| Show THE BLUE CIRCLE dy by elizabeth jordan 40 6 by bf the catuto ca I 1 service CHAPTER VIII continued 14 the back of my neck aches horribly she confessed 1 I nave bave stood it much longer without a change of position ile he did not hear bear her he was MO nav ing around the old mans sitting bitting room and now he came back with a wine glassful of sherry drink this he directed she drank it obediently but notwithstanding the warming draft he saw caw her shiver he suddenly realized that the room was cold he himself was comfortable in pajamas and a heavy silk dressing gown but Ver veritas itys silk bilk and lace negligee offered little protection from the chill air that crept through the windows with the approach of odawn dowil if youre going to stay here you 0 ought to be more warmly dressed lie absently observed go to your room and put on something warm under the words she started and gave him a quick glance then her lips set sel im very comfortable she said curtly youre nothing of the sort the use of saying you arel are he was looking at her now with increased attention she leaned forward find and returned his look with a straight one of her ber own in a low voice and very distinctly she spoke mr renshaw henshaw site she said grandfather put you in charge of his case and perhaps of the house I 1 dont know how far reaching he meant his instructions to be but whatever he did he did not put you in charge of me will you be good enough to remember that renshaw flushed and bit his bin tip lip his smoldering dislike of miss campbell forgotten for many hours hotly named flamed up again do as you please he be said coldly it if you prefer to sit here unclothed and get pneumonia your affair of course but please remember that it would add an unpleasant complication in a household that Is going to be rather busy for the next few weeks one word in his speech infuriated her no he considered her unclothed unclothe dl 1 site she set her teeth with a force that tightened her jaw jarline line in tier her heart she ehe knew he be was right but to obey him now would be intolerable he be must be taught his lesson by tier her actions as well as by her words she abl shivered vered again she was really very cold she sat still a few minutes longer while her resolution wavered like a windblown wind blown flame then without a glance at him or even at the pathetic still groping old hand on the bedclothes she rose stiffly and left the room he followed and opened the door for tier her an attention she acknowledged by briefly inclining her head without a glance in his direction she was gone only a few minutes and when slie she returned he regarded with approval the garment she wore it was a heavy velvet negligee trimmed with dark fur and with a ghigli rolling collar that had the effect of a medici ruff her eyes and cheeks were still blazing and the vivid orange hued garment eo which she had obviously flung on because it was the first erst tiling thing that came to her hand so set off her an laziNg beauty that when she had sunk back into tier lier big chair beside the bed renshaw looked at her with a puzzled sense of unreality no woman had a right to he be so lovely it was the unpleasant sensations that made her seem unreal surely no woman now could stir his big pulses he approached her with an expression wade made up of surprise and humility forgive me he berged very gently 1 I deliberately spoke ns as I 1 did because it was the only way to keep you from catching a bad cold im not sorry I 1 did it but I 1 am horribly sorry y you on misunderstood me now will you let me make you as comfortable as I 1 can 71 she met his eyes find and the brilliant hardness died out of her own thank you she said and she added almost below her creath 1 I was very foolish though the lie words were so low he caught them they were shy things they seemed to scurry like frightened mice around the silent client room it was pot not easy for verity campbell to confess herself in the wrong slie had bald taken tier her grandfathers groping hand as she spoke and it clutched hers with avid content holding it tightly ris as it if in fear of again I 1 osing losing it renshaw laden inden with rush lons ions arranged them behind her back and under her firm arm in a 11 way to give her the greatest possible comfort in a position strained at the best besl when he be had done what he could he returned to his own chair neither spoke even the old man on the bed was quiet and seemingly at pence peace now that his big groping hand band bad found what it sought the door opened and jenks insinuated it ed himself blin fiell into hito the room ue he glanced ut at the figure ou on the bed waited a uio mo lor for orders and receiving none laded faded out like a departing shadow As aa he went however lie sent henshaw a glance mat brought the secretary to ills side aldi in the hall mr campbells Camp bella getting along bit all right I 1 air bar her hell he be asked