Dr. and Mra, Isaacs had bee transferred from the small treat; port that had so far been the scene of the doctor's activities, to an el and rambling city in the interior of China, They had not been married long, and almost as soon they wer settled into their house, in the port, they were told of their transfer, and had to begin to pack up.
Mra, Tsanes was many years. younger than her husband, whom she had met for the first time only, si months before their marriage, wher he was Home on leave. Young. impetuous and taking, he had faller in love with her, and she had come infatuated with him, hi straight and strong character appealing to her. He told her tales, of China, and she longed to visit the country. Then they were quiet ly married.
All too soon his leave! was up, and back he came to Chin: with his dainty young wife.
At first all was new to her, and she had hardly time to study the man she had married.
Yet what there in him to study? He was tall and dark, very quiet by nature, man no one knew well, but most men respected although very few liked.
"Rum chap Isaacs," said his men "so unapproachable." marked change him since he had returned to China.
He had become more silent, and seemed absolutely absorbed in his cork, with no time or interest in other things.
When the glamour of her first} long journey and the sight of a new land had worn off, Mrs. Isaacs ore her" husband, fan to feel she was tle afraid id He was more amused at her eagerness over little things that were new to her, than sympathetic. Indeed he seemed al most impatient at being asked to listen to little things that interested her. Gradually she found she was keep'
ing her thoughts to herself, an not troubling her husband to lister to what seemed to annoy him.
Then came the transfer, this new city, they were' given house, quite a nice one, but closely surrounded by native houses an shops.
So again came the busy, h time of moving in, and getting the house straight.
Her husband meanwhile was! busy. He was in charge of the little hospital, and the Isaacs were the only foreigners who lived in. the city, their nearest foreign neighrs being 16 mhilet away, nearer the great river.
"What is your work like here: May I come and see the hospital?" she asked her husband one day.
'A. sudden frown darkened his! face. Then he said, "T'é rather yeo didn't, and by the-way, I hate to be questioned about my' profession, 80 if you don't mind we won't die-, don't worry yourself. cuss it." And he had tamed away] and walked out of the house.
It had chilled her. She felt like a naughty child, and she was more hurt at his answer than she liked to confess even to herself. But she had the house, and the little carder, and she could see to them. Alto there- were Home letters, and the dog 40 be taken for a walk, 80 she must try not to bother her husband.
In fact she saw little of him ts' bother. He was out early; just back Jat 12.30 for a hurried lunch; then out again until 8 o'clock, when they had dinner; then he read for a short} time, ant, unless he were called out, he went early to'bed.
One thing that somehow comforled Mrs. Isancs was the cheerful hammering gt a carpenter's shop. Tt seemed odd that the sound did not annoy her. But it did not, she liked the norse; it was cheerful, and jeonjured up in her mind the scene! of a pleasant shop, where men worked making furniture, blackwood furniture for some rich Chinese house. So as she wrote or we it about her home, she would be conscious she was listening to the hi mer, hammer, hammer—and woul. say to herself, "There, that cabinet must be nearly done."
On her walks she had looked for the shop, but in the maze of streets she had never found it, though she knew that it must be close to the house.
On one occasion she had needed the carpenter 30 she told the boy to get the "near by" man in,..... And a cheerful Chinese had come, and very ably done the work. She was pleased with him, and told the boy "any time we want work done you get this man, he live very near." But the boy hed looked puzzled and said, "No he long way come, other side city." But she haa dismissed it, thinking the boy hid not understood her orders, Then the hot weather set in, and: all the windows of the house were open, and the hammering was more] noticeable, it even went on. all night.
Again she asked the boy, "What} for that carpenter work all night ammer, hammer?" And the boy had replied, "Oh just now very busy, plenty man sick."
So he, poor man, had to work overtime at his furniture, while his men were away sick. She recalled his cheerful face,.and felt sorry £0° him.
But by and bye at night time'the hammering began' to irritate her just a little. Nerves, she told her-elf, hot weather nerves.
She screwed up' her cotivage anid asked her husband' one day whether} [there were much sickness about. of all doge, he chased a cat. he dashed up the narrow streets, with Mrs, Isaacs yunning and calling after him. But. Clinker was dest, until at last he bolted into a shop, and his mistress, after him, tripped and' nearly fell over some boards, Pulling up she looked round, and her heart gave a big throb when she saw she was in a coffin shop. Then she heard the the thought flashed into her brain, "This is the hammering 1 hear—coffins, sick men, oh!" and she turned and ran out of the shop. Look~ ing up she saw the windows of her house, just a very little way off. She turned once more to look at the shop and called Clinker. The coffin-maxers, each with his hammer, were standing watching her and they gazed with heavy, lifeless-looking eyes. How she got home she hardly knew. She was shaking all. over when she found herself safely back in her own room.
Then began days and nights of lent agony for Mrs, Isaacs, now that she knew what the hammering meant. It seemed to beat on her brain, and to form into a tune, a horrible tune. And at-night she would wake with a start to the noise, and toss about in bed, pulling the sheet over her ears to try to shat out the noise, while all the time she could not help picturing the men and their grim work, "Are you ill?" asked her husband one day, "you eat hardly any thi '0! she forced her-"that's all!
How she longed to tell him whi was wrong, to say "That hammer, hammer, hammer is killing me, they are making coffins, people are dying all around us, and I am afraid, yer, heroify afraid take me away. But she did net dare, she-foured. ix annoyance, and knew he would not understand, or have time to comfort her. So the days wore on, and she got #0 nervous that her' husband became worried.
"You are ill," he said sind he advised her to stay in bed and rest, But to stop in bed made things worse, as her bedroom window overlooked the street in which the shop was, and' although she could see nothing she could hear all the time, So she wandered about. aim-easly, not having the energy to go for a' walk and so escape the hammering.
And one day Clinker died, Clinker her beloved dog: and the boy, nieaning Kindly, bought " small coffin for "Look see" he said with a smile, all proper piece I pay you for small dog, I catchee very near shop."
Then something in her brain seemed to snap, and she remembered no more until she found herself in bed. Her husband told her she munt keep very quiet, as the heat hhad_upset_ her.
"The heat!" She laughed to herself. If he only knew! Should she tell him? No, he would be annoyed.
Two weeks went by and Mrs, Isaace still kept her bed. She said her head felt bruised, bruised with a hammer, and she complained of the nofse of hammering "The imaginations of a fevered brain," her husband told another doctor whom he had sent for to the iver station, "She used to hear hammering?" the doctor asked.
"Oh, there was some hammer near here sometimes, some shop, but two weeks ago the whole of that art of the town was burnt down." Dr. Isaacs repile Mrs. Isaacs died. Her husband in writing Home' to her people said the heat hed been too much for her, but being philosophical he did not blame himself for not taking her might not have been any use if he had, he told himself, Ir was his first motor ear and it was her first ride in one. Accordingly, both had looked forward to this particular afternoon for some time previously. Everything went quite well antu the return, journey; then things Degas to happen. "My good ossal" exclaimed the young man. "What's the matter? she" asked. "The engine's missing again," he plied between, set She looked. properly. isthe Good /gratious!" she cried in consternation. "Where'did we drop it?"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.