by.
Jack Carlson was TO be hanged at
IN the morningl
Despite all be could do Go prevent
II. Hammond found himself visual
lHlng the execution. and the minute
leading up 10 H. Would Jack b.
able 70 Sleep Fervently Hammond
[ hoped he woodland that he would
not wake up. Was he asleep AT
] that momcnt7 lie thought of tele-
i phoning. but realized the absurdity
Of the notion. II was awful TO
think that the nearest and dearest
! OF the dying man could not com
municaic with him, could not even
wish him their best at his last.
They would awaken him In the
morning. and with that travrsty OF
{ the states hospitality ask him what
he would have for breakfast Then
they would watch him, as they
might new species OF animal
watch his eatlng or his fasting. a.
the case might be.
& A minister. with tho comforts 81
{ the church. Surely that was the
unkindest cut of ALI
I There came over Hammond the
horrible fear that the hangman
might bungle the job. In fancy he
could see Jack Carlson swinging at
I the end OF the rope. slowly. horribly.
agonixedly choking TO death. How
mAny--how fewi-men die NJ once.
when the drop In made,
I They would give back his body
with that CHASTITY blue mark around
his mckinley would return the
empty she'll 70 those who loved the
{ boy. The empty shell: the soundless
husk
Was there nothlng--couid nothing
be doneT
Hammond remembered the re-
marks of the genial George. Would
Il be any use appealing to Tskahirs-
Had he the power TO delay the e1e-
+ cution7 Even n his Influence with
I the governor were sufficien,--which.
81 course. II vas-wouid he listen 20
a plea7 Certainly mott Use his In
fluencs 20 help the man who had
killed his SOM The idea was alb.
surd- Yet II there had been a
chance. Hammond would have been
willing to crawl on his hands and
uses To the boss. offering him
verything he poasessed--for Mary's
sake.
The hours passed slowly. II was
tftcr midnight. Presently footHtep
tartled Hammond. and he turned
o see Mary--who looked years old.
er than she was--corning into the
room No word passed between
them. Ho took her hand. and they
sat down together on the couch.
Another hour passed.
All that time neither the father
or the daughter had spoken a word:
but at the passing OF the hour Mary
suddenly looked up and said.
Daddy. the clock has stoppedr'
fnccnsequential as the remark
sounds. II was not 30. There ID
something friendly about the tick OF
q clock. and in her tense mood. with
seemingly an unfrendly world ar
rayed against her sweetheart and
herself. she missed the voice Of the
clock. That was the way Hammond
reasoned. surprised tho he waf
when she spoke. and went over &c
the mantel to start the thing. And
then he realized what Time meant
to them all. and saw In stark RELIEF
again the difference between th'
dying OF Jack Carlson and an ordi
nary death.
Time was killing him. as II were
There was no reprieve from Time
Time would continue to pass, ans
L a - "a.
passing Jack would die. Time wa
all that counted. The physical con
dition of the boy was not tn
changing cause. as when a man die
In bed. And there are no doctors
no drugs with which to halt tn
passing of Time.
Time. the bringer OF consequences
and forgetfulness. A sudden notion
came 10 the man. IL was mostly
Time that counted now. In a few
hours Jack would be dead. Tn.
greatest agony for Mary was thii
waiting for Times passing. II sh'
could only sleep. To sleep would b.
TO forget for the time. And tn
hours would roll by. There was tn,
aoiution--for how could no stand u
watch impotently her awful agonl
when that clock struck eighth Sh'
must sleep. He would get a doctor
and in some way make her sleep
II would be possible to give he
, something--Pretend II was a stimu
lant-and send her TO sleep for q
hours. The awakening would be ter
rible enough, but not so terrible n
, the being awake when that iittl'
clock on the mantel struck eight
She might not survive that minute
And even II II did not Kill her. he
reason might cease 10 function. Yes
he would send for a doctor: and 1