South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-07-21

IAN Miss Dent toko SnarXo OF Mo
case ? asked one of the doctors, after
Mary had been working for ten days
without rest. "''
B Certainly, doctor! hnvc q good
corps Of nurses organized. Give me
the Captains address, said Mary.
s Whenever the fever seized its VIC
tins there they lay. Houses became
common property the rich often dy-
ing in hovels and tents, and the poor
in splendid mansions.
Captain Parker was stricken down
in ah old frame house, not far from
the depot. The other occupants. had
died or convalesced aud he was alone.
Mary Bent found him on a mat
tress, in the corner OF room. q few
wooden chairs being the only furniture.
He was fine looking man of thirty,
with n face that must have beamed
with noble generosity before the fe-
yer flushed aud distorted it, and dark
eyes that still retain their intelligent
expression, despite the fatal lustre that
lit them up. Aas
lie was evidently surprised to see a
beautiful girl entering the wretcbed
apartment; and the low, musical voice
In which abe addressed him with her
soft cool palm resting or his forehead,
banished for the moment his feeling Of
torture and his keen appreciation of
the danger to which she was exposed.
'Yon should not be here, Miss Bent
there are others who should face the
danger said the Captain.
There are none whose lives are not
as precious to them as mino is to me.
Keep good heart, dear captain. You
ure young and strong. and shall have
a good nursing she said, with forced
cheerfulness. 'sl ft
She brought in bed and other fur
niture, got such supplies of ice and
medicine as were needed, and trans.
formed the room as if n fairy wand
had touched it.
There are human birds of prey that
fiitten on tile affection Of their race
robbers on the battlefield at night,
and ghouls that plumber the dead
where plague and famine rule. Mem
phis, with all its heroism, was not
without them fierce creatures, whose
habitations no one could tell who
prowled out at night and kept in the
shadows, while they searched and
plundered, and disappeared; no one
could tell how or where.
One night. when Captain Parker
lay unconscious, his eyes closed and
his breath fluttering in the uncertain
scale of life and death, Mary, who was
sitting beside him, with her back to
the door, heard u heavy step on the
creakine stairs.
She turned her head and seeing
nothing she placed her fingers again
ON the Captains wrist and watched
his face.
On table between her and the
door lay the captains gold watch, and
some articles Of jewelry of her own
that she had taken off.
The door opened noiselessly, and q
huge form, with slouched hat and a
bearded face came in. In one hand
he carried knife, and the other was
extended to seize the booty on which
his red eyes were fastened.
Another step ard it would be in his
possession but before that step could
be taken Mary Bent again looked back
at the door.
AT first she could not credit her
eyes, and when she did realize the
horrid presence, she felt dread gu ch
as had never before possessed her.
Not whisper or l will kill YOU =
said the man striding toward her with
uplifted knife, and selling the articles
from the table rs he approached her.
wretch = she cried, her courage
and self-possession coming back. Lay
those things back where you found
them and get back, or l will shout
for help
Shout as loud as You please, my
beauty 1t will be your death-yell and
his ! said the man, coming nearer.
and nodding his head at the uncon.
scious captain.
Man, have you no soul, flat you
would do this! = she asked, her eyes
fastened upon his
Soul J Wa-all, I don't know wheth.
or | have or not, and don't care ,
he laughed.
Then he began backing towards
the door. lie would certainly have
backed out, had not the doctor at that
moment appeared in the same opening
and taken in the situation.
The doctor was n stalwart man.
armed with heavy cane, and this cane
he brought down with such a erLsh-
ing force on the ghou's head that he
fell in collapsed heap.
The articles were taken from the
man, and he was sent to Jail, where
he afterwards died Of the plague.
1t would take too long to tell how
Mary nursed the Captain back 10 life.