Chapter VII
w—] Ds
By the next morning there was no
doubt that victory had been won.
There was color in Lancaster's face,
a lightness in his step; and, best of
all, he was psychically whole. The
drug devil still clung to the nervous
refuges of Its physical domain, the
hands still trembled, the man started
at sudden sounds; but the shifty,
furtive, lying spirit had taken its de-
parture,
Joan only discovered afterward
what Lancaster must have endured.
The treatment had been more heroic
than Joan had known, with her own
limited experience, and the antidotes
which she administered, under Lan-
caster's own directions, were purpose-
ly limited, for fear of supplanting one
habit with another,
Lancaster had gone through the
worst of his ordeal; and yet certain
features of his illness were puzzling
to both of them. The symptoms of
morphine poisoning, elusive and pro-
tean as they are, seemed in this case
irreconcilable with those
accepted. There was Lancaster's com-
plete prostration on the morning when
Joan discovered the nature of his ill-
ness. He told her afterward that he
had been conscious all the time, but
physically inert, as if paralyzed. That
did not point to morphine poisoning.
And a certain lethargy remained one
of the last symptoms of the case
The intimacy of the sick room,
of their struggle,
natural thing to both of them.
passing of Myers had wrought an ex-
traordinary change in
of the institution. And
news of Lancaster's recovery
spread into Millville Joan Inferred
that even the country people had boy-
classically
somehow
the doctor's
and
Joan to
tion, his
ward the
see
jolliness
children
“I'm using my respite,
whimsically. “I want to
face my harder battle”
“It is no respite,” answered
“You are free now, Doctor La
It i= only a habit of thought that
you.”
There ensued
after the
to remain
They were three days of unint
ed recovery After the
nor ne was given
won; there
tenderness
to
get well
Joan
neasier
holds
three wonde 3
secretary's departure, always
clear in the 3
errupt-
second
The fizht
questioning
more
was
that
“1 suppose you will
to Avonmouth soon” J
He turned a
*Yes—soon,”
Yoon .
could not arou
That
came from Thomp
int.
by a
ncaster come at once
ng could be done for
to come with n
startled
he
anid,
meditation
afternoon a
fifteen
had been crushed
11d La
if anythi
“Would you like
asked the doctor.
“If I can be of help.”
“Of course you can-—
help. I shall need you badly,
to administer an
swered,
Lancaster telephoned to Jenkins for
the bdggy. and half an hour later they
were driving along the country road
into the heart of the mountains. They
traveled for the most part In slience
Lancaster's thoughts were occupled
with his prospective case, and Joan
was content to sit quietly at his side
and watch the changing panorama of
the land she loved and knew so well,
The road ascended continuously, un-
til at last, when the sun was low down
in the sky, they entered Thompson, a
tiny settlement in the very heart of
the mountain peaks.
It was a serious case, and the pa-
tient was already comatose, The
tree had fallen across the chest, crush-
ing it, and driving a rib into a lung.
An immediate operation offered the
only hope, and the doctor decided to
perform it in the cabin.
Joan, having bundled out the family
and the neighbors, administered the
ether, She had never been greatly
impressed ny the legand of the skilled
surgeon with she wonderful touch;
her first operation at Avonmouth had
seemed to her like a sort of glorified
plumbing, and the leisurely manner of
the surgeons had reduced the art to a
science In her estimation. Now she
revised her opinion as, seated at the
patient's head, she watched Lancaster
working within a compass of fraction-
al inches, where a slip would have
Seen deadly. His fingers, which had
trembled as he held the reins, were
ns steady as the steel instruments he
held, his deftness and precision were
amazing ; and when at last the opera-
tion was ended, and the patient's re-
covery announced as probable, she
could not conceal her enthusiasm.
They were to remain at the cabin
overnight in case of a change for the
worse, returning to the institute in
the morning. After a scrappy meal
they had wandered to the end of the
village, toward a patch of woodland
that was encroaching on the tiny set-
tlement. The long summer twilight
still held the land, although the moun-
tein tops were already vague and shad-
owy. They stood there, looking down
toward the level country under them.
“I think you are the most wonder-
ful su*geon In the world,” sald Joan.
“And you see 1 didn't faint this time,”
she added.
“Faint?
wor ind see
Why should you falnt?”
By
Victor Rousseau
Copyright by W. GC. Chapman
asked Lancaster,
a puzzled expression.
