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Show - ctoir'RotissecLiiL f v BTN0FSI8. Joan Wentrrorth, a cbuntry fir), If employe as n j! nuro la the Southern Hotpltal at Avcumouth, pro- tided over by Dr. John Lancaster, n bully and a man H of loose chAmctcr. She faints durlnc her flnt oper- H atlon and uo coos to hi houio to be; to set her position back. To hor aatonUhmcnt Laocnttor appear nltojcthcr different; ho Is manifestly ill, nnd sontln with her. IIo ny alio need h cuango and offers her Hl n temporary post whllo -liar cako U bolnc contldorcd 1 at the Institute in the hill country, founded by his father with the Lancaster Fund. Joan goes to Lan-1 Lan-1 caster (tho tmrac of tho hill village) und finds n 1 dilapidated old bulldlnc, with a colored doctor, n matron, ond a crazed woman, Mra. Dana, 'who In locked In her room. There Is a anpcrlnUndcnt nnuieil Myeri, whom Joan dIMIkc. Next day she la sur-prlted sur-prlted to seo Lancaster como down to tho InxtHuto. 1 She has a quarrel with Mycra, who takes her Into the doctor' room and ahowa her Lancaster lnenslblo H from no orcrdoso of morphine. Joan discovers that he 1 addicted to tho tlruc Lancaater bees her to 1 aid him flsrht the hnbtt. nnd a crlm battle ensues, flrt with the drits. then with Myers whom Joan suspect B, ef tryinc. to Induce Lancaster to contlnuo the habit. Hl SIXTH INSTALLMENT. I THE ENGAGEMENT. J TT was a serious case, and tlio patient was HJ M already comatose. The trco had fallen J. across the chest, crushing it and driving a rib Into a lung. An immediate operation offered tho only hope, and the doctor decided t perform It In the cabin. Joan, having bundled out the family and the neighbors, administered the ether. She had never been greatly Impressed by tho leg-end leg-end of the skilled surgeon) with the wonder-ful wonder-ful touch; hor first operation at Avonmouth H i' had seemed to her like a sort of glorified Hj plumbing, and the leisurely manner of tho Hj surgeons had reduced the art to a science in - Hl her estimation. Now she revised hor opin- ion as, seated at tho patient's head, she H watched Lancaster working within a com- H pass of fractional inches, where a slip would Hi ! have been deadly. His fingers, which had H trembled as he held the reins, were as steady H as the steel instruments he held; his deft-H deft-H ness and precision wcro amazing; and when H. at last the operation was ended, and tho pa- H' j tient's recovery announced as probable, she H I could not conceal her enthusiasm. H They were to remain at the cabin over- H night in case of a change for the worse, re- H turning to the Institute in tho morning. H After a scrappy meal they had wandered to H tho end of the village toward a patch of H woodland that was encroaching on the tiny I settlement. The long summer twilight still H held tho land, although the mountain tops H j were already vague and shadowy. They H 1 stood there looking down toward the level H " country under them. H ' "I think you are the most wonderful sur- ! t gcon in the world," said Joan. " And you H see I didn't faint this time," she added. Hj! "Faint? Why should you faint?" asked H I Lancaster, looking at her with a puzzled ex- H presslon. H I "You seemed to regard my weakness in H J-1 the operating room as a sign of my lncapac- H lty," she replied, a little chagrined that he should havo dismissed the matter from his , mind. ( V Lancaster looked at her with that strange i i glance which seemed always designed to H K. J k'd2 n'S 10Uets- Then h'8 ac softened. j " Joan, do you know that I owe everything j I on earth to you to you, my dear?" he asked. I And he took her in his arms and kissed I J her m " That's what you mean to me," hc said. "I can't lose you; I want you to fill tho life I that you have given back to me." H j ' And at tho touch of his lips on hers Joan H ' knew that in truth she loved him; all that HI , f she had heard of the man's past, his dlsso- ) lute life, the talk of Avonmouth, was forgot- H j J' ten. She only knew that she loved" him, not H I J with the wild passion of which she had H J heard, but with a quiot and abiding fond- H j ness, none the weaker for Its qualities of HI calmness; and it was the most natural thing HI in the world that she, who had given him H , life again, should give her own lifo also to H 1 this wonderful, strong man who had risen H ,j ;' above his wrongs and driven tho besetting H ,' devils