Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-04-29


would quickly claim me as its
own. Night after night for month
heard, at almost the same hour (be-
tween eleven and twelve), those
entrancing strains, and then week
went by, and although | sat with
eager ears and bated breath. listening.
listening, there was nothing but silence,
and II the bellrang at all, it was for me to
@ near IN reply to my eager ''hello:"
"Come to No. =, street." and
would say 'all right and get ready to
go. Or it would say: "Mrs. B. s head
ache has returned, what about pow.
dersP'' or ''shall Judge so-and-so con-
tinue same medicinePn and SO forth:
but never note from my song-blrd.
My nervous system, however, began to
assume its normal tone, and | had
about decided to forget (if possible) all
about my music" and its unknown
possessor. I had so far succeeded in
this painful task, that was actually
whistiing one night, when, sharp and
shrill, the telephone alarm sounded,
falling on my ear like the voice of an
accusing spirit. hurried to the tele.
phone, all a-thrill, fully expecting to
hear again what my heart had hun
gered for; instead, | caught these
words: "Come at once to 3f8 South
wark avenue-lady very i'll. " dropped
the transmitter, cruelty disappointed.
1 hastily ordered my horse, and little
later was ON my way to visit my new
patient. 1t was my first call to that
aristOcratic neighborhood, and nv
spirits rose little at the prospect of
good, fat fee. Doctors temperaments
are very mercurial where money is con.
cerned. Arrived there, found pala.
tial residence, and, entering, all the
surroundings betokened refinement
and wealth. A colored servant ushered
me into cozy library, where stately
gray-haired woman met me. There
were traces of tears on her face, and
her voice was low and trembling, as she
gave me brief outline of her daugh-
ter's attack. When she had finished,
she led me up broad, softly.
carpeted stairway, and into a
spacious chamber richly furnished. The
light was burning dimly, but on the bed
l saw the form of woman tossing
restlessly about. drew near and took
the little burning hand in mine. A pair
of great, luminous, dark eyes looked
up at me from beneath mass of tan
gled curls that strayed far over the pill
low. She was delirious, and murmured
incoherent words, while / counted the
throbbing, irregular pulse. The mother
stood by, with anxious eyes, while the
nurse busted herself arranging some.
thing on the dressing-table. My pa.
tient closed her eyes YEARLY; then
slowly opening them, she threw ono
arm restlessly above her head, opened
her lips, and-could / believe my
sensesp Clear and sweet, the words
and music of the songI had heard sc
often over the telephone, and had
longed so eagerly to hear again, floated
through the room.
Ihad found my songstress at last. She
was indeed aliving, breathing woman
and not, as had almost schooled my
self to believe, 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 whisper said:
"Alice has been very much interested
in her musical studies for some time
and has been anxious to finish them
looking forward to an operatic career
which both her father and mysel
opposed. She has been growing mel
ancholy of late, and given to walking
in her sleep. Ithas ended in this deli
rum and our sending for you"
The mothers voice ended in a sob
Twas longing to clasp my patient il
my arms and pour all the tender word
that were lowering on my lips into hi
ears. With an effort l controlled my
self and wrote prescription. Thi
done | handed it to the nurse, with in
structions to have it filled Immediately
Then, turning to the bed, scanned
my singers features. She wa,
beautiful, in spite Of the fever's burn
| ing touch, and my heart went out t.
her.
| l gave the medicine with my owl
hands, and sat by her bedside TO
hours, not leaving it until she had fall
en- into slight slumber, and the frs
rays of the sun were family streakin.
the east. For weeks she hovered be
tween life and death, but finally reasol
resumed its sway, and she was rapidl
convalescing. So faithful had l beef
in my attendance on the daughter tina
won her parents friendship and es
TEEN, and when my fair patient had en-
!, tirely recovered, my professional visit
merged into friendly ones, and agai
and again was treated to the music c
, her wonderful voice.
At last ventured to tell her of m
I love, and was rewarded by trem
bling yves" when l asked her to b
J my wife.
When we had been married nearly
year, l told Alice how and when l ha
t first heard her sing, and asked her
r she could explain. She told me that
Young lady friend and herself had bee
, in the habit of singing back an
forth through the telephone in the
} fathers studies; that for some time b.
: fore her illness she had developed
. mania for sleep-walking, and he
, music being uppermost in her mint
t and the novelty of the ''wire" practic
: making such an impression on her, sh
must have sung to me while asleel
1 But how did she get my 'phone" il
: stead of her friend'sP The number
E mine, with the figures transposed. wa
n exactly that of her friends, and
b some freak of her disordered brain
Q was called and thus had the benefit I
music intended for some one else.
e The night before her attack of d
llirium. one of tn. servants had four
+ her wandering aimlessly through Il
r halls. and had Injudiciously awaken'
# her. This had undoubtedly hasten'
| the development of the malady tn
d was hanging about her.
d All INV wife's desires for the sta
v vanished with her illness, and are nc
o centered in little rosy, squirmir