Project Gutenberg's In The Valley Of The Shadow, by Josephine Daskam

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Title: In The Valley Of The Shadow

Author: Josephine Daskam

Release Date: November 6, 2007 [EBook #23365]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW ***

Produced by David Widger

IN THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW

By Josephine Daskam

Copyright, 1903, by Charles Scribner's Sons

TO Belden, pacing the library doggedly, the waiting seemed interminable,
the strain unnecessarily prolonged. A half-hour ago quick feet had
echoed through the upper halls, windows had opened, doors all but
slammed, vague whisperings and drawn breaths had hovered impalpably
about the whole place; but now all was utterly quiet. His own regular
footfall alone disturbed the unnatural stillness of a large house.

Outside, the delicious October sun poured down through an atmosphere of
faultless blue. The foliage was thick yet, and the red-and-yellow
leaves danced heartlessly in the wind. A year ago they had gone on a
nutting-party, and Clarice had raced with the children and picked up
more than anybody else. Now--even to think of her brought that faint
odor of salts-of-lavender and beef-tea that disheartened him so,
somehow, when he sat by her bed coaxing her into sipping the stuff.

Some one was coming down the stairs. It was Peter's step--his new one
since last Friday, when they had all, it seemed, begun to walk and talk
and breathe a little differently. Belden hurried across the room and
caught him at the foot of the steps.

"Well, old man, how goes it?" he demanded, with a determined
cheerfulness.

His brother-in-law stared at him emptily.

"It's to-morrow," he said, gripping the newel-post, "to-morrow
afternoon. Jameson is coming--they'll do it here. Jameson brings his
special nurse for the--the operation, but the other one is due at five,
and you get her just the same. I told Henry to put up the dog-cart. I
don't know, though--maybe the runabout--no, the tire's loose. Still, it
might do--"

"For heaven's sake, Peter, don't bother about it! I'll find a rig. What
else does he say?"

"He says there's a good fighting