from him by valorous strength. Her H ! heart was lifted up; serene and trustful she H returned his klEs. H "I love you, too," she answered. " Noth- H 1 ing of the past shall over como between us." H They were at the verge of the forest, upon I ! a height that overlooked Mlllvlllo and Lan- H caster, hill villages, but now outspread In H the shadowy plain beneath them. A dozen counties could be dimly dlscorned from that Bpot by daylight Far in tho distance were tho coastal lands, nearer the cultivated belt, nearor still the little farms, and tho matchless match-less mountains all about them. It was their , 1 1 homo country both of them were thinking j; that;' the smell of the rich soil was in their ; I nostrils, and in their hearts tho sense of home. "Joan, can a man begin to build up his ' life again at 38. after ho has missed every- thing?" asked Lancaster after a long silence. !' " You havo proved that he can," she an- J swered. " But you have not missed every- ! thing, my dear. You arc a very great man, and a man with a great work in the world. Many men have gone along the path you took, but few have found the strength to i turn back as you have done." 1 1 " Joan, I want to tell you something. I was engaged to bo married once years ago. L i She ran away on the evening bofore our ! marriage day. It was the beginning of my j downfall. I thought I loved her." j I His face was haggard. Divining his dis tress, Joan slipped her hand into his. I "Joan, dearest," said Lancaster after a ,i pause, " I havo often thought that some daj H j I would tell you all tho wretched story ol tho past But I have been thinking differ ,jj ently today. I was entrapped by an unscru nil pulous man who robbed mo of everythini ,b I that mado life worth living. But there 1; ft I nothing that would make me afraid to lool "iy follows men In tho face. It is mysel l i whom I havo shamed and humiliated. Joan 1 1 J l.want to say nothing, not because I wouli j. I k6p anything from you, but becauso : h ; want to start my life anew. I shall neve i : i go back to tho lnstltuto," "You mean, dear 7" "Nover. I shall not roturn tomorrow. I want you to jomo to tho southwest with me, Jonn, my dear. Wo will drive across the. hills to Carroll's and catch tho through train th'oro. I shall begin to llvo the now life you havo given mo. Will, you leavo everything for my sake, Joan? Is it too hard a request?" " It Is not too hard," she answered. " But it is not right for you." " It Is right for me to leave a living death behind me." " No, dear. It Is running away. You spoko to me of some hardor fight to be fought. VWlth nothing to win, Joan nothing. When I leavo Lancaster no human being will miss or regret me." " There is your work at Avonmouth. There Is the hospital which you have made famous throughout the United States. Your work is there, not in some obscure place where it would be of less use to tho world and no example. Besides, consider that if you become famous again, as you must, you will be discovered. And one can never leavo his past behind him. That follows everywhere." every-where." " Yos, that is true," muttered Lancaster, staring out over the darkening hills. " Well, I leave it to you, my dear; but to go back to ' fight out a futlio battle seems to mo now something unendurable." " You must go back to tho institute, and then to Avonmouth, and meet your onomlcs, John," she said. " I shall bo at your side. Nothing will mako mo afraid or weaken my love for you." His faco twitched. " Not If I tell you things which prove mo worthless of your love?" ho asked. " Not If you find I am an outcast man who has deserved his misfortunes?" misfor-tunes?" She only smiled at him. " I shall not Judge you by your words," she said, " nor yet by other men's opinions, but by my knowledgo of you." " Then I shall tell you overything," ho an swerod. drawing Joan's hand into Ills. "Everything, but not here. Here I shall keep tho peace of the hills within my heart, and you." So they strolled back toward the cabin, nnd Joan's drab colored life was transmuted in this, her first love, to gold. She lived In her lover; she trusted wholly in him who had brought love to her, not liko a conquering conquer-ing god, but in tho simplest guise, making it ' the unfolding of her own loving nature. She . gavo her youth, her innocence, as love's price, and thought the exchange her profit. Thero was never such pcaccfulncss in any place