West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1889-10-17

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prevent il he had wrenched his hands
loose and sprang after her, crashing the
door behind him. As we burst open the
door to follow him, we heard a scream
OF terror and the fall OF some heavy body,
and our first view Of the room showed us
Dorothy lying senseless ON the floor,
blood streaming from terrible cash in
her forehead, while Brereton stopped
over her, heavy ruler in his upraised
hand.
''We sprang upon him in time TO pre-
vent second blow, and carried him,
struggling from the room. 1t was some
time before we could bind him again,
and In the meantime, Charlotte, Doro-
thy's nurse, had come TO relieve our
minds about her. Her mistress was bet
ter, she said, and had sent word 10 the
doctor not to leave her husband until he
was quiet, assuring us that her OVID
wound was slight.
''For the next half hour il was as
much as we could do 10 keep the maniac
we were guarding, from killing us or
himself. Twice the doctor injected NOR
phine without any apparent effect. The
delirium was, If anything, increased, and
death in its most frightful form, momen-
tarily drew nearer the stricken wretch. !
1.-THE doctor was in dreadful dilem-
ma. II he administered morphine again
it would very probably prove fatal, while
on the other hand, TO permit the dclirium
to run its course uncontrolled, meant Ger.
tain and loathsome death.
''ln this disagreeable situation he &C.
Cpntpn tho alfarnaNfun Nl,ae I'll
some slight hope and administered a third
dose Of morphine.
''lts effect was almost instantaneous.
From writhing, screaming maniac, he
became, suddenly, as immobile as fallen
statue, his heavy breathing the only sign
Of life.
'For another quarter of an hour the
doctor watched every pulsation OF his
heart, in evident dread of some sudden
catastrophe. At the end of that time he
rose, visibly relieved, and said in u whis.
per:
i must go to attend TO Mrs. Brere-
tons wound, Holiday; keep your atten-
tion closely on this fellows heart. If il
does its work we'll for the next half hour
he'll pull through, but if there is the
least aunctuation call me at once; delay
ten minutes, and not the whole college
of surgeons could bring him to III,
again
''He left the room noiselessly, only tc
turn at the door TO repeat his warning:
80 Remember, Holiday, delay means
death
"With those words he left me- Left
me alone with the man who had ruined
my life and broken the heart Of the
woman / loved, whose life meant misery
TO the trembling, wounded girl in the
next room; whose death meant release to
her and peace, and il was to this man
that delay, not IA blow or any violence,
but simple ten minutes OF quiet wait
ing, Of delay, meant-desth!
~ prayed, yes, sir! you my think
could not pray about such a thing, but /
could and did, and then all my doubts
cleared away. The crisis, of which the
doctor had warned me, might not occur.
In that case he should live; by no act of
mine should his death be hastened, but
neither should any act Of mine prevent
il. If the crisis cam, l should-dc-
lay!
"Well, sir, just as had made up my
mind, there came a smothcred cry OF pain
from the next room. 1t was Dorothy's
voice; she was suffering under the doc
tors hands. At the same instant felt a
change in her husbands pulse, IL hut-
tered-stopped-futtered on again faint
ly. A cry for the doctor rose to my lips,
and died away, unuttered Ny watch lay
on the table beside him, the hands NOV
ing slowly, oh, so slowly, marked three
-fye-eight minutes-the pulse grow
ing rapidly weaker-was scarcely per-
ceptible DOw-nine minutes-ten min
utes, and gave a sudden cry! The doc
tor rushed in and raised Brereton in his
arms, calling frantically on me for rene
dies. II was no use; the pulse had hut-
tered family, and ceased. Not the whole
college Of surgeons could bring him TO
life again Brereton was dead Z"
The Corporal ceased speaking. rose
from his seat, and stood before me.
~ have stated the case, sir, he said,
quietly, "what is the verdict-was it
crimer
The next day at sundown Corporal
Jack fell mortally wounded. reached
him only in tirse to soothe his last agony.
Just before he died he murmured,
family:
"Don't forget, sir, that never saw
Dorothy again, though / might, because
no one suspected. Remember that. sir.
and tell me II IL was me7"-Atlanta
Coastitption.