VOCTORUS
CH'ISTMAS -
STO'RY
ItECMIVIED one mornilng tn my
surgery a visit from Herbert
SprIngthorpe.
"I have heard a good deal of
you lately, doctor," he said.
"That was a very clever cltve
you effected In my friend itussel's
Case."
"That vas nothing," I roplied. "I
discovered that mny predecessor lin the
case had made a itistake in his ding
nosis id was treating the patlent for
an imaginary dise.ase, thereby aggrat
vntiig Ohe (i froi which lihe was real
ly sufferlng. I simply reversedi the
treatnietii, w ielivreupon t'ie ptieniit, who
is a Inan of excellent constitution, be
gall to Inlend dirIectly."
"You are iodest, doctor," lie said
laughingly. "llowever, I have suili
clent coniideiice ili your Judgnient to
ask your idvice 1in a1 soliewhat dell
cate ria tier. The del!vacy Iles In tho
ci rcluiitsta le. thaIt the uttieit filist be
kept in igiorance of tle fact that she
Is being observed. It Is toy wife, Mrs.
Spriigthorpe, to wIhioiml I rceer. She
has beenl Inl faliling hevalth for somel
tIne, but frotu wlat cause I ciiannot as
certaiii. Our fa inlly physici ani, Dr. 1ol
list-r, lin whoin I place Inplielt trust,
roifessts liiself eiriily at failt and
would lib very glad of your opinion,
but M[rs. Spihigthorpe is firm in her
refusal to se aiother physician. 'liere
fore, you wvill have to conceal the real
object of yotir visit niidIer (le guise of
friendlshilip."
"ll you give ie any idea of the
Syfinl)tornls?", I asked.
"Notlhig but a wastintg awaiy, a fad
Ing froin day to day, a Imlysterious sap.
ingof the folldati(ons of vitalty."
"ias Dr. Ilolister forried anly opini
Ion ?"
"Ile is inclliled to ht'lleve Mtat the
trouible is liienital; that she has solie
bra li disease, or 11.1t slthie luis sonlo
iigonl her iniindi thle anxiety% of
, hiehI Is killing her. .Ilit Ihat, of
toilise, we know to he liniassible."
"I inuist confess tha t yol have irous
I1 111ro1essiontal 1'11osity', I Id.
':d I shall lbe happy to see Mrs.
ingthorpte adil conipare n otes with
. Ilollisler.'"
111n111kC you, doctor. As I haiv fil
i1y intiuanied, It wol1d not (10 for
.i too coine owienly in your profession
ea )l.(1y. ulit I shall lbe eitertainling
r ir-ndL Clrim'slinacs wVeek It Grav
y l iiton, in1 Norti ('trolina coiUni
v plice -you nlow we lve inl it very
ih'1 way, as M rs. Sp ringthorpe does
i cnre for town lifev I shall be
ry glad if yok one of
'Nothing coulul hettt -in wVith 1115.
own bicns," I repliil. "If .'M1 ease pr(f
s8i--s 1an3 (ldillIul1y, I sha ll le ioro
likely to aIrive at a crrect oin.ionI
fromt rantdomi obiserv~allons."
"Very3 well, theni, dioctor'; we shall ex
pit \ yoti on Alonday.''
'e * *1 * * * *
tirav'elly (I ranage wats a red brick ed11
flerv faced w'ithi stone, in the style
k mn itn as c oloniaI. ~lpon nLay airrival I
ltu,(1 senreely' time to chIiange my13 dress.
Spriitg thiorpe ente red,
"I blieve weC tiacitly aigreed not to
(discuiss thle reai ohijeet d1' your1 visit,
buit I munst exprIess my13 gr'eat anxiety
for' my3' wife's healith11. I am afiraid( if
thIs myti35erilous dIsease Is nlot pr'omptly
chie(ked1 Mrts. Sprinigthotrpo is niot long
for thIs wor'ld. I must tell y'ou that we
arie ani except iopatlly3 affectionate andti
dev~oted1 'otuple, .a~ltogh r amn nearlhy
twvice heri atge, andu bte separtlionii woultd
lt. t'ierel blow, to me1(. As w'e growv old
er our1 attazch eluets biecomei stronger or'
oIur senisil i ties miore keeni. (Co1ne; 1
wIll intiroduice y'ou to Mrs. Spring
One glanc Iod me(1in as much as I
should( probably)13 ever know of Mrs.
