The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-09-12


lent. his half-closed eyes soft with pen.
siveness. At length he finished "She
was--my sisters dearest friend. | knew
her, years ago.
"she--she--can't be very old" said
Russell.
"Old? My age, lacking exactly one
month, and / am thirty-one eternities.
But women take pains 20 look young.
even when they have but God to love
and speak to, like Ren-like Sister Ce-
cile."
hut when the hour came for Sister
Cecile To give his usual medicine TO
Russell there came i'm her stead Soeur
Henriette. She did not allude 10 Soeur
Cecile nor TO the reason for her absence
Neither did the sick men.
On the next day. as Deschamps came
on his morning tour of inspection Ma
role -Thenac said: MY dear doctor. T
think / ought to be watched az night.
must eat great deal, in my dreams.
And IL Ia annoying Since / came / have
had only broth and milk. and yet i feel
as II / had masticated entire herds of
beeves-crunched bones and also sore
and stiff are MI jaws
A startled expression pased over
Deschampss face.
"Yes?" he said carelessly. ."Where7"
Here. where the lower jaw is hinged
TO the upper. Let me see what did my
old teacher call IL? The temporo- -maxil-
lary articulation"
Deschamps carefully examined the
wounded mans jaws. Then the entire
body.
THAT will pass away" he said. But
he did not look at MarolleThenac.
SHORTLY after the doctor took his leave.
He seemed preoccupied.
DO you know" observed the French
man TO Russell. "it even costs me trou-
bic 10 speak. See: This is as much as
j can move my jaws. What a model
mother-in law / would make
The lower Jaw moved a half-inch. not
more. 1T cost the wounded man an ef-
fort TO do even that.
DIR. Deschamps came again, shortly
after noon. He was accompanied by
three other physicians. one OF them a
famous native. DIR. Amador.
II brought my colleagues. my dear
Nicomte, because / was undecided as TO
the desirabllity Of substituting gut for
silk i'm the stitches lied Deschamps 10
the wounded man. And Russell heard
DR. Amador whisper TO Deschamps the
two words: "Traumatic tetanus"
You think 500" said the Frenchman
There can be no mistaking the
symptoms. I have seen hundreds OF
brown. black and Chinese.
All alike: all fatal"
mot necessarily said Deschamps.
'In this climate. and at that stage.
Invariably said Amador, quietly.
Mon Dieu. who will tell him?' muir
nured Deschamps.
Russell fell back Imply among his
,illows. He felt very sick. He had seen
case OF lockjaw on the isthmus. One
" his Iaborers had died OF Ii. He did
lof wish TO see another.
The doctors made pretense OF exam |
ng Marolle-Thenac's wounds. Then |
hey went away. They did not tell him |
What afled HIN.
Later on. Soeur Marie. the superior
IS. came to his bedside. She was known |
o have had considerable experience at |
mparting disagreeo BILE informs ton.
Mon cher Nicomte" she began, lit
my solemn and painful duty to tell
ou that II
"Ah. | am--serious. then?" grunted'
Iaroile- e-Thenac with some difficulty
Yes; the doctors fear
What? BE brief. i pray Forget your
ax. sister lit is the only mercy"
"Er--monsieur-I--
Brief. beg, One word-if you can."
"Tetanus," She had obeyed his COM
1and His death-sentence was not ver-
ose. |,
"Diable, That is bad" He paused.
Lfter moment he went on composed
=: People often die of tetanus."
The Sister OF Charity bowed her head
sorrowful acquiescence.
"In the tropics IL is always fatal he |
ided, musingly Also. painful. That
the worse. Mais, que diable, One
annot always choose ones mode OF
cath. The good Lord refuses that fa-
or. One must be born willy-niIly: one
ust die willy-nilly. One cannot quar-
u with God Heinz"
His ways are indeed beyond" she
sgan. professionally.
Russell he said, as loudly as his
iff Jaws permitted. "they say | have
ckjaw. What do you think Of II. eh?'
Russell shook his head. miserably. He .
as "A sick man, Quinined and weak.
lso he had seen negro die Of teta-
is. ,
"weil. what the devil, One must
e of something. There r. no doubt of 5
lat. No: not the most infinitesimal ,
,ubt, eh?''
no one answered him. And after a I
oment. he said: "Soeur Marie. :
use reouest one favor OF YOU"
Yes, NJ. Vicomte." :
II would speak 90 to Soeur Cecile." !
'Certsinly. I shall send her to YOU at !
ice. And.<if you will permit. Father I
4
Never mind the priest" And seeing =
shade pass over the sisters face, he q
Ided gently: mot yet. There is plenty /,
time before the end. YOU know p
,rse luck. But | thank you for your q
licitude."
Soeur Marie withdrew. Shortly aft u
ward Sister Cccile came in T
You ssnt for me. monsieur" she y
id 10 the diving man. calmly :
Yes. Renee" ne murmured. |,
Soeur Cecfle' she said. correcting :
7 Renee'" he repested. obstinatelv. n
urely. my dear" he went on. with -
ghas.lv attempt at playful reproach. | a
on viii humor dying mans wish" "a
DYING! she gasped =
Yes aud 81 lock jaw at that Are "
u not clad?" =
She was silent. Her face was rigid
4 very pale. 4
II ~ the worst possible form W ! r.
AMY he went on slowly his eyes a
ed on hers. The worst without cx- 4,
ntion. Are YOU not glad?" II
'he said nothing. =,
Renee" he said. after all these II
ars havf YOU not forgiven" y
feebIv. -
An cherie." he went on. 1T was :,
" nightmare. When they told me