West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-04-23

It's side, and that bewitching voice
would quickly claim me as it's
own. Night after night for II month
heard. AT almost the same hour (bc-
tween eleven and twrlve). those
entranclng strains. and then u week
went by. and although | sat with
eager ears and batcd breath, listening,
listening, there was n6thihg 'but silence,
and If the bell rang at all, il was for me TO
hear I'M reply 90 my eager "hello:"
- ONE To No. -, -- street ~ and |
would say "all right" and Get ready to
20. Or II would saVi "NIrS. b head.
ache has returned. what about pow
ders2' or shall Judge so-and-so con.
tlnuc same mcdicine?" and so forth:
hut never note from my Song-bIrd
My nervous system, however, began To
assume its normal tone, iandul had
about decided to forget Cif posSiblc) all
about my music and it, unknown
posseSsor. | had So far succeeded i'm
this painful task, that was actually
wishing one night, when, sharp and
Nhrill. the telephone alarm sounded,
falling on my ear like tho voice of an
accusing spirit. | hurried 90 the telc-
phone, all a-thrill, fully expecting to
hear again what my heart had hun
I
words: Come at once to 3lS South
wark avenue lady very in. " dropped
the transmittcr, cruelty disappointed.
| hastily ordered my horse, and little
later was on my way To visit my new
patient. 1t was my first cal to that
ariStocraic ncighbOrhood, and nv
spirits rose little at the prospects of "A
good, fat fee. Doctors COMPARTMENTS
are very mercurial where money j. con
ccrncd. Arrived there, found a pala-
tlal residence, and, entering, all the
surroundings bptokcncd refinement
ana wealth. \ cOlorcd servant ushercd
me INTO coy library where a stately
gray-haircd woman 'lhct me. There
were traces of tears on her face. and
! her voice was low and trembling, as She
| gave me brief outline Of her dauyh-
/ tcr's attack. When she had finished.
she led mo up broad. softly
carpcted stairway, and into
! spacious chamber richly furnished. The
/ light was burning dimly, but on the bed
! saw the form of woman tossing
restlcSsly about. drew near and took
the little burning hand in mine \ pair
OF great, luminous dark eyes looked
up at me from beneath mass Of tan
glcd curls that straycd far over the pill
low. She WAS dcliriouS, and Iifurmtircd
incohcrcnt words, while counted the
throbbmg, irrcgularpul,c. The mother
stood by, with anxious ewes. while the
nurse busted herself arranging some
thing on the drc,smg-tablc. NV pa
ucnt closed her eyes wcarily then,
slowly opening them, she threw one
arm rcStlcSsly above her head. opened
her lips and could believe nv
{ a. i.
and music of the song | had heard so
often over the tclcph one, and had
longcd SO eagerly TO hear again, floatod
through the room.
had found my songStrcss at last. She
was indeed living breathing woman,
ana not, as ! h;E almost schooled my
self To believe, Il creature of my imagi-
nation. Her mother must have noticed
my agitation, for she stepped to my
side, and when the last notes died away
in a whisper, said:
"/ftlcc has been very much Interested
IN her musical studies for some time,
ana has been anxious 10 finish them.
looking forward to an operate career.
which both her father and myself
opposed. She has been growing mel-
ancholy OF late, and given to walking
IN her sleep. 1t has ended in this deli
rum and our sending for YOU"
The mothers voice ended i'm "A sob.
! was longing to clasp my patient i'm
my arms aud pour all the tender words
that were lowering on my lips into his
cars With an effort + controlled my
self and wrote a prescriptions This
done ! handed il to the nurse. with in
structions TO have it filled Immediately.
Then, turning TO the bed, ! scanned
my singer 3 features She was
beautiful, in spite of the fever's burn
ing touch, and my heart went out to
her.
J gave the medicine with my own
hands. and sat by her bedside for
hours, not leaving il until she had fall
en- into slight slumber, and the first
rays OF the sun were family streaking
the east For weeks she lowered be-
tween life and death, but finally reason
resumed It's SWAY, and she was rapidlv
convalescing. So faithful had 7 been
in my attendance on tho daughter that
] won her parents friendship and e,-
tecm, and when NV fair patient had or
tirclv recovered, my professional visits
merged into friendly ones. and again
and again was I treated to the music Of
her wonderful voice
AT last | ventured 10 tell her Of my
love, and was rewarded bv a trcm-
bling eyes when I asked her 90 nr
my wife
When we had been married nearly "a
year, ! told Alice how and when had
first heard her sing, and asked her II
she could explain. She told me that 70
young lady friend and herself had been
in the habit of singing back and
forth through the telephone I'm their
fathers studies; that for some time be-
fore her illness she had developed
mania for, sIccp-walknp and her
music being uppermost in her mind
aud the novelty Of the wire" practice
making such an impression on her. She
must have sung % me while asleep
But how did she get my "phOne" in-
stead Of her friends? The number of
mine. with the figures transposed wa,
exactly that of her friends, and bv
some freak Of her di-ordercd brain /
was called and thus bad the benefit OF
music intended for some one else.
The night before her attack of de-
lirium, one Of the servants had found
her wandering aimlcssly through the
halls. and had niudiciously awakened
her This had undoubtedly hastonod
thc development Of the maiadv chat
was hanging about her