Page:Weird Tales Volume 3 Number 4 (1923-04).djvu/52

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As Stanton hastened to the waiting visitor, the doctor re-entered the room where he had left Halketh, and ran a quick eye over him as he sat there, ap- parently sunk in a gloomy revery. Without addressing him, the doctor left again as quietly as he had come in, to meet Stanton coming up with Lieu- tenant Ronald. At his first glance, the doctor’s trained eye recognized the true friend in the ex-soldier’s face. ‘Pope is my name, and I am attend- ing Lady Ialketh,’’ he said in low tones. “I am very glad to have a friend of theirs here, to remain with Halketh just now.” The sudden pallor which -blanched Ronald’s face told its own story to the man of science, skilled alike in reading the signs of emotional and spiritual afflictions and physical ones. “You mean—you think there is— danger ?—’’ Ronald could scarcely utter the words. “Do not take me to mean that there is no more hope for Lady Halketh, Mr. Ronald. We are about to try a remedy from which we expect promising results." It. was of her husband I spoke when I said that it is most necessary that a friend be at hand, for he has been under a terrible strain so long that I am really anxious about him also.’’ The doctor drew nearer the door, indi- cating to Stanton that he himself would introduce the visitor. «J must warn you,’’ he whispered, ‘‘to go in quite casually, Talk to him as a matter of course. Try to keep him from sinking further into the apathy you will find him in now. I hope much from your presence and support, my dear sir.’” Pr. Pope opened the door to admit Ronald, and closed it after him silently. . Ronald had heard conflicting accounts of Mildred’s mysterious attack on the first day of his arrival, and he had has- tened to the Halketh home within an hour afterward. Deadly fear for her had seized him and drove him there, that he might learn the truth. Since the departure of Mildred and her husband from India, Ronald had tried heroically to live down the suffer- ing of her loss. Not that he had ever expected their acquaintance to mean anything more than it had always been —simply the reflection of a joy that might have been; in some other world, some other life, At last, however, he looked it in the face~-to find that unless he might know himself near enough fo yee her now and then, even if only to glance through the window of the house .that. sheltered her—life would not be worth living any longer. So the Home COILS OF DARKNESS Office received another resignation. And now, Ronald, with fear and anguish in his heart, stood in Mildred’s home, to learn his supreme lesson of pain. Halketh sat at a table, his head rest- ing in his hands, - He did not move as Ronald crossed the room quietly and paused near the table. He did not seem to realize that anyone was in the room. At last Ronald spoke to him, as simply ~ and naturally as if both were back again in the old happy days in India. “‘T’ve just come in, Halketh. Let me hear how you are?’’ Halketh looked up at him with a strange, ghostly look of a far-back re- membrance, :

• • You love her, too! I’m glad you’re

here—”’ That was all he said. But Ronald knew he had succeeded in reaching him and that he could help him as the doctor had hoped. eyes. eame by night—those terrible messengers of the ghastly hope on which Mildred’s life now hung. Nor was the time long in which even these might be of use, it seemed, so quickly had her vitality ebbed since the setting of that day’s sun. As the light faded, the anxious med- ical men found it imperative to use every possible means to stimulate heart action as they fought to gain time until the liv- ing things they looked for should arrive to give their awful aid. Meantime, a slight response in strength induced Dr. Lynch-Pope to send a word of encouragement to Hal- keth. Almost in the same moment came the arrival of the sinister-looking cage con- taining the needed elixir, and prepara- tions were rushed for testing the effect of the dreadful expedient that every- thing now depended upon. The black hours of waiting Halketh had passed in silence, still sitting as he was. when Ronald found him. The two men shared the vigil, with scarcely a sound breaking the quiet, until Pope’s hastily scribbled note of hope was brought. Then Halketh spoke—three words only, as he laid the note just read on the table beside him: “Stay with me!’’ And Ronald’s answer was little more: “T’ll see you through—always!’’ And they went back to their world of silence, not knowing if hope were with them, or fear alone, to be their final eomrade. So they waited. At. every faint sound in that stilled house the two Started and their eyes turned to the door. Yet still the time crept by, and message there was none. 51 At last it seemed impossible that so great a length of time could be in one night only. It must be more! And still no word! WHalketh could stand it no longer. He must know something, if only that they were at work. “Wait for me!’’— , He rose from his chair, pressing his hand heavily on Ronald’s shoulder, as he half-whispered the words. For another moment he stood so, leaping op the strong support he seemed unable to stand without, then braced himself for the effort of walking. Ronald steadied him and walked to the door with him. There Halketh paused, standing for a time with the doorknob in his hand, and staring in Ronald’s eyes. “Wait for me!—’’ He turned, opened the door, and went out. Even as he neared that other room, Dr, Pope came out. The look in his face sent the blood from Kalketh’s heart. “My lord, I was coming for you—”’ Halketh clutched his sleeve. ““What—what—’’ He could gasp no other word. The doctor led him gently into the room. ‘*We must still hope,’’ he said. ‘‘But —I beg you not to despair, Sir—but the serpents will not bite!’’ Halketh groaned and covered his face. “‘No—no!—it is not so bad as that— not yet!’’ whispered Pope. ‘‘But there seems no way of rousing their activity, The cold—this climate—they are tor- pid.” “*Then—she—she ?—’? ““We hope to provide Lady Halketh with the stimulant, nevertheless, We have killed them to extract their poi- son. Hypodermically injected, it may avail—’’ At that moment Dr. Thursby ap- peared from the inner room, where Mil- dred lay. “We are rcady—there is no time tu lose!’’ he said, holding up a hypodermic syringe. Pope sprang forward. ‘‘Come, Lord Halketh,’’ he said quickly, and the three men entered the bedroom. Two doctors were bending over Mil- dred. Pope prepared to use the needle. As he lifted the white arm, he paused, looked sharply in the quiet face—then. laid the arm gently back again on the coyerlet, turning to Halketh as he did sv. He understood! No cry passed his lips. But even the little group of physi- cians, men well accustomed lo such scenes, bowed their heads with wet eyes, as Mildred Halketh passed away upou her husband’s breast. They left them there alone—together. The cobra’s curse had passed. THE END