The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-12-05

remember what Jenkins said this
morning. You must go slowly with
confirmed drug-user like myself
"Stopl Don't listen to meT he
added suddenly. "You can trust me,
Miss Wentworth. I'm going to fight
this out, and win"
"You are winning" answered Joan,
bending over him. Don't forget that
Say I am winning whenever the pain
seems uncomfortable and your will
seems gone It won't last long. Doc.
tor Lancaster. you are your own self
at this moment. and nothing can harm
you. Fight the good fight!'
He caught her hand and carried 1t
to his lips. Miss Wentworth. you are
my good angel" he cried. II secured
the services of an angel unawares,"
he added. looking at her with that pa
thetic humor which went straight TO
her heart. II want to win for your
sake. But why are you taking SO
much trouble for a worthless old fell
low like me?"
Don't fatter yourself that ii is all
for you, Doctor Lancaster. Perhaps
may want to save the most distin
guished surgeon In the South"
At her words he started; he stared
at her. and then fell back upon the
pillow. hiding his face. Joan turned
away Again she had touched some
hidden spring of memory; what it was
she could not know. but it was evil
dent that she had wounded him to the
quick.
Perhaps it was the contrast between
the office he held and the man he had
become. Perhaps 1t was the knowl-
edge of his secret bondage which had
broken him down at last and driven
him back to the institute. and Myers.
Miss Wentworth. | want you to
lock my door and take away the key =
he said. Il may have secret sup
ply somewhere"
II don't think you have" answered
JOAN "You have none in this room.
have your"
"No."
81 believe that. And. anyway. I am
going to trust you. That is part Of
your fight. am going to trust you
till SIX"
He said good night in low tone
and turned away. Joan went up to
her room. She lay down. but did not
undress. She was afraid, and she adj
United that she was afraid, and MOTH
ing but Lancaster's desperate need of
her would have kept her an hour
longer in the institute. But she was
exhausted from the day, and soon she
was asleep.
She slept that sleep which brings
no recreation for the jaded body or
the overweight mind All the while
she was back with Lancaster in his
room below. in spirit. She knew that,
as he had said. the drug bondage was
only the climax of his difficulties
What mad there been that had
wrecked the man? jenkins hint at
stolen funds? OF one thing she was
sure: Lancaster. sunken as he was,
was Incapable of dishonesty. No. she
must have placed wrong construc-
|
And in her sleep her brain went on
puzzling over the problem. Only her
body was quiescent, and 1t lay YEARLY
in the bed like some chained captive.
But suddenly the urgent summons
of the brain shook from 1t the tram
mels Of sleep. Joan listened intently,
awake upon the instant. as some wild
creature Of the woods that senses
danger. Somebody was coming along
the corridor.
The footballs were so soft and
stealthy that she might have thought
she was dreaming but for the sense
of imminent danger, the knowledge
of some malevolent design. The steps
stopped and began again, the merest
touches of sound against the silence
of night. the lightest patter of bare
feet outside the door.
Then the door began to. open.
There was no moon. and the faint
starlight outside only seemed to rem
der darker the obscurity within. Yet,
through the darkness Joan knew that
hand lay on the door jamb. and that
figure watched her across the room.
She leaped from her bed. who's
there" she called. in tones that
seemed to shock the silence.
She could see nothing now. and she
dared not turn aside to light her lamp.
She knew that the figure was crouch
ing somewhere. She heard the softest
breathing, but could not locate 1t in
the room. She felt the atmosphere of
evil that surrounded her. She started
to cross the room. cropping, with arms
outstretched. Then she found the in
truder and flung herself upon it.
Her left hand closed about a wrist.
supple and strong. Her right hand
held another. hand. They wrestled in
the darkness. their bodies tense but
motionless. only the hands and wrist
muscles at strife. Not sound came
from their lips.
Joan thought 1t was womans
hands she held, Her fingers sOurhf