Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1932-03-11

looked at ner SO SedICIlllSly
After a moment she ratified n
Il thought if you could give me a
tonic l tainted last night-not
that that's anything, is it? But my
aunt was nervous" The little high
pitched laugh came again. AS if
fainting is anything important"
He spoke then.
cit depends entirely ON the cause of
the faint. Will you take off your
hat?"
She obeyed, holding it on her lap,
and for a m there was silence.
In Diana's mind she was saying to
herself DULY:
81 wonder what he is thinking. I
wish he would tell me what he is
thinking of me. Why doesn't he tell
me? l hate being looked at like that-
as if he were driving gimlets right
through me. Why doesn't he say some
thing?"
He said something then.
"How old are you?"
TWENTY-FIVE"
His eyes said plainly, rs that all?"
and Diana blanched.
Her glass had told her often enough
that she looked worn and i'll and older
than the hated Linda, who could not
be more than twenty-six, seeing that
| Aunt Florence had been present at her
christening.
But Linda was happy and healthy
and care-free and had always enjoyed
her life, while she -.
Suddenly the room began to grow
dark and to swim about her, and
though she clenched her teeth and
pressed her feet hard upon the floor
she could not control it or herself, and
then for a little while everything was
blank. -.
"Lie still. You'll be all right in a
moment. Just drink this. No, lie still
and keep your eye shut"
She was glad enough to obey. She
felt as weak as if she had just strug-
gled through a long illness, weaker
han she had felt last night when she
| tainted so@suddenly in the middles of
aacrowded ballroom. Even the iat-
tempt to raise her head left her sock
hausted that she felt almost dead.
But the potent drink this mar gave
her was wonderful-it seemed to open
fresh life and energy into her body,
and presently she opened her eyes and
smiled.
He ignored that.
"Better?" he asked.
eyes. Quite we'll, thank you. 1t
was silly. Pm sorry. 1t must have
been the heat" She tried to laugh.
"Your consulting room was very hot
she said.
'That was brandy, l suppose"
"No."
He kept away from her a moment,
then, seeing that she had raised her
self and was half sitting, half leaning
against the cushions of the couch
where he had placed her, he came back
and looked down at her steadily.
DO you like plain speaking" he
asked abruptly.
She raised her eyes, very blue against
the pallor of her face.
"Why, of course"
Every we'll, then l am going to tell
you that you are very i'll, very i'll in
deed, and that if you wish to get better
you must do exactly what l tell YOU
and at once"
eyes. Yes, Of course"
"Well-for the present | am not
going to worry you with anything but
just the simplest prescription, and in
a weeks time l will see you again.
First of all, you will go away into the
country"
Her eyes dilated, and her hands
gripped the cushions on either side of
her.
1.-THE country?-when?"
"At once. To-morrow-if possible
to-day, and when I say country I mean
the very heart of the county, cot
tage on Dartmoor or in the Surrey
hills, where there are no theatres or
night clubs or picture houses. You
will go to bed early-seven o'clock
and you will stay in bed till lunch-time
every day till I see you again. You
will be allowed no visitors-except
your aunt, of course-and you are to
do nothing except read and sleep.
You will not write letters or receive
any-and you will sleep with your
windows wide open. You will have the
very simplest food and no alcohol at
all except what l order. AS I said
before, if you carry out my instruc-
lions you will get we'll again, but if