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The rain cae, and scarcely had it struck when the door opened and Cardigan hurried in to close theHe re Mercer, one of his two assistants, caan to clear up, and Father Layonne returned with papers properly nature He ith Kent until sundohen Mercer came in with supper

Between that hour and ten o'clock Kent observed a vigilance on the part of Dr Cardigan which struck hi unusual Four times he listened with the stethoscope at his chest, but when Kent asked the question which was in his an shook his head

"It's no worse, Kent I don't think it will happen tonight"

In spite of this assurance Kent was positive there was in Cardigan's manner an anxiety of a different quality than he had perceived earlier in the day The thought was a definite and convincing one He believed that Cardigan was s the ith a professional lie

He had no desire to sleep His light was turned low, and his as open again, for the night had cleared Never had air tasted sweeter to hih hisThe little bell in his watch tinkled the hour of eleven, when he heard Cardigan's door close for a last ti was quiet He drew hi forward he could rest hiht The mystery and lure of those still hours of darkness when the world slept had never ceased to hold their fascination for hiht and he were friends He had discovered many of its secrets A thousand times he had walked hand in hand with the spirit of it, approaching each ti its life, its sound, the whispering languages of that "other side of life" which rises quietly and as if in fear to live and breathe long after the sun has gone out To hiht that lay outside hiswas nificent Storm had washed the ath the stars had descended nearer to his forests, shining in golden constellations The low of it as it rode up over the wilderness, a splendid queen entering upon a stage already prepared by the lesser satellites for her coer was Kent oppressed or afraid In still deeper inhalations he drank the night air into his lungs, and in hith His eyes and ears ide open and attentive The toas asleep, but a few lights burned die, and occasionally a lazy sound ca, the rooster crowing In spite of himself he smiled at that Old Duperow's rooster was a foolish bird and always crowed hiht And in front of hi-shriven spruce stubs standing like ghosts in the night In one of these a pair of owls had nested, and Kent listened to the queer, chuckling notes of their honeys as they darted out now and then in play close to hisAnd then suddenly he heard the sharp snap of their beaks An ene He thought he heard a step In another moment or two the step was un hisfro He leaned over the sill and found hi into O'Connor's face