Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1900-06-08
CHAPTER Y

CHAPTER Y
Days. many days. went by, and still
Don lay in the same state. Sometimes
shivering, sometimes burning with
fiery heat. sometimes slumbering in
the deepest tOrpOr: often wakefully
alert with the activity of a distraught
mind. wandering back TO scenes and
times OF which his watchers knew
nothing-even back to days of early
/ boyhood. when he and Roddy had
/ fshed together in Gadie's silvery
stream. and never dreamed of jealousy
or severance in years to come.
BY and by, as the days heightened
into weeks there came lucid intervals.
and when he awoke weak and we'll
nigh speechless. but perfectly con-
sciOus OF his surroundings. And If at
those times Lille CHANGED to be his
nurse he would lie and gaze upon her
with a look of dog-like devotion in his
great brown eyes. often even try to ut
ter some feeble words of gratitude or
contrition for her being there. Whilst
| even as he strove to speak that deadly
oblivion would return and blot out past
! and present alike.
And meanwhile Lille watched by
him and waited upon him with jeal-
Gus steadfastness that scarce could
brook to share her vigils with his 9TH
er nurses-they who could minister TO
| the sufferers wants perhaps more eff
1 GENTLY than Lilies self. but could ex-
| perience none of the young wife's bit
/ ter JOY which made every little duty an
act of devotion.
! For she saw his strength ebbing
/ hour by hour as the fever worked out
( It's course She saw his wa..derings
become more frequent, those fatal tor
/ pors more prolonged. and those mo-
/ ments of weak consciousness grow few
! er and fewer And gradually. but all
/ too surely, the awful fear began to
! dawn upon her that Don and she were
! to be called upon to part by a decree
more relentless than hers. Yet. oh. it
/ could not be that he should die-de
anu leave her thus without knowing
she had come to- realize her life was
bound up in his for time and for eter-
nifty. That his sin must be her sin.
/ and its atonement hers also as well as
his,
Who shall gauge the bitterness of
those pleadngs which burst from her
aching heart through those long vigils
of waiting? For it was known to her
/ God alone There came A night at last.
as they neared the white cliffs of Eng
land that after continuous hours OF
fitiul slumber Don opened his eyes and
fixed them upon her face. 1t was APP
preaching the hour when she usually
relinquished her post to the nurse, and
she was kneeling by his side in silent
prayer, her cheek resting upon his pill
low. her locked hands leaning gently
his breast
A strange reluctance to leave him
had fallen upon her. and more than
once she had passonately pressed her
lips to the short. silky brown curls
about his temples
Lille" he spoke wistfully.
1t was barely above a whisper. but
she heard it with a great bound of her
beating heart for she knew this was
real consciousness at last
Lille" he repeated family, so
family that she had to stoop close to
: his lips to catch the words where are
We now?''
I'VE are very nearly home. In a few
hours we shall be in the SOlent"
She was astonished that he mani
tested no surprise. II was as If his
active brain had been speeding o.
ward with the ships throbbing en-
gines; as if he, too, while his fragile
barque drifted towards the unknown
shore, had been dimly conscious Of the
great sea of time and space.
Lille" he spoke again. with Ia
bored difficulty. when We reach
Southampton will you wire TO Roddy
and Di to come to me?"
Hot tears welled up into her eyes
and fell upon the wasted hand he
strove to lift and lay on hers.
I'VE will go over to the Isle of
Wight to them. Wouldn't that be bet
ter, DOM"
eff you will not mind the trouble"
he said, with all the trustful depend
ence OF a little child. And then sud-
denly. with futtering breath. he spoke
again. so family she could scarcely
hear. IL dreamt just now you kissed
me. Lille. would you promise not to
leave till the end?"
She broke down then. and flung her
self upon his breast.