The Sunday herald., 1881-02-13

excused myself, after promising to breakfast
with Watson the next day. At the hotel
the next morning | found him in a high
state of excitement, that he vainly strove to
conceal. lie was exceedingly restless during
the neal Noticing my inquiring looks, he
flushed, and, with fretful oath, exclaimed :
" No. | have not been drinking. Meeting
You and Haskell has brought back the past
so viviily that could not sleep last night.
am nervous and irritable. Let us walk
There had been sharp change in the tenn
pcrature. The streets of Leadvillc were
white with newly-fallen snow, and the ar
was thick with snowfakes. On coming 70
the main street we saw an ambulance slowly
moving up the hill. Watson spoke to the
driver, saying, f" Have you patients for the
hospital ~ "Yes," he answered, some
of the smelters are loaded, and there are
some cases of pneumonia" Turning about
Watson said " Let us 60 to the hospital.
have been here six weeks, and to my shame,
be 1t said, have not been near the hospital
nor given IL dollar. | will go up now and
make amends for my neglect" We followed
the ambulance up the hill and entered the
building. Thorc were some dead men there.
There were many who woud never leave the
house alive. In one ward were many plants
and vines growing in pots and tin cans.
This ward was scrupulously neat and sweet.
There were ten or twelve sick men lying on
as many cots. They were qucerly irritable
and unreasonable. We did not receive n
civil answer from any of them. All looked
rs IL they thought the mere presence of n
healthy man was an insult TO them--a cow
ardly insult inflicted when they were un-
able to resent it. At the further end
of the room n woman stood, her back
toward us. She bent over n sick man |;
then, seating herself on the edge of
his cot, seemed TO be feeding him with
s spoon. Watson regarded her with a
pleased look on his fine face, and we walked
toward her. Standing at the foot of the cot,
we listened to her talking chcerly to
the sick man, and good-humoredly laughing
when he denounced the fellow who invented
Cruel and demanded fried oysters. was
startled by clutch on my shoulder.
turned quickly to my comrade, aud was
shocked Mt the change in him. His eyes
fairly blazed, his face was white, his lips
firmly compressed and his nostrils were ex-
pandcd and quivering. His chest heaved
painfully. l could feel his pulse throb as
his wrist pressed against my neck. The sick
| man turned in his bed l saw the petulant
look fit from his face, and one Of angry feat
| take its place. Then the dim eyes of the
sick man famed with the dauntless courage
of the American miner as he glared at the
spectre standing motonlcss at the foot of his
bed. The woman, seeing the look on the
| face of her patient sprang up and wheeled
angrily around. She looked at Watson
| The blood left her face, her eyes opened
widely, her lips slightly parted. She stood
firmly for an instant, then wavered as Il
! about to fall. Watson sprang to her side
| and, encircling her with his arms, drew hei
| to his breast. She recovered and struggled
| weakly to free herself. Closer and closer she
| was drawn to my friends heart. Bending
over he kissed her lips passionately. Hei
arms coiled around his neck, and heard
the murmurs, "Anna' % "Henry!''
l was alone when walked back through
the dead and dying and out into the snow.
\ mantled street.--Sunady San.