Spr'lingthorie's case. lIn tihe cmaclitted
lines oif heir face I read~ phitisls, and1(
thiere was a futivle, hunI~tedi look Ill the
eyes that its iinIly spioke of mnental
ttroubtle. I satw, too, thait she wits no
orinaryut13 per'soni.
I was suripr'ised to dletect a tieting
exprlezsin of' recogniitlon iat sight of
met, hbit It passed so quickly that I
shiouild have thloughit uiiyselt :nlstakeni
had( niot Spriingthoirpte, also obise'rving
it, asked:
"1 [ave y'ou t wo tnet beforo?7"
"No," I reipliedl; "ait least not to my)3
recollect Ion."
She smiled sweetly anfd ex tenided her'
"No," she said. "Dr. Norils and I
A t the sounad of her voice I statrted,
fotr thler'e wits a tone which struck my
('ari as fa;tmil ar1; hbut, allthoughi I scru
t Inid her' coun1ttace, I certaInly d1id
not r''eember'I hatvinig seen that face.
pised,"'S said Sprlinlgithoire.
"'l'atrdon me,".' 1 sa Id, "bhut it s'eemsi to
mte I hat I haveo hiear d Mrs'. Sprin 1g
thlorpe's v'oice biefore', t hough uder
wthat c (ir'cumstances I hauve not the re
"I low singtular!"' said Springthor'pe.
"'i'er'haps Dtr. Norrils will priesently
r'eeollect whlose v'oice It Is of whtich
minme treminds hhiin," Mrs2. Springthor'pe
sid.
"Very likely," I repliedi.
IDtiring dhmerci I ,s unuisuailly dlull
tnd 111pensive. Mttrs. '9.rintgthorupe'is v'oie
hauinted meP. Ever'y thne sheo spoke
Iivoluintarily looked upi. expccting t..
na~ntc.. a r-wiis.,,. e
',iCe '
mbition
'By HEoR2zarT
MojvTGOME2Y
2. B. EUaerngton.)
After dinner, when we Lad rejoined
the ladles and the other guests were el
ther chatting in couples or grouped
about the piano, Mrs. Springthorpe
camtte and sat beside tme.
"Well," site asked, "have you found
the owner of the voice?"
The speecli was accompanied by a
sliglit. poenliar ge.sture, one of those
little neivous tricks of manner to whieh
we are all subject and which so clearly
nirk (alr indivdhliuality. In this case
it supplied me with tle missing link of
evidentee and enabled me at once to re
ply:
"Yes; it has Just occurred to me,'-'
"Who was it?"
"A lady whlo once called to consult
mei prof~essionally."1
"Inldee'd?"1
Iler tone Implied a desire for further
Information, so I proceeded:
"It was about six years ago. I was
then a struggling young physician,
nuisIng a feeble pract ice in a new
nelgl horhood. One day a lady in a
thick veil called to ask ny advice in
re.:'d to lier mother, who, she said,
tras sutfferin- fron heart disease. Then
Ole lescribed the Symptoms, which
were thoso of a persont in a very crit
ial state. They had been expecting,
she said, the return of a long absent
son and brother who was a naval oil
eer, but she lad that m1ornhie received
the sad Intelligence of the wreek of his
vessel, with the loss of all on board.
Somei explanation would havo to be
made to the mother of his continued
ihsence, but could they tell her tho
truth in the state of her health?
"I replied that such a revelation at
snht a time would probably be attend
ed Iby fatal consequences. She left, do
elaring that at whatever cost she would
coiteal the truth from her mother."
"A nd you have never seen her since?"
"No; I had quite forgotten the cir
elli' stallee."
"And you would not recognize her if
you matet her again?"
"As I said, her face was concealed by
a thick vel. I have not the slightest
idea of her features."
"But tho volceo was like mine?"
"Yes."
"You do not think It was I?"
