St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1900-11-03
~ E*
snects to "Nnther Grey,' hut nava..


break taboo. For some rea son this was
had discovered soon after he left for
Mexico that she did love him, and that
her profession was not just what she
/ wanted most. after all: but she was too
/ proud to say so, and she completed
+ her course and became full-hedged
lsister of the Red Cross in due time.
Early in the fifth year sonnet thing had
happened. Something seemed to pull
strangely at Janet's heart strings. Let
ters came but irregularIy from Mexico,
and during the last ten months no let
-ters- were received from Masters. Two
of her own letters remained unan-
swere6 and third had been returned
/ to her by the post Office. A letter sent
/ to the Mexican post master brought no
reply. and now this dreadful yellow
fever plague had stricken the land
/ where Masters plantation was located.
Now, as she was speeding swiftly
over the rails toward Mexico, she
pondered over these things. Did she,
would he, think it unwomanly of her
self to seek him unasked? She would
not believe that, for had not her own
i mother agreed that she must go at
! once? Poor Jack, was he suffering
alone out there among strangers? Was
he alive? 4 long, sad journey full of
hopes and fears, misgivings, doubts
and fatigue; but all things have an
end.
A final change to snai1-like branch
road, then the yellow flag and the an
nouncement that passengers were not
fpermitted to enter the fever district.
/ A hasty consultation with a cring-
ingly polite official, and pass to go
on, as she was a trained nurse. Then
/ the dirty station at Panuco. Almost; al
her journeys end-what would she
find? A sense of her own littlensss
ant helplessness' came upon her for a
moment, then was gone again.
4 Did the dirty little boy with dom
key cart know where Senior Masters
plantation was? His name was Pip.
po,, he knew the plantation, but surely
the beautiful senorita would not wish
TO go there. They said Senor Masters
was dead of the fever; he would not
wish to disappoint the senorita, but
he had no wish to go to the planta
| tion.
A few silver coins, an appeal from
two wet, soul-touching eyes, and Pip
DO thought he might drive her neal
the plantation, where she might walk
to it if she must. 1t was useless to
60, though, for was not the plantation
/ deserted? Had not Fr. Antonio, the
priest, said week ago that the senior
was dying? That was after he had
been taken home to his plantation to
! die. Yes, he would take her near the
! plantation he would wait one little
4 hour for her, maybe two.
/ If her heart was being torn during
! that long dusty ride her face gave nc
warning of it. From Pippo she
learned that Senior Masters had been
/ imprisoned for nearly ten months on
false charge. that he had contract
ed the fever in prison. The real Of
fender had been discovered and had
confessed and the senor was set free.
FIR. Antonio had been kind to the
senior, for the senor had been good to
the church and the poor. He would
/ not let an innocent man die in prison
and had taken HIM home to the plan
| tation to die. There faithful serv-
ant had cared for him, but week
! ago the father had said the senor
/ could not live, his case was hopeless.
: Surely the senior was dead, but he
had not seen the priest sinceS The
senior was a good man and had been
kind to Pippo. Pippo's heart was
sore for the beautiful senorita who
had come so far to find the senior.
She left Pippo at the entrance to
the plantation and hurried to the
house. The place seemed deserted.
Then the sound of darky's voice,
real Virginia darky, singing: 80! Carry
me back to ole Virginny, to ole Vir-
ginia shore" came softly from some
where above Hope grew stronger
1 and Janet hurried in the direction of
the singer.
The sound of footsteps silenced the,
voice and then she heard: de Lawd
| be praised He done sabed de massa.
LIE anger HdD coIHe. refer lie HedEA
! her a comm an de angels Miss Janet
in de flesh. sure as dis niger habe
prayed for her.
| 1t was Peter, good old garruloux
Peter! She knew ia k was alive now
and in another moment she was kneel-
| ing by her lovers bedside.
The sick man recognized her. She
was there, he was too weak then to
know or care how. She was there, her
soft, cool hand on his forehead, that
was enough. That night he slept
quietly while Janet and the faithful
negro watched over him. The fever
was broken.
1t was not genuine yellow jack, but
kindred malarial fever. He had
called for her in his delirious mo-
ments and had begged Peter to talk
| about her and sing the old Virginia
songs when the fever left him for a
| time.
Janet nursed him back to GONZALES
cence with the aid of good FIR. An
tonic and the faithful Peter. Then
| the good priest married them, ane
with Peter they returned TO Rich
mond. Health and strength returned
IN full measure, thanks to the ski1lful
nursing of trained nurse Janet. The
sale of the Mexican plantation real
ICED enough to again seat Jack Mas
| ters in the old family home and bring