The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-07
None But the Brave

but asked:
 "who is Tante?" I do not know what thought. I could not lot myself believe or hope anything but must ask. and know and get 1t over with. The baroness smiled at me, and Low said in tone that meant nothing;
 'oh, she's an old hag we hired here to nurse you"
 T think you lie, doctor" saio weakly, and looked at the baroness. She nodded brightly. and I made an involuntary movement
 'Here herei' cried Low Perhaps I do lie, but do you lie still and go prompt ly to sleep
 'I cannot"
 Yes. you can" Why, man, you've got one foot and three-quarters of the other in the grave still. Off you goi" And he got up and took the baroness by the arm and walked out of the room, closing the door.
 sleepl How could I sleep? Who was she? Might 1t be? Six weeks. What was the matter with me? And so I lay and thought and thought, and then-the door slowly opened. I looked and saw head. a face and bit of white gown.
 It was shei And l stretched out my sickly hand to her and made some silly gurgilng sound and-she was gone in stantly and the door again shut.
 And then and there, I, Merton Balfort, lay over on my back and looked up at the canopy of the bed above me-and thanked God at some length And so slept long, and walked again stronger and fresher by much than before, and as moved in my bed there came the setting aside of the curtains again, the rustic of a dress, and there she stood looking at me, for an instant. But as I moved she was gone and began to lose my temper and ask myself what was the matter. and, as a sick man will, complained of my fate.
 Then I took counsel with myself, and turning to one side. so that 1 could see the door, thrust one arm under the pil- low, put my head down so that I covered one eye but left the other free, and then, with some labor be it acknowledged. placed the left arm over my face. with but small opening left for the one eye to watch the door. Then l lay quiet, as If again asleep.
 Twas a long time, and I began to lose my small stock of nerve, when the door again slip open a bit and her head ap- peared cautiously. Seeing me thus asleep, she came slowly on tiptoe with a look in her face that lives with me always. and the quiet rustic of her gown. And so, coming near. she knelt down by the bed, the proud white neck bent forward and her brown head resting in her hands on the counterpane close to me. And there she lay quietly for a long while, till sud denly the curls Legan to culver and the shoulders to shake and to my wonder I heard soft sob, and then another, then another. I could bear it no longer and quietly raising my arm put my hand on her head.
 Deborah"
 She was half across the room in an in- stant, looking at me in terror, with her hands clasped across her breast and tears in her eyes.
 Are you awake?' she asked in whis- per.
 "Yes, Deborah" said I, "and I am very tired. Won't you come and fix my pill low for me?"
 She was by me in an instant, rearrang- ing something that was already right, murmuring again and again as she did so, My dear my dear my dear" as she pushed back the hair from my forehead, strengthened the counterpane and brought me something to drink-still murmurlng My dear, my dear" in feverish haste, silently, for all the world like a quiet worried angel.
 "Deborah,'
 You must not talk You must not say 1 word" she cried out under her breath, 1 putting her hand gently over my mouth And suddenly she knelt again by the bed side and laid her head close to mine her face buried in the pillow, and could hear her still murmuring. My dearl my dearl 1 I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!'' 1 A sudden fear seized me. and I pushed l myself instinctively away from her and l tried to speak. Some sound made her l look up and she cried out in a frightened 1 tone:
 What is it?'
 What is the matter with me? Is it-?' 1 'No no. twas the brain fever. Dr. Low ] says 1t was miracle you had not the smallpox. Aye, dear" she went on, see- l ing my face 'let us both thank God And cool hand was laid on my fore I head I kept still a moment, my eyes closed for very weakness, and then, with some struggle, l got my arms up to my head and took her hand and put 1t to my lips. She was on her feet again, all changed in a moment, and stood by me looking away and saying not a word. She might have drawn her hand away, for I had not the strength to hol. 1t, but there it lay. trembling like herself, much as a little tame bird might lie an instant in your hand, half for comfort staying, half for fear ready to fly. So I stroked it and laid it to my hot cheek and kissed 1t again, and looked up at her standing over me.
 Dear, will you forgive me?"
 For answer she started a little, the color flying over her face; and then she stopped and lightly kissed me and flew out of the room.
 The thought of losing her was too much for me, and I yelled out a savage cry that brought her back in terror, saying that would die if l lay not still.
 Then stay here." I said hoarsely. of you go away IT will get out of bedr' Though God knows l could not have sat up to save my life. Come close to me and-and talk Something in my face must have drawn her, for she came and lay upon the counterpane, and lifting my head put it upon her arm. And so she talked her fair head close to mine, whis- pered quietly such words as I would no more put to paper, even if I could, than l would tell the thoughts of my inmost soul to any one but God. No one can be held to speak of this one hour of his life It Is his for all time and only his, his to think on in after years, in times of stress and trouble to dream on year by year. And it shall go out to no other, for it Is truue and sacred and belongs to him alone.
 So thus I lay, closing my eyes from weakness and comfort, yet must I quickly open them again, because I could look at her close by me and feared she would again be gone. And by and by some- thing in her words set my head a1going, and looking at her I asked, scarcely by means of words. how 1 same there.
 'I did not know, dear. We thought YOU gone. I dared not ask No one gave