"Had it been you you would have
recollected the circumstance."
"Which I do not. But there are re
sPembhlanc-es between voices. I suppose.
as there arc sometimes between faces."
"I do not remember ever having
liend of such a caso."
"And you aro skeptical on the point?"
"I should have been but for this in
staince."
"The coincidence tl)paN to me to be
remaarktible, for at first sight it seemed
ts though I had met you before. How
do you account for that?"
"It is something I cannot account
for."
"Do you believe that two people who
hiave never met in the flesh may meet
and become acquainted in dreams?"
"I protest," I said, laughIng. "You
have mae at a disadvantage. This Ie a
theory I never heard before and in re
gard to wleh I amn unprepared to of
fer an opinion. I am curious to hear
more of it. What do you call it?"
"Ah, doctor, I am xafraid you would
only proeve a scoffer." At this point
she was enalled away.
'That night in the smoking room
SpiIngthorpe and1( I lingered over our
cigairs after the other guests had re
tred. I had been thinking over the
mnystery of that woman with the veiled
face. That she and Mrs. Bpringthorpe
were thie name I had not the slightest
doubt, but tas she evidently feared ree
ognition I haid been too politic to insist
upotn it. Why there should be any
mystery about a visit to a physician
uledZ( mne.
"Do you know," I asked, "If Mrs.
Sprlngthor-pe is liable to any heredi
tiary3 mialaidy?"
"I r-eally cannot say," lie replied. "I
never- knew her family."
"At-e her parenuts dead, then?'
"Yes; she has been an orphan since
child hood."
Ihere I made a mental note.
A little laiter I asked:
"I Itnve y'ou any children?"
"I have tin only son by mty first wife.
ie in ani oiler of one of my I'ast In
d1ia1 packet ships."
"Wais lie at home at the time of his
mnothier's deaith? "
"No, but lhe was hourly expeted aft
cir threce yetars' absence oni a foreign
station. I'oor fellow! I ie arrived only
in t ine to tdnd his mother ini her cof
Ihere I maide another mental note.
"[Did the first Mrs. Springthorpo die
of c'otnumpltion?'"
"No; of' hetart disease."
"I Ier '1( endia unexpected, then?"
"Not ,altogethaer. She had been all
ing for- years, and the doctors warned
us to be pi-epared for dleath tat aniy mao
mnent. At (lie satme time they said sheo
might live for years if spared exeite
mnent or shock."
"Did she receive a shock, then?'
"No; she retired to rest in better
health than usutal. The prospect of
again seeing her son seemed to gumoy
her up. In the mnorning she was f~und
dlend in bed. It must have been a
happy cending, for no doubt, as my pres
c-nt w~ife says, it was the result of the
joy ful anticipation of hier son's return."
"Ihnd she no attendaince durig
nighht?" - - .- -
thorpe, usually siept ii the same ajvm
ment-she wis my tirst wife's compai
ion-but on this particlur alnght in
first wife was feeling so well that sh
dismissed her to her own room. Th
maid slept in the anterooin, but hear
nothing."
"Iad your present wife access to lie
during the night?"
"No. Although their rooms adjoine,
wall to wall, they were ent(red frot
different passages. Iut I an sure
I an boring you by talking so muche(1 0
ny own aff'airs."
"On the contrary, you have arouse(
my interest."
"You are very kind to say so. doeC
tor."
Here we parted. and I retired to rest
"So," I thought, "I have alread)
learned more of Mrs. Springthorpe'i
case than I care to know."
Revolving in my mind some pretex
for taking miy departure on the follow.
Ing day. I fell asleep.
My rest was uneasy. I seeied neve
to lose consciousness of my surround
ings, yet there was something eerle une
uncanny about them that did not bc
long to the waking world. There seem
ed alternations of light and shadow
as thin, fleecy clouds chased each othe
across the path of the moon, as if th
moon had been open to the sky, an'
there were rushes of cold wind tha
stirred my hair with the soothing rus
tie of leafy branches. I seemed t
hear the whisperings about my bed a
strange, airy beings floated in and ou
upon the moonbeams and hovere
round about me, and through all an
above all I heard the sound of tha
voice I had heard in my surgery si
years before, the voice of the preseu
Mrs. Springthorpe.
