The Coolidge examiner., 1937-10-21

AhS' SAA' 4hC dOSeIlCe VI pam dllu
the pulse both show it. It's no
time for me to say anything else to
you. If there are affairs for you to
settle"
"Vicky, can't you get hold of
Quentin!" Spencer gasped.
Hes coming, Spencer. He was
at the hospital, but l left word.
What did you take?" Vicky demand
ed. in sort of wall.
Il didn't take anything She gave
it to me. want you BOTH" Spen-
Ger said painting. Ito remember
what say! She tried-a week ago
she tried to double my sleeping
stuff; she brought it to me. I've
not been taking it lately; I've been
sleeping better. She told me I'd
better make sure She knew ! was
going back to England; she didn't
want to go, and l told her she'd
take care of herself if she didn't
comet That drove her crazy.
saw it-she's been half crazy any
way, lately. told Amah to watch
everything l ate, and she did. but
today l was asleep when she
brought me up my lemonade. 1t
was there when I woke up; 1 ought
to have thought that Serena'd been
at it.
Serena, whose face was ghastly,
looked from one to the other.
That's not truel" she whispered
sharply in the silence. And abrupt
ly she left the room. Spencer strug-
gled to speak.
Quite suddenly, out of the night
mare, Vicky was awakened by
step she knew sounding on the
stairs, a voice out in the hallway.
"Quentin's here!" she said. DR..
Cudworth turned quickly.
You stay right here, Amah." he
said. You watch master!" He and
Vicky went out into the hall, and
when she saw Quentin, pale and
shocked, but strong and big and
adequate and infinitely comforting,
Vicky experienced one of the good
moments of life; fear turned to con-
fdence, peril to safety. and the
horrors of the black night seemed
less black.
Whats the matter with him?"
Quentin asked. Serena began a
frantic explanation; the other doc
tor brushed her aside.
Hes taken poison" he said
bluntly.
"Suicide?" Quentin whispered,
with a glance toward Spencer's
door
Nothing of the kind" Cudworth
answered sharply. The man no
more wanted to die than you do! He
told me that he'd planned-he told
me that he'd been much better-I
tell you, can't sigh it, Doctor"
he interrupted himself to say agi-
tatedly. You may if you like! But
there have been things going on
here that are against the laws of
God and man, sir! III not do it,
my professional honor forbids it,"
Quentin. evidently trying to grasp
the situation. looked from face to
face.
who suggested poison?" he
asked sharply.
mo one!" Serena said, on a pas
sionate breath.
Doctor, the man himself told
me-" the village doctor said, his
forehead shining with sweat. II
saw him Sunday in good health. He
was talking then of going back to
England. He didn't say when; he
tells me tonight that it was to be
at once, and that he was leaving
his wife. l tipped off the Chinese
woman-I told her to watch him, l
knew something was wrongl He told
me that she, the amah, often
brought him up lemonade in the
afternoon and that this afternoon it
was there when he awakened"
"Ah, but that's nonsensen' Quen-
tin said in his honest troubled
voice.
'Of course it isl" Serena said.
She went over and clung to Quen-
tins arm. He disengaged her hand
without seeming conscious of her
presence and turned to Victoria.
why did you come here, dear?"
he asked in a concerned. tender
voice. 1T will only distress you
horribly You don't belong in this!"
Spencer asked for me, Quent. I"
Vic raised her eyes to his and saw
Serena, pale and tense and watch
| ing, looking at them. And she felt
an odd twist of something like pity
in her heart.
Nonsense or not" little DR.. Cud-
worth said inAexibly, II couldn't
professionally 1 could not ascribe
this to a natural illness"
Serena faced him down.
You could mind your own bust
ness!" she said with hiss on the
last word. IF you don't want to do
it, knowing, as I told you when you
got here, as everyone knows, that
he's been a sick man for years,
say that if you don't believe that a
man who takes no exercise, and is
not strong, could eat something, or
take an opiate, that would make him
desperately i'll, you're fool! You
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