as there that evening, and in Joan's heart was abounding peace likewise. When they reached tho cabin tho patient was better. Lancaster spent tho ovenlng giving detailed instructions to the man's wife. " I shall do my best to come again If I am needed," he said, " but I can't promise. I may bo called to Avonmouth at any moment. Keep him quiet, for heaven's sako keop him absolutely motionless for a week, and then let him sit up if ho wants to. And nothing to cat but tho schcduld I am making out for you." Afterward Joan told Lancaster that she wiBhed to stay for a fow days to take care of tho man. But Lancaster would not hear of it. " These hill people nover die," he said. "He'll be up and about before the week la over." " But the diet?" " They'll feed him on soda biscuits as soon as he's well enough to cat anything. Fortunately Fortu-nately ho won't bo ablo to eat for a week, so ho won't come to any harm. I shall send Jenkins over two or three times to report progress." Joan's room was a tiny place under tho eaves. Sho spent a sleepless, happy night there, thinking over the happiness that had come to her. It was strange and wonderful to lie awake under the same roof that sheltered shel-tered Lancaster and to reflect how soon their lives would flow together calmly In their own country. She could not have wished any happier fato In life. With her limited experience it seemed ideal that after the years of stress in Avonmouth Avon-mouth sho Should, be returning, almost to hec own home, a wife. Sho had puzzled sometimes over Lancaster's long residences In tho placo that bore his name. But she dreamed of tho timo when ho would give up his work at Avonmouth and retire to a new institute, a spaclouo homo where they could fill their wards with tho country peoplo, where her life's vocation and her life's hap-piness hap-piness would be united. At last she fell asleep, and when she awoke Lancaster was tapping at her door. "Timo to get up, Joanl" ho called cheerfully. cheer-fully. , t Sho sprang out of bed. "How Is tho patient?" pa-tient?" she asked. " Doing finely and wants to go to work," said Lancaster, laughing. Joan dressed In a hurry and ran down stairs. Lancaster was waiting on the porch. Sho raised her faco for his kiss, already natural nat-ural to her, already the happy fulfillment of her Innocent dreams of love. Then arm in i arm they Btrollcd- out into tho sunlight. f The glorious light lay on every hill, it I swept the land in a torrent of golden bright-neBs. bright-neBs. In that light all the shadows of the past seemed to shrivel away. : "We are going back to tho Institute this s morning, Joan," said Lancaster, c She rodded happily. "I am ashamed to f feel so gay when you are unhappy." she said. U "I am not unhappy, Joan," ho answered, i, "I thought ovor overything lost night, and I I see now that you wero right, I Bhall go r, back. I shall regain what I have lost, and I shall face my enemies and beat them. At 10 o'clock tho horso was harnessed and tho drivo back began. At first Joan, seated at her lovor's side, breathed in the mountain air, tho sonso of freedom, tho scent of the pines, tho Joy of the sunlight Then the peaks began to tower abovo them. The duller valloy air struck something from her joy, but not too much for her to dream. She looked fondly at Lancaster, who drow hor hand Into his. "Iam going bacR to win," he said again. Lator tho sun went Into clouds. Tho air grow molster, tho hills inclosed thorn, tho familiar landmarks began to reappear. And now something of Lancaster's despondency of tho evening bofore carao over Joan. And again, as if sensing hor mood, ho reiterated; " I am going back to fight and win, my dear." But when the Institute came Into sight at last tho long, gaunt building cast Its chill over tho ghi's heart In contrast with tho mountain village Lancaster was depressing "That's what you mean to me," he said. "I can't lose you; I Want you to fill the life that you have given back to mc." and lonely. And Joan was. conscious of one gripping fear. Suppose that Myers had re-turned! re-turned! Sho understood now how Lancaster had felt the ovenlng boforo when ho said ho would never go back. It was like plunging out of tho sunlight Into a dark mountain pool. Tho matron came forward as the buggy stopped. Joan looked at her in terror. But her faco was placid enough, and sho was able to read'ln It tho secretary's continued