The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-06-26

out Of breath with running. and he car
ried a note for me marked Immediate. q"
1t was from my wife, and rau briefly
| thus
! please come at once. Stella is very
i'll and asks for you,"
"Who brought this?" 1 demanded,
Quickening my pace, and signing to Vim
cenzo to keep beside me.
THE old man, observation-disclosures.
| He was weeping and in great trouble
/ he said the little donzella had the fever
| in her throat-it is the diphtheria he
means, think. She was taken i'll in the
middle of the night, but the nurse
thought it was nothing serious. This
morning she had been getting worse,
and is in danger"
"A doctor has been sent for, of
course?"
Eyes, Eccellenza. So Giacomo said,
| But"
But what?" asked eagerly.
Nothing, Eccellenza. Only the old
man said the doctor had come too late. :"
My heart sank heavily. and a sob rose
in my throat. l stopped in my rapid
walk and babe VincenZo call carriage,
one of the ordinary vehicles that are
everywhere standing about for hire in
the principal thoroughfares of Naples.
Sprang into this and told the
driver to take me as quickly as
possible to the Villa Romani, and
adding to Vincenzo that l should
not return to the hotel all day, J.
was soon rafting along the uphill road.
On my arrival at the Villa 1 found the
gates open, as though in expectation of
my visit, and as approached the en-
trance door of the house, Giacomo him
self met me.
"How IS the child?' l asked him
eagerly.
He made no reply, but shook his head
| gravely, and pointed to kindly-looking
man who was at that moment descending
the stairs-a man whom l instantly re-
cognized as a celebrated English doctor
resident in the neighbourhood. To him
1 repeated my inQuiry,-he beckoned
me'into a side room and closed the door.
1.-The fact is" he said simply, that is
a case of gross neglect The child
| has evidently been in a weakly
condition for some time past, and
| therefore is an easy prey to
any disease that may be lurking about.
| She was naturally strong-1 can see
that,-and had been called in when the
symptoms first developed themselves, 1
could have cured her. The nurse tells
me she dared not enter the mothers room
to disturb her after midnight, otherwise
she would have called her to see the
child-it is unfortunate, for now l can
do nothing"
] listened like one in a dream. Not
even old Assunta dared enter her mis-
tress's room after midnight,-no! not
though the child might be seriously i'll
and suffering. 1 knew the reason well,
too well! And so while Ferrari had
taken his fill of rapturous embraces and
lingering farewellS, my little one had
been allowed to struggle in pain and
fever without her mothers care or COM
fort. NotIthat such consolation would
have been much at its best,
but was fool enough to wish
there had been this one faint spark
OF womanhood left in her upon whom !
had wasted all the first and only love OF
my life. The doctor watched me as re-
NAMED silent, and after pause he spoke
again.
THE child has earnestly asked to see
you," he said, land ! persuaded the
Countess TO send for you, though she was
very reluctant to do so, as she said you
might catch the disease. OF course there
is always a risk. :"
- am no coward, Monsieur" inter
rupted him, though many of us Italians
prove but miserable, panic-stricken
wretches in time of plague-the more
especially when compared with the in
trepidity and pluck Of Englishmen. Still
there are exceptions. :"
The doctor smiled courteously and
bowed. Then / have no more to say,
except that it would be well for you 10
see my little patient at once. am COM
PEELED to be absent. for half an hour, but