The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-02-11

4 "Oh. well, Miss Wentworth, every
body takes 1t In a different way" he
answered. "Yes, I reckon it was NOR.
phine right enough. They wouldn't
put the wrong label on the bottles.
You certainly did set things humming,
Miss Wentworth he added. laughing
and raising his hat.
wait a moment, Doctor jenkins"
persisted Joan. II am so anxious
about the doctor. He ought not to
have gone; he was in no condition to
go, and yet mans life is at stake"
The doctors face became at once
impenerabe. He seemed to be on his
guard against her. He seemed to know
more than she, Doctor Lancaster's
fiancee, knew; 1t was humiliating and
ironIcal. but Joan saw that to ques-
ton him, even if She had been SO
minded. was useless.
She was not minded. That would
be a disloyal act toward her lover.
Soon she would know; and meanwhile
she kept down her fears. She watched
Jenkins drive away with sinking
heart. And somehow the morning
passed.
| The hours of afternoon were leaden
ones Five o'clock came at last, with
no cessation of the downpour, and
Joan went out and paced the rain
soaked veranda endlessly, looking
anxiously in the direction OF the sta
ton, though she knew that 1t must be
at least two hours before she could
hope to see Jenkins buggy again on
its way up the hill.
Through the lowering western
clouds the sun, emerging for a mo-
ment, streaked the west with angry
crimson splashes. Lancaster must be
nearly home But 1t was no use wait
| ing there, where her fears grew from
moment to moment. She went into
the building, and saw the matron
standing within her door. Suddenly
she sensed the reflection of her own
fears in Mrs. Fraser's heart; she knew
the woman was doing nothing as she
stood there, was waiting, like herself.
| and, In the same manner. hoping
against hope for the doctors safe re-
turn. Impulsively Joan entered the
ROOM She could keep silence no
longer. She broke down. sobbing dis
tractedly.
81 am afraid something has hap
pened to the DOCTOR" she wept
"Now you sit down in that chair,
Miss Wentworth" said Mrs. Fraser
kindly. ITS been a trying day. But
Doctor Lancaster will be home In an
hour, and there's no use becoming
anxious about him. Heavens, If we
got anxious before we had cause, what
should we dor
81 know" sobbed the girl. But
can't bear waiting. know something
has happened 10 him."
''Now, my dear, you are all worked
up about him." she said. HE won't
come to any harm. He can't come to
harm when he went straight to his
own hospital" she added.
But she spoke without conviction. |
Joan's hysterical mood was injecting |
her, increasing her own fears and |
forebodings.
81 reckon you know, Miss Went |
worth how much Doctor jenkins and |
1 feel we owe to you for taking care |
of the DOCTOR" she said, seating her
self at the girls side "And for get !,
ting that man out of the place, my |
dear. Man? He's devil-he's the
doctors devil, Miss Wentworth. And |
no harm can come to the doctor with !
you watching for him and praying for
him."
Joan looked up at her with troubled
face. Mrs. Fraser. 1 am so much at
loss" she said. Doctor Jenkins
and you have known Doctor Lancas-
ter so long, and | am stranger here
l am like child in comparison with
you, so far as knowledge Of Doctor
Lancaster is concerned. l have been
fighting his physical troubles. and do
not know his mental ones. That is
what puts me at loss. How can ]
know that Doctor Lancaster's enc
mics are not waiting for him, or have
not hurt him?"
ihC pidSCu hCi Oll tlC
girls knee. "Why. my dear, Doctor
Lancaster has no enemies" she said
How could such splendid man have
enemies? OF course there are trou-
bles; who hasn't them? And ii may
he there's things that Doctor Jenkins
and | don't know-I've thought there
might be. But we've only been here
three years, and that was long after
the doctors troubles began. And Of
course we never listened TO the vii
Iage gossip. But oh, Miss Wentworth.
you can't imagine the sorrow in our
hearts when we saw that splendid
man giving way to his habit. and let-
ting 1t creep over him little by little
and gain the mastery.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)