The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1902-12-05
CHAPTER XVI.

Griswold had landed in Wahaska
on the day following his fight from
ST. Louis, too ill to care much about
anything. But he was sane enough
to find a bank, to rent safety de-
post box and to lock the treasure
into it before he resigned himself to
the inevitable, allowing himself to
be put to bed in his room at the
st. James, with hot water bottles at
his feet and bag of chopped ice on
his head.
For fortnight he hung tremulous
on the verge of collapse, and was
kept from tumbling in only bv lust
horror of being seriously i'll IN .
hotel. At the end of the fortnight
he made shift to go out and find a
boarding place; and the effort, cou-
pied with the conviction that he
might safely trust himself in the
. hands of motherly Mrs. Holcomb,
pushed him over the verge.
Here DIR. Farnham found him toss
ing in delirium, and his verdict was
promptly pronounced.
"Typhoid-malaria, Mrs. Holcomb;
and a relapse, at that. What are
you going to do with him?"
'What should l do but take care
of him ~ said the motherly one.
"You can't do it alone; it's no
woman's job
"Then we must get a man. There's
sven Uleson; he's out OF work"
The doctor smiled. Nobody but
you would ever think of making a
nurse out of that great, overgrown
child. But maybe he'll do. I'll hunt
him up and send him over. Where
did you say this young man halls
from?"
'.New York, he says"
"Humph! that's odd. I.sRould say
he has been soaking himself full of
malaria in the Yazoo swamps. But
how about the expenses? Has he
any money!"
"Plenty, I think. He paid month
in advance, and when he went to bed
he told me where to find his pocket
book"
"Poor fellow! I guess he was glad
enough to find somebody he could
trust. Well, we'll do what we can
for him, and I'll send Sven"
So it came about that the mild
eyed Swede was installed as Girls
wold's nurse. Luckily Oleson under
stood but little English, and the sick
mans rawlings about the bank rob-
berry meant nothing to him; but DR..
Farnham heard them and wondered.
Curiously enough a small thing satls-
fed the wonder, and that was the
mention made by Mrs. Holcomb Of
his patients calling.
"H-m; an author, is he? That
accounts for his harping so contin-
ually upon that bank robbery story.
It's a part of his plot"
1t was the first of May when Girls
void took possession of Mrs. Hol-
combs spare bedroom; and it was
full month later when DR.. Farm
ham pronounced him out of danger
and in fair way to recover II he
took care of himself.
During the weeks of convalescence
he met many of Mrs. Holcomb's
friends and neighbours, and among
them the Raymers. The mother
and daughter came with dainties for
the Widows invalid; and later on
they brought Edward, who was book
ish enough in his leisure moments
to be interested in one who was even
a potential writer Of books.
That acquaintance ripened into
friendship, and Griswold's first out
ing was ride in Raymer's buggy to
fitke iron works.
Here the two young men met upon
new common ground. Raymer was,
or he meant to be, model employ
err: and when he found that the con-
vaIescent was an enthusiastic stu
dent of the vexed problem of mas
ter and man, he unbosomed himself
freely.
"I've been charging, as you sec,"
ne explained. "But when I get on
nv feet and out of debt I'm going
to try plan my father had in mind
Notwithstanding with the men,"
eaGood," said Griswold. II wish
might be in it with you. I'd like to
fail that out with you when I'm fit"
$50 you shall but not yet" They
!were on the way back to Mrs. Hol-
II -. a. \