"You shall not part us! You sha,
not part us!" it seemed to say. Then
was awakened by an unmistakable a<
tual sound. a dull thud, that Jarred th
room.
It was the closing down of my wir
dow, which I had left partly open u
admtt a free current of air. Doubtles
a sash line had parted. I thought, an
turned again to slumber.
This time I slept so heavily that
seemed to me I was Imprisoned dee
CP
I PAGUSIZI
down i the bwels o th'arhi
supuru atopeeata nro
prssm na arnsssodnsla
seem mteria. My had wa bure
I er hirvy wordNG Und canZr<
downber them bowlo the cnerth in
pmeanrin toma darhenss dnenthe su
see materwil. Myv head toa fearf
cnrasadom crurehig weihnv. rug
ped tus, aniso huse l)cI fel mysel
slltes pof my iferno; but, movemer
whard thepinfu vhat wI~ trew canel
dowem aifr th nowt thy c oneye an
eaning tlmep.ndisturbed.n- The a onc
crras, nohepreriFr o d'sve rsk
oe oury rsonhos.f 'etm"
Ainwslifted uponmet but ornci
wa enlso parinltati itrea tye
down againo e that I onlyi wh a
sagiod ra:l ragsurud
byNoprisgthorre's guest od's.a
"Walk d hisu hapnd dono" i asi
oer myvost, "Brin hdme out ithe arn
Agairnd a lgazed up and forcdly
"Ilow and waft hatppeed to ase
dWatn upon hapened?" a itea
"You oft Graeur Gaune, onifulu d
byoing toped. uets
"Itw id tri haoene, doctor" as
cd ircumstnc thatl nb the ar er
chauned tod geawae apndi detctidly.h
smehlt ofas, asaled" raett
'You loft yurie unconedofs. 0
goin canot expant"."a."
nItvere.a praoieeof evn wer ji1
cirumsang.Ic indbe that mao sheul
chaned roeit aa a detige.'
Inmell ofinutews I a leorepi on
yourhi ys' roomweeus wintime, foln
brnng. wIth iinrediletatmshu
wo.e for aIny experience. At break
Inst I met Mrs. Spriigthorpe. Her
Y face hum a worni look, and her eyes
C were sunken and suirrozded by dark
0 rings, but her conversatloll ws as
Sspa)irkllng as ever. Vlena she Colnillis
crated ine oil my night's aiventuro
r ' and coquettiishly raillid ne on my
hvedlessness I Could feel Iny suspicolls
811sipl&1g' away-fronli Ie.
i Afer 1.e:ikf:tst I stole tipstairs and
I iCd' a enreful exaninintioni of my
bedroomn. No sash line 11:141 heent bro
kei. I had no doubt but that a dellb
(rtite at tnitipt ha1d been made on my
life. There was no Imeans of ilgresi
to the roomi except by the window, 111(
that was at least forty feet froi the
ground, with no balcony or other
projection fromn the steep face of tile
I wall.
As I stood looking flOill tlhe Vildov
Mr.s. Siprinigilhorpe crossed the grounds
below, looking up and bowing. with
her muost radiant siii inl which I
thoughlt I detected a shade of some
- thing like deilace.
I Yo are n1o ordinary wNonan,"
thought 1, aipostroplihiing her retreat
- Ing ilgule. "Who plays with you h11a
- (alangerous o)polent. But there Is
such 11 thing Is overreaehliig oneseilf.
Today I should have left you without
1 a aigin. Now I lellii to see the gaine
t out, even thougih 1 11111 beaten."
That night I went to tile s:me ronM.
As it had been thoroighly venIllited I
begged that no Change be Iinade. 1 Was
t just drifting into a doze wilen it
I stealthy footstep foil upon my ear,
I seeling to Cone froin the Corner of
t the roon behild 1n. I was wide
C awake in aln Inlist alit, but I slippressed
t tile nl111 se to betiIiy tilyself hy I'm
tion. The footstep wa' s replwated agaill
aI agailn an(1 secined appronching. ite
Coruipaled by at deep, sup1pressed
breathing. The souilds ce:asoid :t the
bed'dde, wIth 11 a long sistained 1insin
tion. At thatt minrnet, wvith It suiddenl
twist of Illy body, I brougit tuysIf to
I1ly feet onl te floor 1 prepared to grap
PlC with the intrider. To uny conster
nation there was no on tilre.
