Show J J 9 9 by alary roberts dehut ehart by mcclure publications in dr max wilson pays a heavy penalty for his faithlessness to sidney carlotta harrisons Ham sons influence once again shows sh its character sidney is deeply denully involved and the who e hard truth a bout about K lemoyne comes out CHAPTER continued 16 when joe suddenly announced tits his inclination to go out into the country after nil all le moyne suspected a ruse to set get rid of him and insisted on going along joe oe consented grudgingly cars nt at bailys baileys garage lie he said 1 I dont know when ril ra get bacr tant wont matter K X s tone was im not sleeping anyhow that passed unnoticed until they were on n the me highroad with the car running smoothly between yellowing fields ot of wheat then so youve got it tool he said were it line fine pair of fools wed both ie be better off it if I 1 sent the car over a bank he gave the wheel a reckless reck jess twist band le moyne called him to time at sternly ernly they had supper at the white springs sings hotel botel not on the terrace but in the little room where carlotta and wilson had bad taken their first meal together joe submitted with bad grace lut ant the meal cheered and steadied etim tin IL found him more amenable to re reason ilion and gaining his confidence Pear teamed ried of its his desire to leave the city tm rm stuck here he said im the finly one and mother yells blue murder when I 1 talk about it I 1 want to go ito to cuba my uncle owns a farm down inhere perhaps I 1 can talk your mother farer er ive been there joe was all interest ills his dilated pu pals became more normal his restless sands grew quiet K s even voice the picture he be drew of life on the island jibe stillness of the little hotel lit in its midweek dullness seemed to quiet the boys tortured nerves lie ile was nearer to peace than he had been for many flays cut but he smoked incessantly lighting one cigarette from another at ten he left K N and went vent for or the car he paused tor for a moment rather sheepishly by K s chair tm im reeling feeling a lot better lie said 1 I got tile the band around my head ead you talk to mother that was th the e last K X saw of joe drummond until the next nest day CHAPTER carlotta had set the hour for meet lm sig wilson at nine when the late dusi doss af f summer eninger had fallen and sit slie smiling a faintly perfumed white whit i figure sli slim m and young with a SQ in her voice that was only halt half assumed its late he complained surely you are not going goi nito to be back at t ten 11 1 I have special permission to be out late good and then recollecting their new situation we have a lot to talk over ever it will take tahe time at the white springs hotel they stopped 1 to fill tile the gasoline tank of the air ar joe drummond saw wilson there in hi the sheet iron garage alongside ofa of the road the wilson car was in tile I 1 shadow it lid did not occur to joe that the white figure la in the car was not sidney ile he went rather white nod and I 1 stepped out of the alie zone of light haht the of le moyne was still on win ilia however and he went on quietly ak ith m what lint lie was doing but his hands shook as lie he filled the radiator lie ile had bad been au an ass le moyne was right lied hed get away to cuba it if lie he could end nd oer 01 er again ile he would forget the street and let it forget him the men ann in the garage were tall talling talking ing to salm liters of course one of clem grumbled that shat was wilson the surgeon burgeon in town own lie ile used to come here now NON pa goes on to Sell pretty girl e hod had with him so max wilson was taking sidney to making her the butt of talk the smiles lilles si of the men were evil eru e ru jots hands grew cold his hend deed hot A A red mist spread between between him rad the line of electric lights ne ile know knew arid and he know knew wll wit son on when K X growing uneasy came wa into ive he was wag in time to see ee joe ml tits ills car into the road and turn it 11 viciously toward Carl ottas nearness was having its calculated effect on max wilson ula ills rose as the engine marking perfect time carried them along the wet roads 6 partly it was reaction relief that aie P donld bo be so BO reasonable so BO com 1 ant and k bort 1 of I holada acirit after the days hard work oddly enough nod not so irrational as may appear sidney formed a part of the evenings happiness that she loved him that back in tile the lecture room eyes and even mind on the lecturer tier her heart was with him so with mith sidney tile the basis of ills his happiness lie he made the mot most of ills his evenings freedom lie sting a little la in his clear tenor even once when they had slowed down at a crossing bent over audaciously and kissed Carl ottas hand in the full glare ot of a passing train how flow reckless of you 1 I like to be reckless lie replied ills his boyls boyishness liness annoyed carlotta Carl olta site she did not want the situation to get out of hand moreover what was so real for her was only too plainly a lark for him she began to doubt her power the hopelessness of her situation was dawning on tier her even when the touch of tier her beside him and the solitude of the country roads got in ills his blond arid and lie be bent toward tier