Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-11-28

only Walter grumbleG a little. but at
last confessed to a headache and sud
den WEAKNESS.
Julia Clifford took special charge of
Grace Hope. the doctor of William
Hope, and Colonel Clifford sat By Wal
ter. cOngratulating. soothing, and en-
couraging him, until he began TO doZe.
Doctor Gamers estimate OF his pa
tents proved correct The next day
Walter was in a raging fever; Hope re-
manned in a pitiable state of weakness;
and Grace. who in theory was the weak
er vessel. began to assist Julia in nurS-
ing them both. To be sure, she was all
whip-cord and steel beneath her delicate
temperate. And then she was much
the Youngest. and the constitutions of
such women are anything but weak.
Still. it was a most elastic recovery
from great shock.
But the more her body recovered its
strength. and her brain its clearneSS,
the more was her mindagitated and dis
tressed.
Her first horrible anxiety was for
Walters life. The doctor showed no
fear, but that might be his way.
1t was a raging fever, with all the
varieties that make fever terrible to be-
hold He was never left without two
attendants: and as Hope was in no dan
ger now, though pitiably weak and
Slowly cOnvalescent. Grace was often
one of Walters nurses. So was Julia
Clifford. He sometimes recognized
them for a little while, and filed their
loving hearts with hope. But the next
moment he was off into the world of
Illusions. and sometimes could not see
them. Often he asked for Grace most
piteOuSly when she was looking at him
through her tears, and trying hard to
win him to her with hervOice On these
occasions he always called her Mary.
One unlucky day that Grace and Julia
We're his only attendants he became very
restless and wild. saidhe h2dcOmmitted
a great crime. and the ScatfOld was be-
ing prepared for him. "Hark!" said he;
don t you hear the WOrkmen? Curse
their hammers; their eternal tip-tapping
goes through my brain. The scaffOldl
What would the old man say? A Cliff
ford hungI Neverl III save him and
myself from that"
Then he sprang out of bed and made
q rush at the window. 1t was open, I'M
luckily, and he had actually got his
knee through when Grace darted to him
and seized him, screaming to Julia to
IIC1p u6l. y Illd ulCt utI UCSU. especially
in the way of screaming. Grace's mus
Gle and resolution impededt the attempt,
no more; slowly, gradually, he got both
knees upon the windowsin. But the
delay was everything. In came pro-
fessiOnal nurse. She flung her arms
round Walters waist and just hung
back with all her weight. AS she was
heavy, though not c0rpulent, his more
active strength became quite valUeless,
weight and position defeated him hope
lessly; and at last he sank exhausted in
to the nurses arms. and she and Grace
carried him to bed like child.
OF course, when it was all over, half
dozen people came to the rescue. The
woman told what had happened, the
doctor administered asOOthing draught,
the patient became very quiet, then per-
spired a little, then went to sleep, and
the cheerful doctor declared that he
would be all the better for what he call
ed this little outbreak. But Grace sat
there quivering for hours, and Colonel
Clifford installed two new nurses that
very evening. They were pensioners of
his-SOldierS who had been invaded
from wounds. but had long recovered.
and were neither of them much above
forty. They had some experience. and
proved admirable nmses-quiet. silent,
vigJant as sentinols.