M.- first tholgIlt was that my ia';
t Ination had pIlyed ilie a trick by mik.
0 interpreting somne distant sound; but,
no 'ros inan 1ace I herdth
sane lon breath exele
r-V
4 4k
a whl h otsestre adrtet
i 1n0oP resistnce.1' c I ho egsad thne
Sie tlerfootnpy to rind thatd et rhnt
.d o occuat butie mysei'tlf. 111 i'
Idsote teair, excit ig blowsriene I wits
I literally "upI with thle hlirk." I wenlt
1.out inito the ga rdlen for aI stroll, for tile
f weather was delight fuly halmiy for
t that season of theO year. 1 11uid talken a
r turn out as far as a jittle pilece of'
-woods onl the edge of the estate and
e was nlearinig the house4 Onl m~y return11
whien I became aware of tile fact thnit
I was followed. I had( just passed( a1
weather beatenl oak 0on the edge of the
.gardIen. This 0110 tlline gianit had1( been
e denuded of its sup1erstructur11 by thle
gales of doendes1e, bu11t its t runlk had1(
Sgrown until no0w it was5 plointed out1 to
visitors as the tree of lar'gesit girth 01n
theo estate. Oni the side whence I had
come there was ai large envity In the
trunki. Ini this had heel) fittedl a smiall
81101f, with a seat below it.
I tuirnedi ablout qulickly, buiit saw 110
oneO. I waIs abiout to proceed wvhen I
noticed1 a small portion of the blottom
of a womanr's drmess obtruding beyond
the edge of tile tree. I wallkedi back
and1( found Mrs. Springthorpe sitting ill
theO rcess of thle tree apparten1tly enl
grosseid ini the~ Contents of a book which
I ay 01101 before 1her.
She kookeid up and11 cheerily greeted
1me. I had by this time becomne con
vinced that Mlrs. Springthlorpe wasl
wvorse than11 any1 womanl~ ought to lbe,
but her smile of greetinlg w~as so ini
genll(uu, her surplrise at seeinlg me so)
genine l(, thIa t for tile mlomenhlt 1113 susM
ilonis wvere dilssipated. She observeud
that she was about to retulrn to the
Grange and rose as thloughl to acecoml
Panly mel. At the time it did not occuir
to me1 that tile ordhiary pers5on wouldi
scareely selent Ciristmaa .i...r.,,.. fo
aiu oIl..ru r1diig, but thils w-as not
an ordilary wonan.
(irirhtuias pahsed iat (ravelly Grauge
an It usually liisse4 Ia the country
houses of weitithy persons. There were
the usual service att the church, the
usual good cheer on tite table and the
usual Christmas tree lin the evening for
the guests. At thie latter fiction
Mrs. Bmringthor)e was at her best.
She greeted every wonan and child
with a Condescension so claarlatnang Its
to rob it of the Iipliet tion of sulpe.
riority. She( was unaidoubtedy the tost
populhara person present, and Spring
thorpe's eyes followed her with ain
eagerness and aflfection thiat to nie
were almost I)itiable.
After tle Christnas tree festivities
host, hostess and guests danced aauerri
13' together, Iaid the celebration was
kept up until a late hour. When we
went to our roonis we were a very
tired lot of mortals; but, despite nIy
fatigue, I deternined to retuailn it any
post to await developmenats. I threw
mayself half dressed uponi the bed, Ie
tolved that nothing should tenaipt tine
to go to sleep. But the iesh is weak,
Rid In a short time I was lii ats deep ai
slumber as though nothllg were of)
lny niad. Sudldely 1 started up, awal
ened by the slaudderinig sound of niy
slowly rising wi ndow.
