Evening star., 1923-03-11


her soft voice taking up q drowsy
song.
Unknown to Merle, his wife had
switched off the living room lights.
II was as though Linda did not wish
to use a faculty the blind man could
not share.
The sedative the doctor had given
Merle was beginning to take hold.
His breathing grew calmer. His mus
cles lost their spasmodic rigidity.
Gradually, as she sang and smoothed,
he drifted to sleep.
Until gray dawn the woman con-
tinued her loving vigil. Then she. too.
fell asleep, worn out by the nights
strain. Her head on Renton's knee,
she slept upon the floor beside the
couch. as the dim light waxed clearer
and as the city's noises began in the
street outside.
MERLE RENT'ON awoke, stupidity,
1Vl his mind heavy from the drug
and from the exhaustion Of the even
ing before. Idly, through half-shut
lids. he watched the play of. morning
sunshine on the window box Of red
geraniums.
Then. half-consctously, he realized
he was on the couch and dressed. and
not in bed. This did not surprise him.
Often when he came in very late at
night he would camp on the couch
sooner than risk waking Linda
He must have been out late. Where
had he been? He began to remember
The fight-the foul blow-his blind
ness!
His blindness?
Surely that part OF it had been
some grotesQue nightmare, For his
vision was as clear as ever it had
been. To test it, he focused his eyes
on one object after another in the
pretty room. The geraniums in the
window box, the filmy white curtains
blowing in the morning breeze. a
basketful OF many-colored fabrics on
Linda's sewing table.
His glance fell on the sun-kissed
hair of the dainty head that rested
on his knee. At the same moment,
Linda woke. She sat up. wide-eyed
and wondering. Then memory rushed
into her big eyes, clouding them
with black sorrow.
Linda" exclaimed Merlie. s.Its all
right, girl. 1t didn't happen. Or il II
did it's gone"
Long and amazedly. she peered at
him. Then, for hve hyster1cal min
utes she proceeded to go to pieces.
She was still snuggled close in
Merle's comforting arms and recover
Ing from her cry, when DR.. MeaRher
arrived at the fiat; the specialist with
him.
Followed much examining and many
tests and cross-questiona Tho spe-
cialist seemed to find nothing nlirac-
ulous in tho recovery.
The same thing. he said in effect,
had happened several times in the
course of his own medical experience.
A shock, coming upon a system whose
nerves were drawn taut by pain or
strain, and whose blood-vessels were
engorged from violent exercise, might
manifest itself in any of a. hundred
ways One Of these ways was q tenn
porary paralysis of the brain-cells
sight.
The optic nerve had not been affect
ed There was no reason TO expect
any return Of the blindness.
After the two doctors had gone.
husband and wife went together to
the Kitchen to prepare breakfast.
While they ate, Brace appeared.
When the triple gabbling had ex-
itself and Brace was tired Of
humping Merle on the back and
yelling incoherently affectionate in
suits at him, Linda said, quietly:
"Mr. Brace, you've been the boys
only manager since he went into tho
ring. But now you're going to have
q partner and the partners name is
Linda Renton. IL kept thinking Of
. wonderful scheme last night, when
was trying to keep Merle asleep. It
seemed impossible then: for I didn't
dare let myself get to hoping he'd
ever be we'll. But-he IL we'll. Want
TO hear it?'
"Fire away" commanded Merle
scenting a joke.
NO." she corrected him. I'm in
earnest. want to go partners with
Mr.. Brace in managing your next
fight We've been 50 sure Of winning
last nights! And the winners end Of
the purse was going to pay for that
hotel. back home, and for getting It
started all nice. But there wasn't
any winners end to that purse for
US. Well, there's going to be, for
the next fight"
II don't quito set you." began
Brace. ~Of COURSE
Drawing a long breath: she began