The advocate., 1894-01-24


patient, said:
"Let me sit by him, and perhaps l
can soothe him."
The Doctor gave her his chair at the
bedside, and again asked:
"What agitated him yesterday? The
night nurse says nothing whatever Oc-
Cured last night; but that toward
morning he began raving as he did just
now; and she came after me, and l
have been here an hour. He has high
fever, which is unaccOuntable, unless
he oVerexerted himself, which / think
improbable, or suffered some strong
mental agitation. Did he talk any yes
terday?" The Doctor gave Kate a
searching glance as he repeated this
question, but she had now time to
think, and she readily responded:
''Yes, he talked good deal. He was
sitting up when l came in, but com
planned of WEAKNESS soon, and lay
down. He talked about his army ex-
periences, and at times got quite ex-
cited. He talked a whole lot. l can't
remember it all. But | didn't think it
would hurt him any, or / would have
told you about it last night. He was
sleeping all right when | left him."
The Doctor looked at her keenly
again as he asked:
"Did he mention in his talk anything
having any relation to what you heard
him saying just nOW2"
"NOt word | can remember" said
Kate. "It was all about being in the
War-just like any old soldier talks.
Nothing like what he has been saying
noW."
'Did he seem agitated?" inquired
the Doctor.
Eyes. | remember now that some
times he would stop and be silent for
quite while. Seemed to be thinking
of something sad. Then he would
begin again and talk about battles and
things like that. Just old soldier talk
like I've heard at home many a time.
Nothing strange at all. "
The recording angel may have suf-
fered some perplexity as Kate said all
this. Her motive was good, but she
had made hopeless, total wreck OF the
truth. The Doctor seemed satisfied how
ever, and remarking that the old man
had something weighing on his mind
some business affair, probably, which
he thinks is going wrong while he is
laid up here gave Kate directions as
to some medicine to be given, and went
to breakfast. But he suspected that
Kate was conCealing the truth, that
some mystery shrOuded the old mans
life and that she knew what it was.
What was it? Old army talk could
hardly account to skilled medical man
for so sudden and so remarkable a
change.
And Kate felt that he had not be-
lieVed her, and she was tortured with
dread lest the truth should escape the
old mans delirious lips. Fortunately,
his mind became lucid again soon after
the Doctor left; and a look of serene
pleasure came over his face when he
saw his young nurse and perceived that
it was her hand on his feVered brow.
Kate was not a professional nurse, or
she would have hesitated, but in her
anxiety, she told her patient that he
had been "highty" and had come pretty
near telling what he ought not to. eff
you get that way again, said she, "yOu
must think where you are and who is
around to hear what you say" Evi-
IDENTIFY disturbed, he asked what he had
said, and she told him all about it, and
about the Doctors inquiries.
81 have heard said he, "that, while
in his right mind, one can will not to
speak of particular subjects when de-
lirium comes on. l shall make the ex-
pertinent, and shall do the best l can to
keep my own secrets.
He spoke almost in whisper now,
he was so weak. Kate gave him his
medicine, then smOothed back his gray
/ hair for q short time and he slant Tha