There, without the window, outlined
against the sky, appeared a dark robed,
hooded tigiure like that of a Capuclhin
ainonk. Slowly tihe Stasl ascended to Its
full helight, and noiselessly the figurc
niounted upon the sill anld, stepping
tiPOn the vIndow sent, reacled tilt
floor, whence it glided Into the shadow
that filled the corner of the rconi and
was lost to sight.
After att anxious Interval I agaau saw
Its dark oultlinae encroacllhing on the
area of diflused light that hay betweenl
Ile aand tihl? window, and I knew that It
was slowly drawing toward tite. As It
approached tle samne stealthy foott'all
and1 deep, suppressed liveatling I had
loard tle night before beenine aund ible.
By the side of tle bed it ialtedl, with n1
deep inispir aIt ion, and a lant Iholdilg4
soinethinag vaIlehl glealed was lifted
above the lead. Dropping tily feet tW
the (bor, I spanig up1), selig the tip
lifted atrin wth tiy left hanaatd and with
my right nra-tI plitionaing tile igure
aiga Inst aaay bronst.
h'lere was n wotninn's cry, thae gentui
Ing thillg fell to tle floor, atd I the fig
live lay lianp in ny einb-:aee. I placel
It lit a ehair and hastily lit tle gas.
Then I siaw\% the inaseaisible foaIn of
Mrs. Sp-inagthorpe and onl the floor' One
of any own sir-gieni II vtes, which I
had thought secuare lit the case in riy
porltminteatu. I had solved the inys
t ry.
As .lra-s. pinigthIor Vcovered ier
senases we retinai ted gazing at each
other it silence.
"Well," she sid it last, "you have
contquered. You know everythiig."
"Unhaappy wv4inall," I said. "I know
thint ltt ettased tlie death of your for
aIear ristre.ss beeuasc sit' stood inl tih
way of youtr untthitiona and tlat you
have tw-eit at teapted any life."
Site slifpped to tile floor at any feet.
"Mercy, uearcy!" she eri(l. "If you
kiew low I dr(-ndd this aioient! It
was your life ntagninst his lIve. All
night i lnced any aoUan. crying, 'Youi
shall nlot part at ""
"I heard .3 ou lal niy asloop."
"Yes; year s a go I discoverthe 11 s
caret of thease two rota as,1 hen curous
acoustic faet thiattat -ertaina poinits int
onte low, Inaten'ase sunads ara reprodliued
it thte othetr w itha such vivid dlistinet
niess its to sceeait etualIly pares''it, anda so
I lienard y*ou Ibreath inag Its you slept. a and
lhe thouotghat ennate to itie, ats it e:nte to
one whiein I Ilistented to laer braea thl ig
itand brok' uaponi haer shaunbter w;itha thea
false stoajv that killed htera.MAy inbl
t iotn has renledi anotIihng butat I Iend sea
frit."
"'And youa eateried amy r.(oani, amad by
atle wlindoIw! BIut how ? Surtely not by
the coing, less thtan a foot ini widlthar'
"Yes. At one timte I was it gyiiaust
iand aer'obatt, anad evena if It had not
been for that any determaiaationi would
have caraiedl mn thrttouagh, t he deter'a
miaition ohf a dying wotnmnt, for whtoma
Jeath andt t danagetr hav e tao faarthier ter
totr. Thte fi rst atighat y'ou were. saved
b y ano aeciadentalI discovery. Thla seonad
I a l(ae you 1by 1netictta otusly alIlow ing
you to hienar me listeinag rotr youri sleep.
-Tontighit, the thirud, I thtouight to mtake
sure. I puit int youra water' bottle ali
opiaite."
"Wlehl I did not touch."
''You wouald haave been foitnd dlead(
with youra ownt katife In yra heart.
'To gentetal v'erdlct wouihdlia hae beetn
staicide. itut it was not to lie. Youi
were to lie miy faite. Go to haimi. lt-eak
laisa hear-t with youtr revehattiont. De
nloutlie late [as a Intllideaess."'
Shte fell for-wtard. I i sed haer antd,
seeing thiat she wais Indeed anar the
point of death, tiladiisteredl a restora
tive faomi amy case.