anxiously 1 I hope so BO the expression of concern on the boilers bailers face deepened doctor morris told me he be would probably he unconscious forda for days ysl he went on that looks as if lie he was pretty sick doyet it sir dont you think he may come to sooner soo nerl renshaw shook his head bead morrisie morris Morr isis Is a better authority on that than I 1 am he pointed out but irve seen been cases sir where they came to to in a few hours jenks bowed his head 1 I cant help worrying he be confessed almost humbly it dont seem like a roan man has hail much chance when he lies like that Ren shaws lips parted ile he had been about to any that the old man had already momentarily recovered consciousness ness but he changed his big mind that report belonged to the doctors dont worry jenks he be said kindly mr campbell may be in this condition for a week but I 1 think he will get well i oh thank you sir jenks stolid fae was almost human renshaw returned to the sick room I 1 palf an hour later the figure of doctor morris loomed through the first weary light of the lagging dawn coming to the bedside the physician nodded farst at the quiet patient then into the alert eyes of renshaw Rens liaw hes all right nothing more to do at present let me know when doctor stanley comes he be murmured ana nn thankfully retreated to the quarters jenks jenka had assigned to him doctor morris never wasted energy if there had been no one else to watch lie he himself would faithfully have watched the patient but two attendants in the sick room were enough it if he had bad been a younger man he might have remained just to watch miss CamP campbell beIL she was worth looking at at though the self contained chap in the other chair seem to know it there was something arresting about that fellow too ile he would try to remember to ask doctor stanley about him in the morning back in the sick room the self con bained chaps eyes were at last on verity they could safely rest on her now for her own eyes were closed and her deep quiet breathing indicated that she ws asleep he was glad of that she mie was asleep and she was warm she had even let him tuck an afghan around her knees now without offense he could study her in detail as he might have studied something beautiful in a museum he be liked the he line of tier her black hair on her forehead there was a tiny peak in the center the widows peak he be had heard it called the old superstition being that a woman whose hair grew in ID that little point on the brow was doomed to be a widow her closed eyes and the velvety whiteness of her skin gave gate her face an oddly lifeless look the lifelessness of a beautiful statue but no statue had those exquisitely arched black eyebrows those long slightly curled black eyelashes tind those magle crimson curves of the mouth it was it a proud mouth month almost a cold mouth though it was so lovely indeed the whole face seemed cold despite the burnished dished blackn blackness essof of hair and eyebrows and eyelashes yet verity campbell was not cold slie she was full of ore alre ready to flush flash up in fierce finger anger at a word or a look perhaps he be did not know site she was equally ready to flush flash up under softer emotions of course he would lell fell her nothing it if he could help it IL that lie he had bad already decided but was there liere anyone else he should tell stanley for example stanley was a liard fiord headed sane old chop chap so go hardheaded hard headed indeed hint flint it would be very difficult for him to credit Ren shaws story of alve circles and uncanny midnight sounds stanley would either think that renshaw was exaggerating nat fint urn ural conditions easily explained or he be would think Ren shaws nerves were playing him flint tricks ricks renshaw did not wish sidnley to get any such notion ns its that into his head stanley was vigorously maintaining flint he renshaw was in reality an absolutely well man it if lie ile himself could he made to realize it It elishaw linw was not willing to have stanley change that theory if he did it might upset than things s badly stanley might not he be willing to leave hla his old friend in the lie hands of a man whose nerves were and ii hal was true ot of Stil stanley riley was oven even mere true of morris stanley at least annl imagination morris penshaw wits was already convinced by the mans appearance had none if lie he told old Ms bis experience to morris about the he first thing morris would do would be to ask jenks what sort of fellow the hew new secretary was wag and it was quite on the be cards that jenks might feel moved out of loyalty to his help bew less master to tell morris all about the strange bargain campbell and lleo haw show chaw had bad made renshaw moved helplessly la in his t chair ile he lind and tar carried rieti through the terms of that lint bargain with genuine indifference difference to its efrece on campbell dut but it sickened him to think