“You seemed to regard
» a little
dig-
she replied,
should have
from bis mind.
of my incapacity,
chagrined that he
missed the matter
Lancaster looked at her with
strange glance which seemed
designed to hide his thoughts.
his face softened.
“Joan, do you know
evervthing on earth
my dear?” he asked.
And he took her
kissed her,
“That's what you
said. “I can't lose
to fill the life that
back to me."
And at the touch of his lips on hers
Joan knew that in truth she loved
him; all that had heard of the
man's past, his dissolute life, the talk
of Avonmouth, was forgotten. She
only knew that she loved him, not
with the wild passion of which she
had heard,
ing fondness, none the weaker for
qualities of calmness;
most natural thing in the world that
who had given him life again,
should give her own life also to this
wonderful, strong man who had risen
his wrongs and driven
devils from him
Her wis
trustiul
that I owe
to you--to you,
in bis arms and
mean to me” he
you; I want you
you have given
she
she,
the be.
valorous
up;
setting
strength,
and
by
Hfted
returned
heart
serene she
“1 love you. too” she answered.
detween us”
They were at the verge of the
upon a height that
Millville and Lancaster, hill
otitspread In the
dozen counties
for-
overlooked
villages,
now
fo
rpm
They Traveled for the Most Part in
Silence,
could be dimly discerned from that
spot by daylight. Far in the distance
were the coastal lands, nearer the cul-
tivated belt, nearer still the littie
farms, amd the matchless mountains
all about them. It was their home
country-—-both of them were thinking
that ; the smell of the rich soll was In
their nostrils, and in their hearts the
sense of home
“Joan, can a man begin to build up
his life again at thirty-eight, after he
has missed everything?" asked Lan
caster, after a long silence,
“You have proved that he can.” she
answered, “But you have not missed
everything, my dear. You are 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 turn back
as you have done.”
“Joan, I want to tell you something.
I was engaged to be married once
years ago. She ran away on the eve.
ning before our marriage day. It was
the beginning of my downfall I
thought I loved her™
His face was haggard. Divining his
distress, Joan slipped her hand into
his.
“Joan, dearest” sald Lancaster,
after a pause, “I have often thought
that some day I would tell you all the
wretched story of the past. But 1
have been thinking differently today.
I was entrapped by an unscrupulous
man, who robbed me of everything
that made life worth living. But
there is nothing that would make me
afraid to look my fellow men In the
face. It is myself whom I have
shamed and humiliated. Joan, I want
to say nothing, not because 1 would
keep anything from you, but because
I want to start my life anew. 1 shall
never go back to the imstitute”
“You mean, dear—1"
“Never. [I ghall not return tomor-
row. I want you to come to the
Southwest with me, Joan, my dear,
We will drive across the hills to Car
roll's and eateh the through train
there. I shall begin to live the new
ite you have given me. Will you leave
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
spoke to me of some harder fight to
be fought.”
“With nothing to win, Joan-
ing. When 1 leave here no
man being will miss or regret me.”
“There Is your work at Avonmouth,
made famous throughout
States, Your work is
soe obscure place
use to the
Besides, consider that
become famous again, as you must,
you will be discovered. And one can
never leave his past behind him. That
follows everywhere.”
“Yes, that is true’
the
there, not
less world and no ex
ample,
*
muttered
hills. “Wall, 1 leave it to you. my
dear, but to go back to fight out a
futile battle seems to me now some
thing unendurable.”
“You must go back to the institute
and then to Avonmouth, and meet
enemies, John" she sald. "I shall be
at your side. Nothing will make
afraid, or weaken my love for you”
His twitched. “Not If [ tell you
things which prove me worthless of
your love? he asked. “Not if you find
I am an outcast man bus de
served his misfortunes
She only smiled at
not judge you by your
sald, "nor yet by other
but my_knowledge of you"
“Then | tell
he answered,
his. “Everything,
I shall keep the
within my heart,
they strolled
and Joan's
transmuted in this,
to gold She lived In
ily In
her
in
unfol
She
me
face
who
“1 shall
she
him
words."
men's opinions,
shall you everything,’
ILlere
hills
not here,
of the
and you"
but
peace
back toward the
drab-colored life
her first love,
her
No
cabin,
was
lover, she
him who had
pot
the
trusted wi
love to like & con
god, but
the
nature
“i mple $f guise
her own
vouth, aer
ding of
her
and
There
gnve
innocence as love's price, thm
exchange her profit
such peacefulness in
that and in
abounding peace
reached the
better Lan
detalied
®oy
Joan’
ikew
cabin
there evening,
heart ive
When
patient
was
they
was uster
evening giving
ns to the man's wife
“1 shall do my best to con
needed.”