"MrI s. Sprinagthloape," I Ralid wvhten shte
laid somttewhat trecovered, "whatever
your aerh-Itie, thiis Is not aI tile for' judtag
at wnt, iand I it atot your judaige. To
tanorrowa I leiave thItis la-ce, tad, believe
late, I sahitil tnver' openi my lIps in Ire
garid to wVhait I havi e discov'etrd. Youra
pun1 iIshmientt is comaplet e..i atny your
anever' have ecase to regr'et youi less.
Biut let tme aissist you to your r'ooma.
You amuist noat be dlscovered haere."
I raised lier to hter feet, butt she drtewv
aWaly. "My dloor is- locke'd oni thle in
sidle,'' she staid anad glanaced toward the
winadow.
"Not thtat way, for hieavent's sake!" I
ca-led. IBut shte spanga tapoat thle w in
dow seat atnad, tuarnlig, wvaved ima back.
Th'len site d1isapplearaed.
I (litred nlot look aftea' htet', fearaful oi'
brilngitg about the centast r'ophe I dread
0(d. I stood br'eatliess util I heard
the wvords seanmigly whisper-ed itn uy
ver'y eair:
"All safe! Good night I"
TIhte next daty I aannountced that I
shiould be ob~lge'd to r'etuirn at oncee to
thle city. hSprintgthlorpje obajected str'enu
outsly. "I htave taken a geant liking to
you.he aid. hike to Luik to you.
Perhaps it Is becauso you are a good 4
listene~r."
I again pleaded that my patients in,
Baltimore re(luired mny attention and
lnformed Iimil as gently as possible that
Mrs. Springthorpe was beyond limy
help. I begged him to be prepared' fo'
the end.
Springtborpe was stunned by mly in
fornation, but so far from Qperating
asg I had hoped mny statement only
s'eelnedl to itiake lil mo insistent
that I should remain. Again I sought
refuge i a vhlite lie and ex)lalued
with great circutnipection the Inpossi
bility of My staying a daly longer. Sev
oral of the guests who were to be there
until Satu'gay after-noon importuned
1110 to accede to Mr. Springthorpe's re
quest, but I was obdurate. I could not
bring mlyself to pass another night tin
der the roof of a hostess I knew to be
morally, If not technically, it mnur
deress. Seeing that a'guient was un
availing, Springthorpe ordered a car
riage to take ie to the station, and,
looking alt Illy watch, I saw that I had
barely tliae to catch the fast mail for
lialtinore. Thie carrlage cmi in due
time, and, with at hurried "Goodby," I
was about to step Into it wv'hen a serv
ant from the Grange informed me that
lis,; mistress begged that on no account
should I leave without seeing her. I
wals in a < tialndary, but there vas noth
lig for me but to wait. In a tuoment
irs. Springthorpe arrived. 11er usual
ly drawan features were more pillched
that ever, and she walked uncertainly.
11cr husband stopped forward and gal
lantly assisted her. As Mrs. Spring
thorpe alipproaeled the carriage she
looked at nie in an Indescribably sig
nifleant manner andi, holding some
thing aloft, said:
"Doctor, have you not forgotten
tills?"
In her han tld was the klife with
wh-liclh she ha1d the night before at
tolieil lly life. In the confusion of
tIlLe lloment I ia( neglected to pick It
111) from the floolr where It fell wheni 1.
gira ippiled with(' her. 1111( .10 illnlist have
got it after I laid left to start for
hoine. ,\a'r. Spr ingthlaorpe reached for
tin instrumnent, but she witlhdrew hter
lianitd.
"No," Shte said, "I wIll hand It to tIhe
doctor myself. Ite 'ls blten so kind
to ine sine lie ht:'s hetn here." A nd
site gave me10 a Imeaning look is she
ldv:iced, shaking off her husband's
aria.
I was it doibt as to tie creature's
itei t ntios. Sometlihig in hr eye,
sometlilng lin the tigress-like movement
vith wh*Ilehi sht came toward me, warn
ed lie llat hetr mind had given way
ind that there wats just enough lucid
Ity left to enable her to realize that be
fore her was, till eeiniiy w.'hOli she llust
destroy. [But I stepped forward, at the
same tittie keejpilig tiyl eye fixed upon
the knife. W vere within a couple of
y1ards of (ach othier when 'Mrs. Spring
thorp staggered anidl would have fallen
bumt for' Ihert Iushandxi, who caught her
as sIe roeld hackwal.