her she found no encouragement in ills his words 1 I am and about you tonight she took tier her courage in tier hands then why give me up tor for someone else Tl thais ints different why is it different I 1 nm am a woman I 1 I 1 love you max no one else will ever care its as I 1 do CIO you ton are in love with the lamb lahib that was a trick I 1 am sorry mas I 1 dont care tor for anyone else in the world it if you let me RO go ill want to ile die then as lie was silent if marry me ine ill be true to you all my life I 1 swear it IL there will be nobody else ever the sense if not the words of what ahat he hid had sworn to sidnay that sunday afternoon attern non under the trees on this very rond road swift shame overtook liim him that hat lie he should be here that lie he had allowed carlotta to remain in ignorance ot of how things really stood between them im sorry carlotta its impossible im engaged to marry someone else sidney rage ge almost a whisper res ile he was ashamed at it the way she tool took the news if she had stormed or wept lie would have known what to do but she sat till not speaking you must have expected it sooner or later still she made no reply lie thought slie she might faint and looked at tier her anxiously ner her profile indistinct beside him looked white and drawn dut cut carlotta was not fainting she was making a desperate plan it if their escapade became known it would end things between sidney and him she was sure of that she needed time to think it out it must become known without any apparent move on her part libart it if for instance she became ill III and was dway away from the hospital nil night that might answer answer the thin thing would bo be investigated and who knew the car turned in at road and drew up before the house the narrow porch was filled with wath small tables above which hung rows of electric H lights lits in japanese paper lanterns midweek which had found the hie white springs hotel almost deserted saw Sch crowded tables sot set out under tinder the trees seeing the crowd wilson drove directly to the yard pird and parked ills his machine no need of running any risk riek lie he explained to the still figure beside him L a i am mad about you tonight we can walk back bach and take a table under the trees away from those infernal lanterns she reeled a little as he helped her out I 1 not sick are you im dizzy im all right she looked white lie felt a stab of pity tor for her she leaned rather heavily on him as they walked toward the house bouse the faint pei peL tunie furne that had bad almost intoxicated him earlier vaguely irritated him now at the rear of 0 the house she ho shook oft off his arm and preceded him around the building she chose the end of the porch as the place in which to drop and went down like a stone there was a moderate excitement the visitors tit at were too much engrossed with themselves to be much interested she open opened edher her eyes almost as soon as aa she fell to forestall any tests she was shrewd enough to know that wilson would detect her malingering ng very quickly and begged to be taken into the house 1 I feel very ill III she olie SAM said and tier her white face bore tier her out and wilson carried her in and up tip the ho stairs to one of the rooms the little man was twittering with anxiety ue he had a horror of knockout drops and the police they laid tier her on the bed her lint hat beside tier lier and wilson stripping down the long sleeve of if tier her glove felt her pulse theres it a doctor in the next town said Sch wAter 1 I sent for him a while ago my cifes not very well im a doctor Is iq it anything serious nothing serious ne he closed the door behind the relieved figure ot of the landlord and going back to carlotta stood looking down at her what did you mean by doing that you ii mere ere no more faint than I 1 aw am she closed tier her eyes 1 I dont remember everything went black tho the lanterns P ile he crossed the room deliberately deliberate Y and went out closing the door behind him lie he saw nt once whore where he stood lit in what danger it if she insisted that she was III and unable to go back there would be a fuss the story would come out everything would be gone of 0 all places at tile the foot of the stairs Seb wItter pulled himself together after all the girl was as only ill there was nothing for the police ue he looked nt lit his watch the doctor ought to be there by this time another car perhaps it was the doctor A young man edited edged his way into the hall ball and confronted him two people just arrived here A man dian and a woma in imite white Ii ite where are they upstairs first bedroom to the right joe went up the staircase at the top on the landing he confronted wll wil son lie ile fired at him without a word saw sav him fling up tip h his is arms and fall back striking first the wall then the floor door the buzz of conversation on the porch suddenly ceased joe put his revolver in his pocket and went quietly down the stairs the crowd parted to let him through carlotta crouched in her room listening not daring to open the door heard the sound of a car as it swung out into the road CHAPTER it was the lamb who received the message about wilson and because he was no not very keen abbe at the best and because the news was so 0 