The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1900-05-24
A
SHORT
STORY


morning; the patient lay in profound
sleep, breathing heavily, and bathed in
profuse perspiration. Richard bent
over him and felt his pulse, then shook
him sharply by the shoulder and called
loudly on him to awake, but without
rousing him in the least. Slapping his
face with a wet handkerchief, raising
him off the ground. produced no better
effect Taking the little bottle of wine
from Marys ready hand, Richard
forced few drops into his mouth.
They were swallowed with a convulsive
gulp, but made no change in the pro-
found unconsciousness in which the
patient lay.
tits no use," he said at last. He's
too far gone to awake And yet his
pulse is very good, and II had him at
home there are one or two other things
that might try So just tell the driver
to come in and help me carry him to
the fly"
I.e wrapped around him the rug he
had sent the evening before, which was
the only thing about him not in rags,
and with the drivers assistance carried
him out and propped him up in the fly.
Before quitting the place Richard
turned the bed over with his foot to
be sure nothing of value was left be-
hind. A heavy revolver. which proved
to be loaded, ratified upon the floor,
and as he stopped to pick it up yellow
CLEAN caught his eye among the rags.
What! more money!" he exclaimed,
but on looking closer he found that it
was only the gilt case of an old-fash-
Toned. faded daguerreotype portrait.
Nothing else was to be found, and slip
ping it into his pocket with the re-
volver, he returned to the cab, locking
the door behind him as he left.
A few minutes driving brought the
party back to Richards house, and
with the assistance of the cabman, the
still unconscious patient was carried
up to one of the empty rooms, where
bed had been prepared to receive him.
Mary was ready with hot soup and cof-
fee, and felt little disappointed when
Richard turned her from the door.
mo, no, Mary, it's no use trying to
give it to him that way. Make little
very strong beef-tea; / will find a way
to administer that. Send me up the
bottle of Condy's fluid, and glass anu
jug of water"
Left to himself, he proceeded with
fierce anxiety, very different from his
usual professional GOODNESS. to take
such measures as his knowledge die
tated to awaken his patient from his
stupor, and these not proving imme-
diately successful, to sustain life, If
possible, until the effect of the drug
should pass off. 1t was late when, after
having exhausted nearly every means
known to him, he left him still lying
unconscious, and went downstairs.
Mary had prepared little supper for
him, and was anxiously awaiting his
appearance.
"a good, strong cup of tea for me,
Mary"
why, Richard, you know tea at
night always keeps you awake. You
would not sleep wink after it,
That's what / want. I am going to
sit up with my patient tonight, and
before Alice goes to bed you had better
tell her to light fire in his room"
"Oh, Richard, mayn't I sit up along
with you? I am sure shall not close
my eyes the whole time for thinking of
you. l never can sleep when you are
away from me at nights"
"All the more reason for you to be
resting quietly in bed, then" said
Richard, who had his own reasons for
wishing to be alone with his patient in
the event Of his recovering conscious
ness.
When the household had retired,
Richard sat down in an easy-chair be-
side the fire, having first made care
full examination of his patient, who
moaned and muttered in his sleep as
ne turned him over to sound his heart.
Reaesured of these signs of reviving
Consciousness, he opened the latest
works on "Poisons," on which he had
recently expended a guinea which he
could very III spare, turned to the
section on "Morphia," and settled him
self in his chair to study it attentively
About four hours later he was awak-
sned from a deep sleep by loud cry
uttered near him. The book had fallen
to the floor beside the chair: the fire
had gone out. but the lamp was burn.
ing brightly. The sick man was sitting
up in bed, from which he had thrown
of the covering, and was wildly crop.
ing among the bed-clothes in search o
something.
Lost, lcst!' he shrieked. Help
hieves! Police"