absence. . " Dr. Lancaster, thero was a tolephono message for you a fow minutes ago from Avonmouth," she said. Lancaster leaped from the buggy and helped Joan down. " I'll bo with you In a few moments," ho said, throwing tho reins over the hitching post Ho went Into the house. His step was ' firm, his demeanor unruflled; tho matron, who followod him, seemed undisturbed. But already everything was changed. Tho black shadow of Myers seemed to loom up until It overspread tho Institute again. Joan paefcd tho porch In fear which gathered strength each moment that Lancaster failed to return. re-turn. When at last she saw him coming hor suspense was unbearable. She looked at him In muto fear as ho laid his hand caressingly upon her shoulder. " I have to go to Avonmouth at once," he said. " I have no choice In the matter. It Is a patient who must undergo an operation my operation within twelve hours. It is fortunate that we have tho buggy, because I shall just have time to catch the afternoon train and get Into Avonmouth at midnight" Then he looked at her white faco and read tho fear in it. " If you tell me to stay, I'll stay," ho said. " And the patient?" whispered Joan. " Will die. No, of course I shall go. Nothing Noth-ing could keep mc from going, not oven you, my dear. But you would not have me stay." " You are right Yes, of course you must go. But I am afraid," said Joan. ' I am afraid of Myers." He started, as If he, too, had been thinking of tho secretary. " But the man can't harm mo, dear," ho said. " The message came from him!" cried Joan in fear. Lancaster looked away. But when sho repeated tho question ho answered, " No." " He Is at Avonmouth? Is ho not there?" she asked. "Woll, Joan, I think he is." said Lancaster Lancas-ter reluctantly. " But ho may not bo, 1 only know that, tho message was not from him." " It was from the hospital? Not from MacPherson?" " It was from a man connected with tlio hospital," said Lancaster. " But it was not from MacPherson and not from Myers, and it did not mention Myers name. Why, my dear, you mustn't give way to nerves now that I am losing mine. It is a simple request for mo to operate tomorrow." She pulled herself togothor. " Of course you must go, John," aha said again. She put hor arms about his neck. " Dear, if you should sec that man you will not fall into m f- ' i ' ' ' T" " ' r ' ' ' i . i any trap that hd may set for you?" sho . asked. " You aro so strong; you will not lot him trample on you? You aro yourself again, and you will remain so for my sako?" " Never four!" he answered cheerfully. " I nm not going to take morphlno again. Why, I shall have nono with mc, my doar Joan, and I should havo no opportunity to buy any oven If I wanted to. I shall oporato perhaps as soon as I roach tho hospital, and return on tho morning train. I may not even go to my house at all." "I am not afraid that you will tike morphine," mor-phine," said Joan. "But you will not seo Myers?" " Not if I can help it. Ho can't como to tho hospital, and I don't think ho will daro to Ho in wait for mo at tho station. If ho docs ho'll find mo a tough customor to kidnap kid-nap In broad daylight There, my dear, bo calm and sensible, and .when I return I shall toll you everything that you must know." He kissed hor and hurried in to pack his suitcase. Ho came out In a fow moments and placed It in tho buggy. " Good-by, Joan, dearest Joan," he said. " And you will not hint at our engagement to Mrs. Fraser whllo I am gone. I have very special reasons for this." She shook her head and laughed, and ro-turned ro-turned his kiss, and all tho whllo her heart . grew heavier. And long after tho buggy had disappeared from sight sho stood upon tho porch looking after it That night was sleepless as the last, but . all the Joy that had filled her heart In tho hill cabin was gone. Sho lay aw'ake, listening listen-ing to tho rain that pattered on tho roof, thinking and wondering. How strango her life had become, and how far away the old landmarks were! Sho had fought for a man's -soul in darkness and snatched it into light, and now tho darkness seemed closing about her again. And she could only hopo and wait through endless hours. In vain she tried to tell herself that it was only an ordinary summons. On the faco of it the callwas natural, but Joan's Instinct told her that thero was moro behind It. Myers had not surrendered his prey so easily as he had assumed to do. And