In the Valley of the Shadow

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
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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 chance--a very good one. He says her
grit alone--Oh, Belden, what shall we do? What shall we do?"

Peter sat down heavily on the lowest stair.
"Only last week she was so well--and yet she really wasn't. I suppose
he knows. But it doesn't seem possible--I can't get it through my head.
Poor little Caddy! She never had a sick day in her life. No headaches,
like most Women, even--no nonsense--Oh, Belden, what shall we do?"
"Brace up, Peter; think what a good fighting chance means, think of
that! It's not as if Caddy were old; she has that on her side. She's seven
years behind me, you know."
Peter scowled. "You're fifty, aren't you?"
"Not a bit. Only forty-eight, and just that, too. Now you go out and get
the nurse, and I'll stay here. It'll do you a lot of good. Don't mope
around in the house all day--what's the use?"
"I can't leave the house. Honestly, Belden, I can't. I've tried twice, and I
just walk right back. It's no good. There's the cart--and you won't be
long, will you?"
Belden took up the reins with a vague sense of momentary relief: it was
something to do. Under the influence of the fresh autumn air his spirits
rose; he found himself enjoying the swift rattle of the cart and the beat
of the horse's feet. After all, think of Caddy's grit; think of her fine
constitution! A fighting chance--that was little enough to say, though.
Why couldn't he have put it a little stronger? Hitchcock always was a
pessimist.
At the station the usual crowd of well-dressed suburbanites quieted
their horses and waited impatiently for the express. As Belden drew up
into line, they greeted him with a subdued interest; coachmen left their
seats to ask how Mrs. Moore was to-day, and when could one see her?
A sudden mist came over his eyes as he answered briefly, "Very
soon--I hope."
The train thundered in; in an incredibly short time all the guests and
commuters were hurried off toward town--where was that nurse?

As his glance wandered through the thinning crowd, it was met
suddenly and squarely by two brown eyes set in a fresh pink face
framed by dark hair lightly sprinkled with gray. The second that he
looked into that woman's eyes taught him her character, absolutely,