fae I: %
any mie
I am
Keep
keep h $
motionless for a }
if he »
the
nent
quiet, for heaven's sake
sOlutely
then let him sit up
Afterward J«
Joan's room was a ti ler
the eaves She spent a
happy night there, thinking
happiness that had come to her. It
was strange and wonderful to lie
awake under the same roof that shei-
tered Lancaster, and reflect how
soon their lives would flow
calmly, In thelr own country. She
could not have wished any happier
fate in life,
With her limited
seemed ideal that,
stress in Avonmouth, she should he
returning, almost to her own home. a
wife, She had puzzied sometimes over
Lancaster's long residences In the
place that bore his name But she
dreamed of the time when he would
give up his work at Avonmouth
retire to a new Institute, a spacious
home where they could fill their wards
with the country people, where
life's vocation and her life's happl-
ness would be united.
At last she fell asleep, and.
she awoke, Lancaster was tapping at
her door,
“Time to get up, Joan!" he called
cheerfully.
She sprang out of bed.
patient?” she asked.
ny place une
over
to
experience, it
“How is the
work,” sald Lancaster, laughing.
Joan dressed In a hurry and ran
downstairs, Lancaster was waiting or
the porch. She raised ber face for his
kiss, already natural to her, already
the happy fulfillment of her innocent
dreams of love. Then, arm in arm,
they strolled out into the sunlight.
The glorious light lay on every hill
in that light all the shadows of the
past seemed to shrivel away.
“We are going back to the institute
this morning, Joan" sald Lancaster.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
Franklin Set Style
When Eighteenth-century Parls was
still wearing the picturesque three
cornered hat Benjamin Franklin eame
to represent the new republic of the
United States, wearing on his head a
queer thing derived from the steeple
crowns of the Puritan Pligrim fathers,
Paris copied it and turned it into the
cylinder which Christendom has worn
ever since, says the Detroit News,
In the Eighteenth century when par.
tisans of France and of Russia were
fighting It out in Sweden the French
faction wore hats, the Russians caps.
The Middle ages, as a familiar ballad
reminds us, knew ~ Pligrim by his
“eockie hat”
We
HOW TO KEEP
WELL
arpa main
FREDERICK R. GREEN
Editor of “HEALTH”
DR.
Gy, 1926, Weutern Sewspaper Union.)
IDIOSYNCRASY
SYNCRARY, This
What does it
BONS
is a ‘omg
wean? it
hing which know
knows what It Is
Pos
ward
stunds for we
Ho one
A familiar proverb which goes back
writers Is that "One
mun's meat is another man’s poison.”
terse way of saying thut 4
food which will agree with and nour
ish person will produce injurious
effects on another. The food is just
the sime in both Instances, the
difference must be In the individuals,
What is the difference? No
Yet strawberries, which
enjoy, will cause nausea
vomiting and a severe rush in
cases. 1 recall a patient who
not lobster. Her friends
and never offered it to her.
fanch at a hotel frie
urdered
pinount of
This is »
Ole
wo
one
most
und
some
could
knew It
Tuking
ad
ent
with nus, a si
contained a = mall
githough th
purty
the
wus which
lobster meat,
VHS not known to an of the
ten minutes after eating
this tuken violently
the time taken
nnd
from
Inside of
iad,
il. By
io &8 room
wan
# vivid su
lady was
she could be
her body
foot
The
ute
wed
undressed,
head to
irruption
party,
salud,
with
other
ox
no
covers
uriet
the
the sume
inembers of who
stly sho
ymptoms at all
ef
un
of
of cer
Certain drugs produce unusual
¢ people, Others
uffected by the
resence
the pr
forts on Rome are
odors
rs OF
German
of Basel
sithlect, which has be
recent
, Prof
meeting of
exgor Darr is.
'
different way
oy
in
Tecred animal
id that the various
1sitiveness
§ ties
urilies
or Wars
ther pe
ing :
our knowledg
one long word to
dace of another
but
the
take
EYESIGHT VARIES WITH
AGE
HEN are your eyes the best? At
what age does the average per
son see clearest? The United States
ealth service has endeavored
answer this question by au careful
ten thou
Half of them were
six to sixteen and
were working men from
eighteen up The were public
school pupils in South Carolina, Mary.