Lancaster Lan-caster had been evasive to spare her, por-haps por-haps but evasive. And hor task now was only to walt. . She tried to follow Lancaster In her mind, to picture him at tho various stages of his journey, now in the train and now at Avonmouth. Avon-mouth. Then sho fell nsleep for a few minutes, min-utes, awakening to And that tho same process had been going on in hor dreams. At S she rose. Sho Imagined that he must havo finished tho operation somo timo before, be-fore, and bo at tho station, or on his way thero, but her soul could not go out to his across the distance, and their communion seemed to bo cut short by the same impenetrable impene-trable darkness. Dressing, she was conscious con-scious of a stronger presentiment of approaching ap-proaching evil which she could not shako away. It was a gloomy day, and tho rain camo down In torrents. About 11 o'clock Dr. Jonklns arrived in his buggy, and inquired for Lancaster. Ho seemed surprised to learn that he had gone to Avonmouth. Ho was preparing to roturn, but Joan folt the need of speech with him irresistible She did not mean to cross-examine him; she only wanted to shako on! tho feeling that Lancaster had passed out of her roach by speaking to one of his associates. Sho hardly knew tho purpose of her accosting Jenkins until sho saw tho look of concern upon his faco. " Miss Wentworth, you aren't well!" he exclaimed. ex-claimed. "You havo been overdoing it." " No, Dr. Jenkins, but Dr. Lancaster has gono into Avonmouth " "Yes, Miss Wontworth. But he won't come to any liarm there, thanks to you. You've taught mo a thing or two about morphlno patients, Mis3 Wentworth," he went on, In his polite, complimentary fashion. fash-ion. " I never saw any ono get well as fast as Dr. Lancaster, nor any nurse that could handle a situation as you .did," ho added. " Yes, but it was not really morphine, you know," said Joan, and then she almost gaped in astonishment What had sho said? Why .Had sho said It? . . , -. - t ,!.'- " . - - v , ti ," ,',', ' ' i Dr. Jenkins was staring -at her, too. " Not morphine, you say, Mlsa Wentworth7" ho stammered. " I moan, tho symptoms weren't those of morphine poisoning," said Joan. " O, woll, Miss Wentworth, everybody takos it in a different way," he answered. "Yea, I reckon it was morphlno, right enough. Thoy wouldn't put the wrong labol on tho bottles. You certainly did set things humming. Miss Wentworth," ho added, laughing and raising his hat "Walt a moment, Dr. Jonklns," persisted Joan. "I am so anxious about tho doctor. He ought not to havo gono; ho was In no condition to go. And yet a man's life la at stake." Tlio doctor's fac9 became at onco impenetrable. im-penetrable. He seemed to bo on his guard against her. Ho seemed to know moro than sho, Dr. Lancaster's fiancee, know; It was humiliating and ironical, but Joan saw that to question hipi, even if sho hRd boen so minded, was useless. Tho hours' of afternoon wero leaden ones. Through the lowering western clouds tho sun, emerging for a moment, streaked tho west with angry crimBon splashes. Lancaster Lancas-ter must be nearly home. But it wa no use waiting there, whore hor fears grew from moment to moment Sho went into tho building and saw the matron standing within hor door. Suddenly she sonsed tho reflection of bor own fears In Mrs. Frasor's heart. Sho knew the woman was doing nothing as sho stood there; was waiting, like herself, and in tho samo manner, hoping against hopo for tho doctor's safe return. Impulsively Joan entered tho room. Sho could keep silenco no longor. She broke down, sobbing distractedly. "I am afraid something has happened to tho doctor," she wopt. 7 "Now, you sit down in that chair, Miss Wentworth," said Mrs. Fraser, kindly. "-It's been a trying day. But Dr. Lancaster will bo home in an hour, and there's no use becoming be-coming anxious about him. Heavens, if wo got anxious before wo had cause, what should wo do?" "I know," sobbed tho girl. "But I can't bear waiting. I know something has hap-nened hap-nened to him." " Now, my dear, you aro all worked up about him," sho said. " He won't come to any harm. He can't como to harm when ho went straight to his own hospital," sho added. But sho spoko without conviction. Joan's hysterical mood was infecting her, increasing increas-ing her own fears and forebodings. " I reckon you know, Miss Wontworth, how much Dr. Jenkins and I feel wo owo to you for taking