Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-10-07
MARRIED AT LAST.
BESSIE wOODFORD,s ROMANCE.
tCOnclusiOn.l
CHAPTER w.

IH4 VIAL W.
The evening passed off quietly until to-
wards bed time, when we were astonished
by the appearance of body of domestics,
who entered, looking excited and frighten-
ed. 1t had come to their knowledge that
there was fever in the house, and they had
resolved to leave it Immediately.
In vain reasoned, argued, expostulated,
and entreated, so before midnight we were
left with only one old servant, who vowed
she would stick by us, as she expressed it,
'through thick and thin"
The next proceeding was to inform Wal
! ter Ashton of our plight, which | did.
"It will be quite safe to remain in the
house tonight. Mr.. Ashton" continued; !;
''and you can 60 early in the morning"
81 shall not leave" he said quietly.
"Oh, Walter you mustw cried, in terror
of his being i'll also. "What should l do if
you were to catch the feverg"
"Do not fear" said he cheerily; II have
been too much used to being among sickness
/ of all kinds to fear of Infection"
said no more for knew of old that
when he made up his mind to do thing he
/ would, and that nothing could turn him.
\ snow, will you take my advice, Miss
/ Woodford, and 60 to bed?" he said; ''you
will need all your strength to- morrow"
yielded quietly, partly from feeling
that he knew best, and partly because
knew it was no use resisting. t..uag
"Will you show me to Mr.. Wordford's
room?" said Walter. ~ will sit up with
him tonight" #. .t4 tt.
: "Oh, pray do moi" l said; "you are weary,
you have had along journey. Let me situp
with him; i am not at all tired, and were |
to go to bed | should not Sleep"
His only answer was to take up lamp
and inquire the way to the sick room. 1
conducted him thither submissively. MY
father was lying in a sort of doze and did
not notice our entrance, nor the hand which
Walter laid upon his wrist.
"Is he very ILL" inquired, after having
tried in vain to find out from the immov-
able face by the bedside, what to hope or
fear. .,
Good night, Miss woodford," was his
only answer.
us he very i'll PVT asked again.
~ have seen worse cases." was the reply.
At that moment the door opened and the
old servant appeared.
- "Can l do anything, please, Miss?" she
asked.
YES" said Walter, ''you can take your
mistress to bed, and then lie down in tue
next room, SO as TO be near in case you are
wanted" H' 10
II shall not leave this room Tonight l
said, ,,t..,.
-""You had better retire." said Walter you
win do your. father no good, and yourself
much HARM" .r
VI shall stay" I said firmly.
Excuse me,n he said, and my hand was
quietly taken, aud | was led to the door;
then With a quiet "good night" ;" it was clos
ed behind me. So ,,
Next morning | found that my father had
been taken very much worse in the night,
the physician, and that he had only lust left,
and was coming again in a few hours,
My first step was to give my mother her
breakfast and break the newsto her gently,
keeping back, as much as possible that
would worry her. She bore it better than
i expected; perhaps her weak state deaden-
ed her senses, She said little, but asked
me to read 70, her. complied, and in an
hour left her doing. Then went to the
sick room, sent Walter down to breakfast
and afterwards for a walk. When he re-
turned, went In search ofa nurse but was
unable to procure one, as all the nurses
were hired beforehand; other women were
tending their own families, and the rest
were terrified almost 0dt of their Senses
Towardsthe evening my father was deliri-
Gus, and before m6rning 1t was much as
Walter and Mr.! Golding, the doctor assist
ant, could do to keep him in9Bed. This de-
liriufn Continued for several days until one
morning he fell into a deep sleep, from
which he did not wake for many hours.
When he did, he fixed his eyes intently on
me and attempted to take my hand, but
failed from weakness. hIaIoI OF atai5 3H7
ALLOW is this gn esaid, feebly. 81 cannot
move my hand" ~ oWI 3s7fl 81 GG'l4l