Delaware and New York and
employees in post
pottery, foundry,
cigar, gas and cement
various parts. of the
sand persons
schoo! boys {rom
half of them
boys
inna,
workmen
offices, In
steel, chemical,
industries In
Umited States.
This number is large enough to In-
every variety of sight defect,
What were the results of this large
of examinations?
public health experts
were
RIASK,
The found
of persons with normal
increased with age from six
to eighteen years, after
decline was much more rapid after
forty-five than before,
wails would Indicate that in chil
dren with good eyesight, school work
wns not as hard a strain on the eyes
as different forms of work taken up
ufter leaving schooi.
The investigation also showed that
if the eyes were markedly defective,
school work still further weakened
them and that the percentage of per
sons with markedly defective vision
increased steadily after six years of
age. ‘she rate of locrease was more
rapid uvuring school cge than in the
early years of Industrial work.
The percentage of persons with
moderately defective vision decreased
during the school ages, then increased
from twenty to fifty and then declined
again.
The general conclusion from these
facts would seem to be that If one
has good eyes, school work Improves
the vision but that, in persons with
poor eyesight, school work is harder
than Industrial work, probably be
enuse persons having very poor eyes
anturally select work which does not
require acute vision, In any case, the
eyesight ig best at about elghtesn
yenre !
SURE!
“Any that factory for
work 7"
“Sure
good poling to
! Just go in at
has ‘Keep Out’ on it,
yard, Then you'll see
‘No Help Wanted® sign.
and there'll be another
left with ‘No Admittance’
see a big man in there with a bull
terrier tagging him, that's the fore
man. He only speaks Rumanian, but
wiu'll understand him.”
the gute that
and cross the
a door with »
Go right in,
door at your
on. HM you
Fireproof
that this metal filing
itely fireproof?” askec
furniture salesman
replied the latter
sir, that one of
came safe
“You are
cabinet is
s1re
hsolt
Biggs of the new
“Absolutely,
‘Why, do you know,
our filing cabinets
aout of the big
although evervthi
burned to
sir,”
sound
inside it had beer
Everybody's Maga
ing
ashes?”
Zine
Promising
like the same
is bound to
engaged girl
Tom ought to
rked the girl,
didnt him. *
“When two
thing thelr married life
happy.” sighed the
people
. i and
ny wn,” rem
wanted Tom but
know you love him,
fond of himself”
get
sis and n
but J
* up yet.
kissed,
eplied,
el :
of That Question
sm, Unel
r forty
fit I'll
Fly in the Ointment
“Why
Marie?”
are you
world this is
alimony.”
T hat Was Different
Dora-~—I'm going to be married.
Cora—But 1 thought you detested
all men?
Dora-—Yes,
posed to me
He Seizes Anything
“What Is an opportunist?’
“One who meets the
door,
fur coat.”
hut of
one
them pro
- =Gargoyle.
NOT ON BILL oF FARE
—
Guest (12 waiter with noiseless
tread) Waiter, have you rubber soles?
Waiter (indignantly)—You'll have
to go somewhere else, sir, to get that
kind of fish!
Overheard in S’siety
The human male doth now attain
A most submissive lot;
A lady may use words profane,
A gentleman may not!
Ananias’ Calling
Dentist—Now open your mouth wide
and 1 won't hurt you a bit,
Patient (a few minutes later)-—Doe
tor, 1 know what Ananlas did for »
living.
Wasted Time
“How is It that Betty and Jack
have given up golf? It was their con
stant occupation last summer.”
“Well, you see, since then they have
become quite confidential and found
out that they played only because each
thought the other liked it.”
Truly, a Land of Promise
“Buy a ploce out near us, old wan;
“I'll say it is—they'll promise yom
anything to get you to buy out thare”
R 2
tn MEI Oo
CAC ABEL WET ET DO, tw
170 aie
oe nes out
RIGHT
with
DAVI
= LS LS
POWDER
fault is
Finding
fortune, unless
your own business
no make a
the found in
No matier how careful you are, your sys
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wurely 372 Peari Bt. N.Y Adv
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The box bears this signature
Noe
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Recommend it
THEY have
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rought ties
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utely harmless and does
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To keep the 4 skin healthy
many people ha the
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