caro of tho doctor," sho said, seating horself at the girl's side. "And for gottlng that man out of tho placo, my dear. Man? He's a devil ho's the doctor's dovll, Miss Wentworth. And no harm can como to tho doctor with you watching for him and praying for him." Joan looked up at her with troubled face. "Mrs. Frasor, I am so much at a loss," she said. " Dr. Jonklns and you havo known Dr. Lancaster so long, and I am a stranger hero. I am like a child In comparison with you, so far as knowledge of Dr. Lancaster is concerned. I have boen fighting his physical troubles, and I do not know his mental ones. That is. what puts me at a loss. How can I know that Dr. Lancaster's enemies aro not waiting for him, or havo not hurt him?" Tho matron placed her hand on tho girl's knee. " Why, my dear, Dr. Lancaster has no enemies." she said. "How could such a splendid man havo enemies? Of course, thero aro troubles; who hasn't them? And it may bo there's things that Dr. Jonklns and I don't know. I've thought there might be. But wo've only been hero threo years, and that was long after tho doctor's troubles began. And, of course, wo never listened to the village gossip. But, oh! Miss Went-wortli, Went-wortli, you can't imagine tho sorrow in our hearts when we saw that splondid man giving way to his habit and lotting it creep ovor him little by little and gain tho mastery. mas-tery. "At first, when I camo hero, it was only at times that ho'd take tho morphine, and then ho'd have terrible outbursts of rage, and It was all that we could do to control him. I used to think that his mind would go, especially whon ho'd havo those fits oftor ho camo back from Avonmouth. But after that tho hoodoo got him. That was when I wad afraid." " Tho hoodoo?" Inquired Joan. "Miss Wentworth, tho dovll who was at him so long got hold of him onco or twico. I've seon him come back from Avonmouth a dlfforont man, Miss Wentworth. That's, whon I'vo been afraid. Because tho devil that can kill the body isn't much of a devil, but when ho kills tho soul thero is no help but prayer, Whon he's in thoso dreadful moods ho's another man. He's a wicked man, Miss Wentworth, and I'd shoot him then, If he tried to harm me or any of mine, and I wouldn't think Td killed Dr. Lancaster. Lan-caster. It all began after thoy accused him of stealing he trust funds." " It la not truo," said Joan. " I'm sure it isn't Miss Wentworth. But you see, old Dr. Lancaster didn't leavo tho charge of the fund to his son; ho left it in the caro of the trustees. And thero wcro complications about the hospital at Avonmouth. Avon-mouth. And, then, after the doctor's bride ran away on the cvo of their marriage, it changed all his nature." " I havo heard of that," said Joan quiotly. " But we muBt not discuss that In tho doc- tor's absonce." " Why, everybody knows about that, Miss Wontworth. Beforo It happened they ijay tho doctor was tho most respected man in Lancaster. He'd beon born here, you know, on the plantation down in tho valley Mlllvlllo '-v ' v,yr'',y.v''1--'LA-'ii'-. way. Sho was a Miss Hold. Sho camo from JLgL Farnloy county. Sho was tho rolgnlng belle 'K thero, admired and flattered, and it turned .'M hor heart to a stono to havo all tho .men aftor jH her, crazy to marry hor. Tho doctor was a young man then, and he couldn't seo any H further Into her heart, such as It was, than H the rest of them. jH " She led tho doctor a chaso beforo sho fH promised him, thoy eay. But the very day Jttg beforo their marriage was to havo been sho left hor homo without a word to any ono Sm to go off with another man who's never been. 'K discovered- That broko tho doctor up. Ho 5' took to drugs thon, thoy tell mo. Tho Insti-tuto Insti-tuto had been a big place boforo; it stood over on Morloy'a hill, but It burnod down one nSfl night, and we took thl3 old farmhouse. And tho doctor was using the funds, thoy eald, VE and wasn't responsible at all. H " Tho trustees found that tho money waa .H gono. Nobody knew whero it wont, because jH the doctor had his own inheritance, and ho wasn't the man to steal or squander. They wouldn't do anything to him because of his H family, out thoy put Mr. Myers in charge of tho finances. That's all. None of us liked JK him, but what could wo do about it? He ,AH was here when Dr. Jenkins and I wore ap- JH pointed, and as soon as wo understood how matters were we agreed to stay as long as vlH we could and try to help the doctor." " Mrs. Fraser, I want to. know why Mr. ?H Myors Incited Dr. Lancaster to use mor- H phine," said Joan. 