Page 21 (1/2)

Cleoing to

bed directly after dinner, and he and Ja in

the office, with the exception of Gordon's frequent absence in his

wife's rooloomy "I have

increased theinto

the office about ten He sat down and lit his pipe Ja "Is she asleep now?" he asked

"Yes By the way, Elliot, have you guessed who that woman ho

kidnapped Clemency?"

Jaht, but I have

guessed," he replied

"Who?"

"The nurse"

"You are right It was the nurse Thatin Westover He had been staying at the hotel there

before he cah he was too

circu in that house

for the last three months under the name of Mrs Wood, aThe

for me He

said that once he himself saw the man enter the house, and he had seen

the woman on the street She had made herself quite popular in Westover

It was no part of that man's policy to keep his vice behind locked

doors Locks theainst evil She attended

the Dutch Reforularly She was present at all the church

suppers, and everybody has called on her in Westover Now I think she

has fled, half-crazed with grief over the death of her lover, and afraid

of souess, there will be a furor

around here shortly over her disappearance She was not a bad woman as I

remember her, and she was attractive, with a kindly disposition But he

had his way alo

hi poor little Cleo away penniless, but she has her nursing to fall

back upon She was a good nurse That makes me think I must see if Mrs

Blair cannot come here to-morrow Clara must have somebody beside

Clemency and Emma I should prefer a trained nurse, and this woe sort, but Clara prefers her She shrinks

at the very mention of a trained nurse Of course, it is unreasonable,

but the poor soul has always had an awful dread of hospitals and a

possible operation, and I believe that in some way she thinks a trained

nurse one of a dreadful trinity She ed"

"You have no hope, then?" James said in a low voice

"I have had no more from the outset than if she had been already dead,"

said Gordon

Ja An enorht of Cles He felt

such a terrible understanding of the other's suffering that it passed

the bounds of sy face took

on the salanced at hiratitude and affection in his

tired voice

"You are a good fellow, Elliot," he said, "and you are the one ray of

colad that I have you to leave poor little Clemency

with"

James looked at him with sudden alarm "You are not ill?" he said

"No, but there is an end to everybody's rope, and sometimes I think I am

about at the end of mine I don't know Anyway, it is a co should happen toas I live," Ja face, his eyes glistened Again the great pity and understanding

with regard to the otherfor Clereater than love itself, the

very angel of love, divinest pity and protection, for all woirl His heart ached, as

if it were Cle , which alone could protect her from indescribable

pain His mind projected itself into the future, and realized the

possibility of such suffering for her, and for hi hirant that you , boy," he said Then he added, "It was

in poor Clara's blood, her mother before her died the same way Clemency

comes, on her mother's side at least, of a healthy race, h the nervous system is oversensitive If my poor

sister had been happy, she would have been alive to-day And as far as I

know of the other side, there was perfect physical health, although he

had that abnormal lack of moral sense that led one to dream of

possession Did you notice how much less evil he looked when he was

dead, even with that frightfully disfigured face?"

"Yes"

"There are strange things in this world," said Gordon with glooe not to believe

Soain in that

literal sense in which so ard it Well,

Elliot, I honestly feel that you have nothing to fear in taking poor

little Cleht otherwise She will

make you happy, and I can think of no reason to warn you concerning any

possible lapses, in either her physical or her e since she first drew the breath of life Coreat deal to do to-lect patients I have to see Clara again, and

get what rest I can" Gordon looked older and wearier than Jaht, old and weary as he had often

seen him look A sudden alarm for Gordon himself came over him He

wondered, after he had entered, his room, if he were not strained past

endurance He recalled his own father's healthy, ruddy face, and Gordon

was no older

He lay awake a while thinking anxiously of Gordon, then his own happy

future blazoned itself before him, and he dreamed awake, and dreaolden vistas had

no end, so far as his young eyes could see The sense of relief froirl was so intense that it was in itself a delight

Cle at breakfast she looked

radiant Gordon had assured her the sick woman had rested quietly, and

told her that Mrs Blair was coayly

"Not until afternoon," replied Gordon, then he relented at her look of

disappointo with Elliot to make his calls,

while he ith Aaron and the tea see

water, now and then cas of birds "I know that was a

bluebird," Cleet well now

It seelad that the , but I wonder if it is, when he would have spoiled the "

"Don't think about it, anyway!" James said

"I try not to"

"You o out alone this ,"

Cle her head like a

bird

"Why?"

"He wanted to one"

"Cleain," said

Ja

"That makes no difference, you must pro, that I will pro"

Jaht before he kissed the

little radiant face

"I won't speak of theht," Clemency said with a

little toss and blush, and it proved that she was

At luncheon Doctor Gordon told Cleave a little glance at Jaht,

Uncle Tom"

That afternoon Gordon and Ja far

into the hills They had hardly started before Gordon said abruptly,

"Well, the woone, and there is a wild excitement in Westover

over her disappearance I believe they are about to drag the pond A ht declares that she boarded that New York

train, but the people will not give up the theory that she has been

murdered for her jewelry By the way, I think I need not worry over her

immediate necessities It seems that she had worn a quantity of very

valuable jewels Of course her going without any baggage except a

suit-case, and leaving behind the greater part of her wardrobe, does

look singular But it seems that the house was rented furnished, and I

fancy she lived always in lightorders, and probably carried

the most valuable of her possessions upon her person and in her

suit-case Well, I a?" asked James with some anxiety

"No, I have no fear of that She is probably broken-hearted over the

death of that man She is not of the sort to kidnap on her own account

It was only for hi more to fear"

"I am thankful"

"You can well believe that I am, when I tell you that this afternoon I

airl is safe