Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-09-29
n0I care enough I'm me io come

"They have done great harm 10y their
over-wisdomr' said be; sthey have fret
ted my life away
aUmph!- said the doctor. who did not
relish so much frank criticism. -Mad-
am, il you are going to stay here, must
beg you TO he quiet. cannot allow any
more conversation. You do not know the
harm you are doing. You can stay IL you
like. but You must sit down quietly. The
nurse will do all that is needful in the
way Of giving Mr.. Richmond his medi-
cine. shall look in again during the
course Of the night, but, Miss Clavering,
i beg of you not to stay long here-I as
sure you my patient would lie better alone
with his nurse"
The doctor departed. Hugh Richmond
turned to Lucy, and said. Surely you will
not leaveAmei The doctor says l shall
die tonight"
Lucy said, "No, 1 will not leave you.'
His feet were icy cold-the nurse was
applying hot fannels to them-they also
brought hot bottles, but nothing seemed
to warm them. He fell back and lay as if
exhausted. The few words he had heard
and said seemed to have thoroughly IA
tigued him, and now Lucy saw how terri
bly, i'll he was. She sat silently by his bed
side waiting, praying, hoping. She did
not know how long she had been thus sit
ting when he again spoke. IL know we
are both in the cave again, because it is
so bitterly cold. 1t won't last long. They
take me up in the middle of the night and
put me into scalding hot bed. My feet
lie on hot Goals and my head is scorched
with fire. This state of things is better
than that-but nurse, my feet are wet,
and that is what makes them so cold.--
Don't you know they got wet this morning
on the causewayY-that's what makes
them so cold now. Miss Clavering, tell
her about it-she does not believe me-
She thinks talk that way because l am
ill.,"
Lucy shuddered. 1t was terrible to
hear his mind wander. He saw that she
did so, and said, "You shudder, too-and
how pale you are! Starlight makes your
face so wan and blue"
"Mr. Richmond" said the nurse, "you
must not talk. The lady will go away if
you do"
He looked inquiringly in Lucy's face.
"Yes," said she, firmly, "if you talk I
must 60"
II can't talk" was his reply, ~ am too
tired" He sank back wearily, and pain
fully, and lay quietly for an hour or so, as
if in stupor. His eyelids were not closed
but he seemed unconscious of all around
him. The nurse came and felt his pulse
When she had done this his hand dropped
as if powerless.
"Is he worse?" Lucy whispered in
alarm. SIS he" She could not finish
that question.
"No, he's not dying" said the NURSE
"He'll last another hour or two. They
mostly go about three in the morning, OF
he may 60 on till the turn of the tide
That's great time for them to die"
"Hush! Pray do" said Lucy. "He
hears all you say"
"He knows nothing about it if he does
He's always in q sort of stupor till mid
night gets over, and then he's in his glo
ry! He talks twenty to the dozen then
"Please, nurse, don't say such things,
pleaded Lucy.
ats no want of feeling, miss, none!
could not manage at all if was as tool
up with pity for him as you are"
"Are his feet warmer2" asked Lucy
softly.
"a little, but he does not find then
warmer. Nothing I can do to them ha.
much effect on them, They get warm O
their own accord about one o'clock, ant
then there's no getting them cold again.
The hot fit is worse than the cold fit, anG
wears him out more, But it's my belle
that he will just lie this way, and know
no other while he lasts. Poor gentleman
he'll not be obstreperous any more now."
Lucy's heart ached, but she had cour.
age when courage was wanted, and con.
trolled herself "Nurse, does he never
sleep?' she asked.
"Never, to do him any good. That's the
worst thing he has had to contend with
that what's brought him to this"
"But he is perhaps sleeping now7"
mo, he is not. He is quiet, but there's
no refreshment in it."
The nurse took an easy chair by the fire
and soon began to doze; Aunt Esther had
long since crept to a sofa in the corner and
cried herself to sleep; Lucy sat waiting
for the end which was now so near How
should she meet his mother? What ter.
rible words she would hear from her
Lucy had caused his death, and he was
the only son of his mother, and she o wild
ow! He had died from saving her from
the consequences of her own stupidity
Her thoughts were so bitter that she
wished for any sound to break the still.
ness, but no sound whatsoever was audi
BILE to her senses but the breathing of those
in the room.
At length Hugh Richmond began tc
move. "The exhaustion is passing away
said Lucy.
mo, it's the hot fit coming on" said the
nurse.
Lucy was almost glad Of it-this powe
Of suffering was link to life. He aske'
for water, and reproached them for Civ
ing him warm water. Then he complain
ed of the sea. at wears my brain out
If it would but stop moaning while
counted ten-even that would rest m,
head; but it won't. Moan, moan, moan.-
1t will go that way till it kills me-"
His voice was feeble and weary, his &C
cent most piteous. Lucy did not hear tn
sea; she began to sing to him in low
sweet voice. No one ever knew wha
an effort it cost her to do it. He listened