'jD "Miss Wentworth " 'H " You know ho did. You told me so. And 'B Dr. Jenkins knows." v$s The matron looked agitated. " What could we do?" she cried. "Suppose wo knew, what can two people do against a man liko Jff Myers? Suppose wo had said so, who would havo believed us? Wo did all wo could do; v-" and wo all love the doctor and would rather IhI stay with him and help where we could than be discharged and do nothing." She looked at Joan plteously, like a child -j- caught in wrongdoing. hj "I know you did your best," answered the girl. " But why should Dr. Lancastor stay jmft here in Myers power instead of at his home .90 In Avonmouth, whore he is respected and powerful? Nothing of all tills Is known afe there." '3tJ The matron wrung her hands. " I don't it know," sho answered. " I suppose that man H has had him by the throat In moro ways tm than we know. Whenever tho doctor used ' ' to go to Avonmouth Mr. Myers would go jjj with him, and generally ho'd com., back with fj him. Miss Wentworth, till you camo here leg tho doctor wasn't a man; what with hla the drugs and tho hold Mr. Myers had over him Ta' LflQ he was Just a machine. And Mr. Myers waa the drivor." Joan had the feeling that sho should not ton listen to the matron's talk about Lancaster;; i-JcSS-11 it seemed disloyal of her; but she felt, too, llP1 that sho must know moro, nnd speedily, 11 j1 she was to thwart that menacing evil which (uc she Bonscd more and moro clearly as tho eye moments passed. Z "Aye, but there's worse than that," con- t,l tinued Mrs. Fraser, dropping her volco. I Pro spoko to you of the times when tlio doctor 2,' has come back from Avonmouth, not a man j but a devil. I aaid I'd shoot him then and Bt0, not think It was the doctor who lay dead ent before me. Those aro the times when Mr. rar Myers has pulled and pulled until ho has COr? pulled the doctor down to his own loveL 'K0' DlOi Only two or three times, Miss Wentworth, but tho village knows what ho is then, the That's why tho people won't come hero when Dec they are ill. O, It's pitiful then, Miss Went- worth, and my heart has bled whon I've a i er l looked Into tho doctor's faco and seen the -ths eyes of a lost soul; my heart has bled in froi spite of my fears. For he's terrible then, caii Mis3 Wentworth, a differont man, a wicked t man, and I'd rather see the doctor lying dead N bofore mo than seo him like that. But -what -whe am I tolling you this for whon that hoodoo's gone forever, and, thanks to you, the doctor ' will novor be liko that again?" Djs Joan rose. " I know that trouble Is at an thlc end," she said. " And I am suro Dr. Lan- e ( caster Is Incapable of having misappropri- ated that money. And if Mr. Myers mado uj him think he had dono so when he was un- sho dor the Influence of morphlno and has been blackmailing him that has como to an end, p too." flts " Yes, Miss Wentworth. And even if tha doctor did use the money for somo purpose ) !ee- I COD or other ho wasn't responsible." I a-( Thoy wont toward tho door. Although sho I fiy was not. aware of It, Joan was straining her ears to hear, through tho dripping rain, the '. 1 sound of tho huggy wheels. She had been luffed nearly an hour In Mrs. Frasor's room. The senso of Imminent dangor was growing 'flibJ stronger, but with It was rolief that tho hour Rjj was come. She felt that tho revelation was at hand. Howover terrlfla that coming bat jj tie was to bo, at least it would bo a blind 'K battle no longer. Sfi Tho women looked at each othor, a little uneasily. Each had something- to be con- lB coaled. Presently Mrs. Fraser spoke. " Dr. Lancastor could nover do without Jv,a, you nowMl'ss Wentworth," sho said slgnlfi- j&W cantly. 4k Joan hesitated. Thero was a challenge In the words, but she remembered Lancaster's Sag Instructions to hor to say nothing about their engagement. She could not.break them. K1 " Miss Wentworth," said tho matron, plac- Bfc ing hor hand on the girl's arm firmly, Kjo; " there's something elso : aght to havG told you about. Mrs. Dana " HP? "Hark!" interrupted Joan, holding up hor jSk hand for silence. Then thoy heard, a long distance ' away flfll and inaudible to one whose attention was not H& strained, like theirs, the sound of th'o wheels B9 of Jenkins' .buggy. WW (To lie conUmicd.J Copyright: 1010: By W. O. Chapman. 'V |