The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1895-07-18

She understood him now, and bles
ing him for his little ruse, went quicl
ly to the hospital. The old father wa
watching her from a parting in the wiz
dow curtain, and as she tripped towar
the hospital an expression of satisfa,
ton came over his face. And that
how Alice came to be installed a
Browns nurse.
Brown slept for two hours calml
and peacefully. When he at last slow
ly, half dreamily awoke he felt sof
hand on his forehead, and opening hi
eyes they met those of his darling one
Ned, my darling do you know me
Do you know your Alice?" she whisp
cred, bending over him.
know you, my blessed angel? O
course l do" he replied, making al
effort to throw his arms about hei
neck. She gently stopped him and
with blush upon her happy face said
"No, Ned, not here. Someone may
see you. The attaches of the hospital
do not think II strange that should
nurse my noble rescuer back to health
and strength again, but they might
not see the propriety of me permitting
his embraces. They are not aware
that your nurses heart is all yours,
my darling every little, tiny bit Of it,"
BLESS you for those words, my
love. And you have been with me
often the surgeon tells me-"
"Yes, Ned, very often, but you were
delirious and did not know me. The
surgeon had almost given you up, and
oh! my darling, my poor heart was
breaking. He has just told me that
you have passed the crisis and will live,
and have been down on my knees by
your cot thanking the Father for spar
ing you to me. Now Ned, dear, listen
to me. You nre noJyet out of danger,
and you are in my care, and the doctor
has given me imperative orders to not
let you talk much. am going to obey
orders implicitly, and l am going to
make you obey me. Do you hear that,
Mr.. Ned? Here, now, it is time for you to
take your medicine. There! BE careful!
Don't spill it all over your chin. You
careless fellowl You are the most awk-
ward patient ever had"
Thus she went on in mock reproof.
The happy tones of her voice and the
arch, loving smile which accompanied
her words did him more good than
could any medicine in the post dis
pensary.
But, Alice, I must talk. cannot lie
here and"
No, you must not talk, you rebellious
darling" Then glancing around to see
that no one was near she implanted
kiss on his pale lips and continued:
''Therc now, see II that will seal your
lips. You must Just lie there and let
me do all the talking. Papa says am
n little nuisance of chatterbox any
how, so guess l can talk enough for
both of u.s."
Then tell me all that has happened
since l lost consciousness behind the
rocks, and l will lie as quiet as mouse
and listen" he said, taking her hand in
his and pressing 1t warmly.
"All right. and don't you forget your
promise or may punish you again by
sealing your lips. You see, the people
at the fort heard the firing when the
Indians came upon us, and just after
You tainted away n troop of cavalry
came dashing up with papa at its head.
He sprang from his horse with great
big tears in his eyes, the very first
ever saw there in all my life, and |
thought he would hug me to death.
He asked me II the Indians had harmed
me and told him they had not, but |
feared you were. killed. He stopped
down over you and looked at your pale
face and the blood all over your breast,
and then, o, Ned, he raved like a mad
man. / never saw him in such pas
sion before! He stamped the ground
and struck the rocks with his sword |
ana swore, oh! just awfullyl He called |
you by name, and (now, you mustn't |
mind, Ned, for it was only papa's |
bluster and he didn't mean it) he called |
you villain and told you get up and
not lie there making fool of yourself,
and said If you attempted to die he
would have you drummed out of the |
service. He called you brave, noble
rascal, and said he'd rather lose every
man in the garrison than you. Then
he turned on Capt. Colby and asked
him what in the-bad man, you know
he was standing there for like gaping
IDIOT while the Indians were escap-
ing, and ordered him to follow and
kill every one of them. The troop
iashed ahead and overlook the Indians
n the sand hills across the river and
lad an awful fight with them. for
more Indians had come after the band
hat chased us. Papa sent his orderly
lying back to the fort after the sur
'eon and an ambulance, and then he
ussed around and hugged me and
allied you good and bad names until
he surgeon came. Then you were
,fted In the ambulance, papa scoldinp
he soldiers and telling them he would
.nnlhilate them If they hurt you. On
ne way IN you recovered consciousness
'ut were delirious. You kept begging
ne to fly to the fort and save nvseif
nd leave you to your fate, and papa
sked if you had talked that way when
'ou was fighting the Indians, and when
told him those were your very words
Us lips trembled, and he turned his
ack and began TO abuse the r.oor
river for running over stones. And
hats the whole story, dear, from a
D lizard"
God bless him, his heart is in the
Ight place, If his tongue does fly the
rack occasionally. Oh, my darling.
- "e' |
Her plump little hand was gently
ressed over his mouth, and with n
'arning shake of the head she said;
There there thcrai MA -.