Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-19
q ard COuQk

been as yet reused in the mind of either
| Brown or Mrs. Hoskins.
"She never do eat as one might call
heavy" exclaimed the latter, poking at the
| pillows about the young lady's head with SO
heavy hand that / could scarcely restrain
| the impulse to reach out and drag her back.
"Some days she picks at things quite hearty.
and then she won't have none of 'em, and
| am at great to do to find a thing as she
will have brought a'nigh her.
"All that is easily accounted for" broke
in Brown harshly, "by explaining to the doc
| tor that she is very high spirited, willful
young lady ] should not have paid the
slightest attention to all Of those affectations,
but it is this feverish stupor which has
alarmed me. ! have made every effort to
rouse her, and / begin to think that 1t Is
genuine"
How long has 1t lasted?" l asked, my
voice coming very cold and hard through
shut teeth, for, foolish though | might be,
the suspicion that those efforts had not been
of the gentlest took possession of me.
"Off and on, for day past" broke out
Mrs Hoskins as though choking for speech
yesterday she took, all at once, carrying
on about pains in her spine and acrost her;
then she said her head went giddy on her.
and from that she took fit of Mysteries
quite sudden, and lively time had OF 1t
can tell you. What with"
your troubles will wait Mrs. Hoskins,"
broke in Brown again, to whom her gar
rulity seemed perfectly intolerable. Does
she seem feyerish to you, doctor?'
1t had come For several moments past
my eyes had been wandering to a slender
white hand dropped softly upon the siken
coverlet, and now | must touch that hand.
must approach near to my supposed patient,
though she lay in appealing helpless maiden
hood before me, and II had no right there.
There was nothing for it, however, but to-
go through with the farce | had begun.
Very cautiously rose, and, as ] am a large
person and the bed was little affair when
| leaned down over II, all the time murmur-
ing prayers for my souls sake, l completely
obscured its occupant from those behind me.
Tlmidly and reverently touched the small
hand-touched and closed my strong fingers
about 1t, with a ciuging protection in the
clasp | could not control, for | am a son of
Adam. To my utter undoing, the eyes which
had before remained closed, swiftly and eau
tiousy opened, large and black. upon me
One hasty look OF entreaty and appeal they
sent down straight into any soul, while the
fingers | had well-nigh dropped pressed
something into mine. The eyes closed again, !
ssnd !, with very little breath left in my
body. stood gaping vaeantly before me.
II seemed scarcely credible to me now |
that so strange thing could happen and /
that my first vivid thought after flash of !
delight at the beauty OF the lady's eyes !
should be a bitter rage at those dreadful |
bandages OF mine. All other considerations |
the probable insanity OF the patient, the won
der as to what she had forced upon me, |
were, for the moment, absorbed In frivolous
regret that such eyes should have taken
their first look at me whilst sill; handker-
chief was knotted about my head and my
right eye glared upon her, swollen. iniamed /
and inexpensive. Ny poor vanity! Again