startling he refused to credit ills his cars who is this at the phone le my name get dr ed wilson at once doctor wilson the surgeon has been shot came slowly and distinctly get the staff here and have a room ready get tile the operating room ready too the lamb wakened then and roused the house ile he was incoherent rather so that doctor ed only learned the truth alien lie he got to the hospital who has been shot 1 I thought you said the labib turned pals pale at that and braced himself im sorry I 1 thought you understood I 1 believe its nut not not serious Ws its doctor mas sir doctor ed who was heavy and not vory very young sat s at down on an ollice office chair out of sheer habit lie had brought the bag lie he put it dok blonn n on oil the floor beside hini him and mo his lips Is lie living oil yes sir mr I 1 gathered that mr le moyne lid not think it serious ue ile lied and doctor ed knew lie he lied the lamb stood by the door and doctor ed sat and waited the alie clock said halt alter after three the bag with till the dog collar in it was on the bloor ile he thought of many things lings ti but mostly of the promise lie he had made ills mother cold beads of sweat stood out on ills his forehead 1 I think I 1 hear them now sir said the lamb nil and stood back respectfully to lot him pass out odthe door carlotta stayed in the room during the consultation no one to wonder why she was there or to pay any attention to tier lier the staff was til eken they moved back to make room for doctor L ed d beside the bed and then closed in ill again carlotta waited tier her liand hand over her mouth to keep herself from froin screaming surely they ni let lalni die like that when slie she saw the phalanx break up and realized they would not opel ate site ran from the roum the staff went vent hopelessly down the to tile lie smoking room milid smoked it was nil they could do the night aai tant sent coffee acton t to them and they drunk drank it doctor am M stayed in bi bis room und and said hald to his mother under liis his breath that hed tried to do ills hig best by mat alax and that dom now on it would be up to tier her K had brought lirou gln the injured mail iu in the country doctor on tile tho way in had taken it for granted that K anas ft as a ni medical edical man like himself and had placed tits his to case at his disposal when he missed him in the smoking room that was he asked for him 1 I dont see the chap who cattle came in with us he said clever fellow like to know its his name the stair staff did not dot know K sat alone on a bench in the hall ile he wondered who would tell sidney lie he hoped they would be vak very gentle with tier lier he did not want to go home and leave her to what she might have to face there was a chance she would ask tor for him he wanted to be near in that case the night watch watchman ruan went by twice and stared lit at him at last lie he asked IC to mind the floor until he got some coffee I 1 one ot of the stairs been hurt he explained if I 1 dont get some coffee col fro now I 1 wont get any ac K promise S d to watch the door A desperate thing bad occurred to carlotta somehow she had not thought of nt it before now she wondered how she could have failed to think of it she went to the start staff find and confronted them they were men of courage only declining to undertake what they considered hopeless work the one man among them who might have done the thins thing with any chanco chance of success lay stricken not one ona among them but would have given ot of ills his best only his best was not good enough it would be the operation it demanded carlotta the stair staff was bewildered there were no rules to cover such conduct TA 11 1 he fired at him without a word ion on the part of a nurse ono of them replied rather heavily it if any it would be the edwardes operation would doctor edwardes himself be able to do anything this was going a little far possibly one chance in a thousand perhaps but Edwar edwardes deg Is dead how did this thing happen miss harrlson harrison she ignored his question 1 her face lil was ghastly save for the e trace of rouge her eyes were red rimmed doctor edwardes Is sitting on a bench in the hall outside I 1 she announced noun ced her voice rang out K X heard her and raised his head ills his attitude was weary weary resigned the tiding thing had come I 1 then I 1 ile he was to tal take t up the old burr bur don den the girl had told 1 Is doctor ed hall had sent tor for sidney she thought it was another operation and tier her spirit was just a little weary but tier her courage was indomitable she forced her shoes on her tired feet and bathed her face in ia cold water to rouse herself the night watchman was in the hall he was fond ot of sidney she always smiled at him and on his morning rounds at six to waken the nurses her voice was always amiable so she found him in the hall holding a cup of tepid coffee ile he was old and bleary unmistakably dirty too but lie had bad divined kidneys Sid romance Cof coffee feel for me she was astonished get it down so she finished it not without anxiety that she might be needed but d addys daddys attentions were for few and not to be lightly received can you stand a 0 piece of bad news strangely her first thought was of ac K there has been an accident |