Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-04-08
A GIRLS MISTAKE
By MRS. G. BIGG-WITHER.

think of conventionalities. the poor child refec;ed feverishly. He was ill--alone per haps dying, and (here a rush of crimson stained her cheeks) she loved him. She had almost loved him before she knew him--this hitherto unknown hero who had saved Uncle Jims life and l is grave, tender, chivalrous thought and care for her had done the rest. She knew now why the past few days had seemed so strangely happy to her; and why the possibility of his illness ending fatally filled her with such a terrified, dreary sense of desolation.
 He opened his eyes languidly as the door opened, and dark flush rose to his face when he saw who his visitor was. His lips moved but soundlessly, and he made weak gesture as though to mo- ton her away from him.
 'Hush! you must not try to talk" she said very calmly and steadily. 'I am going to take care of you until MT. Car ruthers comes back. He has gone to Princetown for Q doctor. The snow is rapidly melting, and it has begun to rain, so he will not be very long away. You need not fear infection for me-" she added, noting the distressed anxiety in his eyes; II have nursed people with diphtheria before and never taken it. Then she moistened his lips with brandy, shook up his pillows and gently sponged his face and hands. He was too weak to gainsay her; indeed, he appeared to grow momentarily weaker; his breath came in short, quick gasps, and after a time he hardly seemed to notice that she was in the room.
 With a choking sob she went back to the sitting room. There was nothing she could do-nothing. Only wait Al most mechanically she cleared the break fast table, and turned her attention to the fire, which had burned rather low Carruthers would be cold and wet when he came back, she remembered. When he came back? Would he get back in time? Could he? She absently crumpled up piece of an old newspaper, and was about to thrust it between the bars of the grate, to coax the dying fire, when a few of the printed words caught her at tention. Smoothing out tho paper, she hastily scanned the paragraph, which ran thus:
 Tho value of common flowers of sul- phur i'll cases of malignant sore throat is becoming daily more fully recognized by the medical faculty. Even in the last stage of diphtheria, when used as a gargle, or in extreme cases-where the patient is unable to gargle-sprayed upon the throat, it has been known to Col ,ol, .- the peculiar characteristic of this dis ease, and give speedy relief Then fol- lowed directions as to use, etc.
 Leslie dropped the paper, and rose quickly to her feet She stood quite still for minute or two, pressing her hands to the sides of her head in con- fused, anxious thought. Where had she seen little paper packet labeled "Flow- CTS of Sulphur" In another moment she was in the kitchen, wildly rummaging in the drawers. After searching ill vain for some time, she suddenly and with a quick little cry, bounced upon a small, crushed up paper packet at the back of one of tho shelves. It was labeled "Flowers of Sulphur" There was not l much, but there was enough. She put l a teaspoonful in a wineglass, and filled 1 it up with water, for milk she had none. l The sulphur obstinately noated on tho 1 top, of course; so she mixed it after a fashion with her finger. Then she went | back to Darrell. He shook his head when she explained to him what she wanted him to do. He was feeling too horribly weak to desire anything but to be left alone.
 "But see,' she pleaded, ''I don't want you even to try to swallow it. Just hold it in your mouth, and let it lie on your throat only for few seconds. I will lift your head, An! will you not try just to please me?"
 Her eyes were full of tears; and Dar- rell seeing them-and because he loved her so he could have refused her nothing did as she bade him, not once, but many times. Without going into further medical details, may say that the rem 1 cdy had tho desired effect. In the course of 8 few hours he was able to speak though only in a whisper, and in an other hour could swallow little soup This last was painful to him be- yond expression, but he would not for worlds have grieved his gentle nurse by saying so He asked anxiously once or twice if Carruthers haG returned, and Leslie went again an6 again to the outer door to see if thert was any sign of him. But all was still save for the drip of tho fast melting snow from tho roof and the surrounding out houses.
 The day wore on and died; and stil Carruthers did not come back. Leslie lit the little lantern and placed it in the loft window. Then she made herself i; cup of coffee, for she had tasted nothing
 since breakfast time.
 "I am horribly anxious about you,
 Darrell murmured restlessly, when h,
 had watched her light the candle, sweel
 up the hearth, and prepare to torture hin
 with more sulphur. "I ought not t
 allow you to come near me, but
 "But you can't help yourself, you see,