of th teiei a servants eer vonta gossiping over it and still less did he want the slow siow moving mind of morris to be busied with it he cattle came to tin an abrupt conclusion lie he would tell nothing to 0 o anyone hut no would if possible get out af f stanley till tie lie knew about the unusual conditions dit ions of taano ker As if invoked by the decision stan leys automobile ato IILo mobile cattle came racing ap the the arrival of the great physician locked lacked the ho consideration shown by doctor morris brisk but silent allent en trance the powerful engine of stanleys Stan leys limousine announced the cars approach to till all within hearing a bell sounded bounded the ho front door actually bang banged ed the great doctor blew into the room like the tha spirit of the autumn storm itself with him come morris who aroused by the dolse of his big entrance had hurried down stairs in time line to meet lili his colleague colled gue in the hall behind the two lurked J wistful hands ready for the d tj t yer coat stanley jerked it off i j it to him with one efficient gesture the next moment he was nt at ills ilia patients le ints bedside grunting acknowledgment of the presence of verity and renshaw but looking at neither of them renshaw observed veo that hot another figure had joined the doctors the figure of tin an looking young woman still enveloped in a heavy motor coat obviously the lie trained nurse doctor stanley hail bud brought with mat him lie he put a gentle hand under verity elbow and helped tier her to her feet site she had bern been awakened by the entrance of the doctors and was blinking rather dazedly ile he drew tier her away from froin tho bed they waited in silence hearing the voices but not the he words of the doctors ors in a very short time stanley came forward and formally shook hands bands with them both ills his figure seemed to nil fill the room and though he was well past seventy he rao radiated vitality from tits his mass of thick white hair to the big feet planted so BO firmly on the lie floor as he faced them things might be a lot worse my dear he told verity with wit brusque kindliness 1 I think well bring him around all right but it will take time eie looked at the girls face every feature was quivering under the sudden relaxation of the strain site she had bad been through there there he be said patting her hand youre tired out and frightened but be all right tomorrow ive got a first rate nurse here and another will come in the morning miss watson will take charge shea gone oft off already to get into her uniform go to bed my child ill see you at breakfast you too renshaw clear out I 1 your works done for the night steel sleep lateef late it you carl can go to bed he repeated jenks jenhs says saya youve both been on the watch ever since it happened its our turn now ile he listened with interest to ren shaws report of the patients flicker of consciousness lie ile was in exceller it spirits evidently greatly rell relieved eved to discover that his old friend had bad what he be called a d d good fighting ch chance a nee hell fight too he be chuckled to morris a little later lles lies made up his mind to outlive me that will help him renshaw escorted verity to the tha door of her rooms there to tits his surprise she put her hand in his goodnight good night he sald said sleep we well I 1 1 im almost sure theres nothing t to worry about now site she nodded 1 I know she good and thank you again im sorry I 1 was so horrid HP he shook ills his head you were not horrid he be protested she entered tier her ro roro ropi ro and closed the tha door but she did not immediately lose logo the sense of hla his presence they had beer beef together for hours and an incredible thing had happened notwithstanding her dislike for him her lack of faith in him tier her half scorn of him she knew that throughout that hat timo time site she had find depended on him blin she had in a n way leaned on him on something in him which in those hose hours at n least had seemed like strength the knowledge both puzzled puzzle and embarrassed barr assed her she should have been equal to the emergency for after all ail lie he had actually done nothing except carry tier lier grandfather to hla his bed she undressed thoughtfully she was no longer over anxious about tier her grandfather ile he was in doctor stan leys care and doctor stanley stanfey had virtually promised her that i would get well but it was not of stanley slie she thought nor did she even recall tier her 0 own wn long vigil by the bet bed with ft ath the patients hand so BO avidly clutching hers with singular persistence one picture filled tier her mind the picture of 0 the moment when the young man had lifted the old man as if he were a little child and with flying garment and the swift splendid stride of a trained at athlete hiete had bad carried her stricken grandfather erand futher tn in ills bed TO ITO BD CONTI CONTINUED NUEn 1 |
