Show caf de d OF oliver coppol cop vOL ai DOM a service CHAPTER XII continued 19 he went to see airia soon after word ward ile he had taken a oteal deal de at ot pride in the clenn clean nolte hospital tie he had built for the company find now he blessed it Ier derwent went told him what it had meant for carla arla they tind S rayed her and had marir made the nary discovery that nere inere was not noi a broken bone in her body hui but some gome thing had happe tiel tp tc her huck lind she was paralyzed from her wals tits down temporarily kempor airily tie he bell eed knowing what paul would auve till ve done tinder the he es lie had sent seni to quebec and Alon montreal treni for expert assistance to consult with the eom coin pany staby carla aria was propped up against a mass of pillows to in her snowy bed when paul pact arrived was white about her except the rich dark ness of tier her hair the ithe room the bed her tacy lacy sown tier her tace like that with two SINT braids over her shoulders she might have been a child one who had bc been en a inns time ime sick lck with arl an exquisite fragile beamut about her ber he had not cot expected to find her so like a llly flower whose soul a breath might carry carryn away wily he seated himself beside net her and she let her hand creep over lie hie rover cover let to him it was helplessly wen weak it her fingers were only a feathery pros pres ure sure S about his please dont scold me paul 1 she said faintly trying it to smile you see I 1 was right if the rucks rocks had buried you I 1 could never have got you out and brought you home could ITI I 1 ue fie did not answer but held tier her hand so closely eliat th at a joyous little melody of content cunie came for a moment in her throat 1 I 1 am glad I 1 was afraid you would be angry with me now I 1 know I 1 shall net het well quickly I 1 it seemed difficult for them to find things to say any paul lighting fighting with the grimly set lines of an indian in tits bis face was holding back what be wanted to tell her carla knew A little more and she would have cried her own weakness letting down the th thing which both were vall valiantly antly mak ing an effort to hold bold between them he told her about the specialists who were on their way and that their own stall staff had no doum douht but that she would very soon be on her feet again he 1 tried to talk without a strain in bis big i voice yet he could iel fiel i el the falseness and pretense ol of tits his effort when he 9 wanted to take her it c his arms and kiss her pale sweet fuce face carla knew this too at last when it was time for him to leave her she said when are you going home 1 I dont know he replied it must be suon soon slie she urged 1 I want it that way you yon must start ginn to day or tomorrow only aliat will make me well claire want you yon please read this slie she gave him a crumpled yellow slip of paver it was a telegram crushed as if slie she had been li it a long ions time before lie cume cattle lie he smoothed it out ant and rend read the file words which hl his wife had sent tier her ilie message was almost identical with the one HP he hart had received giving him film the file impression that iacre in ID the stress of her emo tion had been able to flud but a sin gle thought for them both 1 I 1 am so happy it said send paul to me as quickly as you can only god knows how glad 1 firn am she has faith in me said carla urla she askia me to send you to her what a privilege that Is paul fur for ont one woman to give on another otherl 1 no matter how hard I 1 try I 1 can never DP be as won darful as claire tl alre tle tile world worlie noes does not hold matty women like her slie she loves you she ants you when will you go to her you sald tor tomorrow yes tomorrow he be rose and stood looking down at her ber 1 I 1 will go fie DC said but some time I 1 will come for ou larla may billy be not now not cor to in this life dui but some time may blay I 1 continue to dinini hint flint it Is not a dream she said it is IB falth alth I 1 am giving you up tor for a 8 little while that Is all ail sometime in another life these tests which god put upon us will return you to me file when he be looked hack back lit at tier liet from the dour door she was smiling her eyes filled with tears j ile he tried to readjust himself between the time of this latt last visit with corla carla and his departure for home ills ilis effort was wab an one a gle to fit himself to certain demands which he accepted us as necessary and inevitable lie he was sure of himself as aa he be returned to claire it was almost ao an exultant sureness reness gu which left upon him no blad of spiritual or physical torment he was possessed now by memories which blessed even as aa they burned it was as if somewhere lu in him were a tittle little son song a 1 part art of himself which said 1 I 1 have ia a roum room whereunto no one enters save L 1 alone there sits a memory on a throne there in my y life centers centera carla was the hie nien mry lie ile made no DO effora to lo turn away from the hie truth or harden hin himself iselt in tits ills contemplation of it simple one lial imd that hiat memory was as a croul which 1 ale ae could not nol drive one me an I 1 thi room which had bad built itsell in his hi henrt could never he be leveled or taken away from rom him 11 II wils like ft a soul claire in a kuy iruine the keeper lit it the doot lieo ilist of her he had closed it and be because bec tit of her tie he would never open it 1 except to himself he fie could conceive of f no one but C dalre to in this place A IC long ing time ago when tie he na was a buy bily there had been in his lii goolo a picture of an angel with snowy ninus aln s and gulden golden hair slie she seemed tn tip be floating through clouds and tie lie that tits ills birst ideas of heaven came frow this angel and talat site she inspired him to ask questions which ills his mottier mother sometimes found di to answer the picture had w ys remained n his bis mind it recurred to tilio him in thinking of claire it was impossible tor for him to feel re sentiment sent meni ment against his fate or even a desire to change it in ID going to her there wore were occasional women at whose breasts the lie world found its spiritual glory claire he knew was one of drem like the angel in his room it was he who had been the misfit in their leies and this defect in himself he was prepared to remedy it if he be could lie ile read claires telegram many times on the way south lie tried to read between its lines he tried to understand more clearly the change which nad had come over her derwent bad told him how she had watched where the water roared out of the chasm whiter than death as if she would die unless you came out alive lie had said and carla she loves you she wants you and now cow her own words on the yellow paper in late hie hand entreating him to come to her as quickly ns as be could there was a strange singing in ID ills his heart and a dull grief it if she should love him at last like that after afler years of wait ing and hoping and of yearning for a woman to be a part of him birn chil dren a home he had dreamed of he folded the telegram for a last time and put it in his pocket he was seeing the tears in carlos carlas eyes CHAPTER XIII paul had told cold only claire that b was on his way to her at the sta sia tion a familiar face came out of the hurrying streams of humanity to greet him it was jimmy EDne whose presence always gave him greater comfort than that of any other man he had known ennerdale Enne for a long time and claire had grown up with him like a sister jimmy had always seemed older oilier than paul with a pre mature in his hair and a slight stoop in ills his thin sensitive body ills ilia affect affection lon tor for paul possessed the unchangeable quality of the marble out of 0 which he was slowly and per clil fame for himself as a sculptor ue he had been working in the west dod and paul had not seen him for a year ennerdale Enne had grown older in that time he be thou alit ills fine face was wait thinner ills his hair whiter over his temples his tune tone ever even less robust than he be hart had seen him last he had the same quick nervous alertness atrul abut him and it did paul good to see the gladness ss in tits his face ace as they gripped hands he knew that claire unable to to meet him herself had find sent jimmy la in her place she Is like a child walting for you said ennerdale Enne as they rode toward his home borne 1 I 1 was ali re mother last iasi ee beening ning and she asked me to meet you she cried a and nd laughed and Is damnably ha happy tilty it if you dont mind id like to come over wh when enyou you two hove have settled down and have you tell me about this monstrous happen ing may 1 I you know you dont need an inai tation ration said paul come ome tomorrow TO DE BE CONTINUED |