Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-13


 two doctors quickly organized their staff, the ships officers for clinical clerks, some of the ladies for nurses And the men, the simple soldiers, sat about in their tents with pale faces, ex- pecting.
 Of those who worked there was one nurse-who never seemed weary, never wanted rest, never asked for re- lief. She would work day and night in the hospital; if she went out it was to cheer up the men outside. The doctor was conscious of her work and of her presence, but he never spoke to her.. When he came to the hospital another nurse received him; if he passed her she seemed always to turn away. At a less troubled time he would have observed this At times he felt again that odd sensation of recovered past. but he regarded it not-he had other things to \ consider.
 There is no time more terrible for the courage of the stoutest man than time | of cholera on board ship or in a little place whence there is no escape; no time | worse for a physician than one when \ his science is mocked and his skill avails nothing Day after day the doc tor fought from morning till night and far on to the morning again; day after day the new graves were dug; day after | day the chaplain read over the new \ graves the services of the dead for the | gallant lads who thus died, inglorious, for their country. s ='
 Then came a time, at last, when the oonqueror seemed tired of conquest He ceased to strike. The fury of the disease spent itself; the cases happened singly, one or two day, instead of ten or twenty; the sick began to recover; they began to look about them. The single cases ceased; the pestilence was stayed; and they sat down to count the cost There had been on board the transport three hundred and seventy-five men, thrity-two officers, half dozen ladies, \ a few children and the ships crew. Twelve officers, two of the ladies and hundred men had perished, when the plague abated. ~
 "One of your nurses is i'll, doctor"
 Mot cholera, I do hope"
 "No. I believe a kind of collapse. She is at the bungalow. I told them would send you over."
 "I will go at once." He left few di- rections and walked over to the house. | been of all the most useful and the most active. She was now lying hot and feverish, her mind wandering, in clined to ramble in her talk. He laid his hand upon her temples. He felt her pulse. He looked upon her face. The odd feeling of something familiar struck him again. "I don't think 1t is very much," he said. "A little fever. Il Sx GAa has been working too hard. Her strength has given way" He still held her wrist. you are very cruel. I didn't know, and a girl cannot always have her own way"
 Then he recognized her. Good h heavens!" he cried. Ut is Florence" she repeated. "If could have my own way do you think would" .~
 "Florence," he said again. And did not even recognize her. Stranger Another of the ladies, the coloners wife, was standing beside him.
 "You know her, doctor?"
 "I knew her a long time ago-some years ago-before she married"
 Married? Florence isn't married. You must be thinking of some one else. '
 "No. This is Florence Vernon, is it Il not? Yes-then she was engaged to marry Q certain Sir William Duport." "Oh! I believe there was some talk about an old man who wanted to marry her, but she wouldn't have him. It was just before her mother died. Did you know her mother?"
 { bn1 living at Eastbourne. So she refused the old man, did she2 and has remained unmarried? Curious! had almost for. the old days. Well, after she has pulled so gal1antly through the cholera we cannot have her beaten by little fever. ) Refused the old man, did she?"
 In the dead of night he sat watching by the bedside, the colonePs wife with jim
 'I had almost forgotten" whispered the lady, ''that story of the old baronet- She told me about it once. Her mother was ill and anxious about her daughter because she had next to nothing except her annuity. The old man offered; he was an unpleasant old man; but there was a fine house and everything; it was all arranged. The girl was quite 6 child and understood nothing; she was to be sold in fact to this old persor who ought to have been thinking of his latter end instead of a pretty girl. Ther the mother died suddenly and the gir broke it off. She was a clever girl an6 she has been teaching. For the last three years she has been in India; now she is going home under my charge She is brave girl, doctor, and a gooc girl. She has received half a dozer offers, but she has refused them all, se think there must be somebody at home." |
 CHAPTER VI
 A few days later the patient, able tt sit for awhile in the. shade of the yer anda, was lying in a long cane chair Beside her sat the coloneps wife, whc had nursed her through the attack } She was reading aloud to her. Sudden