I ltistetnd to her sil. As I bent mny
hteal tal aher bosom I ieard ati In
distint whisper. I listened, and with
ta last efort sie faIrly hissed into mily
car, "I lutte you, iId I should have"
She collapise(d. I tmatde a Careful ex
!ltIiaIatioln, buit at was nllinecessary.
Irs. pringtihorpe had paid the price
of lier a ntion .
FOR TWELFTH NIGHT,
Imiportant Ilole l'lnyed lay the Cnko
hn Isngiand.
A rITalfth Night cauke in Englanid is
as much('l a ipart of' te Cliristmnas fes
tiv'itles ns is thec tace itself. On 'Tweiftha
N ighit v'arlius gayvelles antd rev'els are
airralnged, thIe eake being flinally' drawna
in lby te chIihirene on a dlecorated ('art
oi Iborn'ie alotft by the serv'anlts on0! a
hioar tr( iimntied w.vithI ChrIst imas greens.
A r(-i'i for m'a' l tkitng tile ca!ke comes
fr'oti Itagl~taid: I k'ent to a stmoot h eceam
twe lioundiis of 1iti uted Ibu~tLtr, then
alddt two( plountds of powder'ed sugar', a1
wvhole inutmleg gr'ated1 taid an1 OunlCti
'atchi of' powdered''a cinnamltOn, gintger,
1na:e (' ndi tilltlsI lec. licent thIiis milxture
tent mtinuttes anid aldd gradlli'ally twenty
eggs, hteatinlg t he cake aifter thtat for
twenlty' inuittes. Stir in, a little at at
itme, two pioundis of flour', four pountds
(if currttants, a~ haltf pound1( of bruiised
almondt~ts am11 htailf a ioula( each of cani
1heatI in tag enao('ake lighatly3 afltcr ech ad
dlilion. Last of1 all add1it cla ret glass
of lbrandy13. L. ine it itarge cake It tin with
welIlii bt t'red liatper and ti illi It I tree
C umarter('s f'utll of thet dough, wh Ih will
leave rootti for' tile cake to r'ise. Cover
if to (ven hakes fast at the bottom
putatl a tianer I t (enke to keep it
fr'omi haurn ig. It sholdl( bake or fo'our
and1( a half' houmrs it a slow butt wtel
h eatted ov'eni. 'The liing Itat ('overs~ It
Ili very'3 tI andI tt ( to thotrotugly 3 Ilng
lish thie enkt' slhiold lie de'coratedl with
sttgti afigur es andt othe lacr11 ge (designs
in ornamentI'ttal linig. It will lbe seenl
lthat tese' arte pr'opor' tis for an largt
n'ak e, andte suchla th lnglIIsh T~iwelfthi
N ight tenkae is mea~ti to be.--Plttsbur'g
Chr toniclie-Te'legrapit.
Jnona!Haneu4s at Cihitmntide,
JlOyoutsness Is thIei kayniote ofot Ci'st,
mailst tie. it is a tie for Falith to sins -
hetr hItghest sonigs of praise. Soime
iiulits and itt somei counitries thec glad
somtet sir It of' thle seiason hans dlegenl
(r'i'll ito hiolster'ous mumlit~iinerllou
ligions fest IiaI, butt the greant trtth of
lie intcarnllat iont of JTesuis htas teer bietn
benath th viouslii miaifestationts of
joy. As thle ce'lebt'attion of' Christ'$nia
ilvty it mutast a lway3s renmalin ono of
th great Cost ivals of the Chrttistian
yeair. Th'lis is a timet for' chiarltablo1
dleeds1, Cot' smtilhig faces, merry grecet
itnga and1( exc'han ge of gIfts. and~t It is
c'trtily a fliltIng opportuityl 3 for us.
Ito neceni tatte thle truthI tha t 01ur re
lltn Is non ne' 1101) a... .hofthi. s