The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-14

growing weaker. It's slow fever, you
know, miss: but 1 guess she can hear
yet"
Rena followed her into a room rather
IOare, out painfully clean. On the spot.
less pillow was a white. wan face with
closed eyes. Another woman sat by the
bed tanning her. The dark eyes opened
slowly, and a weak voice whispered:
Il knew she'd come. Now I'll hear
her"
Rena stood at the foot of the bed, for
the first time in her life painfully en-
barrassed.
What shall 1 recite?" she asked ap-
~pealingly of the women.
They sat with decorously folded
hands.
Something suitable to the occa-
sion," n said, primly.
Rena thought a shade of protest
fitted across the white face on the bed.
Little Boy Blue" flashed to her be-
wildered memory, and she eagerly
caught at it. Even to herself her voice
had never sounded so pathetic as she
told the tender little story.
When she finished, the two stolid
women were wiping their eyes. and
heavy tears lay on the sick woman's
white cheeks. Again she opened those
weary eyes, and Il the girls thought
there was reckoning il them. She fol-
lowed her impulse. and bent over the
bed.
Now something-diferent." the
woman gasped.
Asudden inspiration flashed 10 Rena's
mind. She stood we'll out in the room
and commenced the Chariot Race"
from Ben Hur." Both nature and art
had done a great deal for her in an
clocUtionary way. She had recited be
fore critical friends. and envious ones,
before eNacting. cultivated audiences,
but her widest fancy had never placed
her in so difficult a position as this.
The homely room. with its chilling
quiet. the death-like auditor on the bed,
her solemn eyes following every move
ment, was oppressive and uncanny, but
never had she recited as she did that
day.
Inc SlCGA alI4 pLllN1ACdACl WIN l. btl4-
liant, frenzied populace. the rush and
trample of the horses. the breathleSs
hush, the crash Of the wild chariots,
the triumph OF the matchless Arabs
and their wonderful driver. swayed and
surged and beat through the room like
a mighty wind.
The TIVE women sat with open
mouths and staring eyes.
The man had come inside the door
and stood erect, clenching his hands in
his excitement.
That was 4 race as was a race" he
said. in a loud, voice. forget
full for an instant Of everything but the
story.
Then they looked toward the bed
The sick woman was sitting up.
oh" she cried. with a note of long
drawn ecstasy. then fell back eN-
hausted.
she's dead" cried Rena, in a CULVER
of fear.
There was a horror-stricken instant.
Then she reused and spoke almost
strongly. grasping convulsively the
girls warm. dimpled hand in her cold,
wasted fingers.
Maybe I'll live till tomorrow, if
you'll promise to come again"
I'll surely come Rena said. softly,
then slipped out.
She was full of her odd experience.
but she told it at the dinner table that
evening with a touch Of hesitancy. Some
how she did not feel like having much
said about it.
DR.. Randolph was there, too. and she
wondered anXiously what he would
think. Somehow, the recitation of a
thing like that to a dying woman sud-
denly seemed rude and ill-timed. Her
cheeks burned.
The doctor looked at her thought
fully.
Possibly you can cure her, Miss
Rena," he said. Sometimes in a low
fever the patient gets apathetic and in
different, and slips away from sheer
lack of energy. Maybe you can reverse
the idea somewhat, and. as a second
Scheherazde. chain the poor woman to
life by your eloquence."
He looked up and caught the deep
flush on Rena's face.
Il beg your pardon. Miss Rena, l am
not entirely joking. 1 do not know the
case. but that result is not impossible.
How about Tomorrow. though? Had
you forgotten the golf match? 1 be-
lieve the party is to start at seven and
return by moon rise"
Rena caught her breath.
Il had forgotten" she answered.
She sat silent, hardly touching her
dessert. The party going out next
morning were just the people she liked.
The exhilarating spin over the perfect
roads in the lovely, fragrant June morn
ing; the informal dinner at the charm
ing clubhouse; the moonlight return
and DR.. Randolph. 1t was so seldom he
spared time for an outing.
1T would be absurd to give up such =
lovely day just for the mere possibility
of benefit to the woman Why, the doc
tor half made fun of it himself"
Then her promise flashed to her mind.
81 don't seem TO be doing much of
anything else lately but forget; that
settles it, though" she thought.
Strengthening up energetical!y; "of
curse 1 can't 60"
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