Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-11-29

ana smiled straight into the Deaulllu
face of the Baroness Riedesel.
Where am l." / asked weakly.
She put her fingers to her mouth
and raised her eyebrows.
DO you know me?' she asked
Don't speak. Just o
i nodded.
Are you perfectly conscious?'
/ nodded.
She moved away, and / cried out and
and asked her where 1 was.
You must not talk or move till
get the doctor. You are in our house
in New York"
"Eow long" I could not finish
but made a gesture towards the bed.
Nearly six weeks ago you were
brought here" and she vas gone, still
with her finger on her lips.
l lay back In wonder, and though
weak | felt strong, though i'll | felt
well. / cannot tell how II was, but |
settled all the muscles Of my body
down upon the ssft bed and o as
long a breath as my bandages would
allow. So l lay 1 know not how long.
and the door opened quickly but silent
ly and In came the sharp face of DR..
Low, followed by the baroness. Silent
ly they came on. Silently he drew up
a chair and sat. taking my hand, while
she stood behind him looking over his
shoulder.
$50, young man." said Low, cheer
lily. You're looking round a bit. So,
Sol" he went on, looking at his watch.
80! open your mouth" / did stick
out your tongue. So, lot SO bad! Now
drink that" and down went something,
l all the while looking at him in Won
der.
Apparently the baroness misunder-
stood my look, for she said hastily, but
softly:
DO not fear the doctor! He will not
betray you. He is only here to cure
you"
At that, Low, sitting thus with his
back to her and looking at me, closed
one eye slowly without the changing
Of another muscle OF his face and as
slowly opened It again, and l could
have laughed aloud, but | asked:
who is Tante?" | do not know
what 1 thought. l could not let myself
'elieve or hope anything, but I must
ask, and know and get it over with.
The baroness smiled at me, and Low
said in a tone that meant nothing:
"Oh, she's an old hag we hired here
to nurse YOU"
Il think you lie, DOCTOR" said l weak
ly, and looked at the baroness. She
nodded brightly, and | made an in
voluntary "Nenlent.
Here! hcre!" cried Low. Perhaps
l do lie, but do you lie still and go
PROMPTLY to sleep"
Il cannot"
yes, you can! Why, man, you've
got one foot and three quarters of the
other in the grave still. Off you got"
And he got up and too the baroness
by the arm and walked out Of the
room, closing the door.
Sleep! How could 1 sleep? Who
She? Might it be? Six weeks.
What was the matter with me? And
SO l lay and thought and thought, and
door slowly opened. l looked
and saw a head, a face and a bit of
gown.
1t was shel And l stretched out my
hand to her and made some silly
gurgling sound and-she was gone in
and the door again shut.
And then and there, L, Merton Bal
fort, lay over on my back and looked
up at the canopy OF the bed above me
and thanked God at some length!
so | slept long, and walked again
stronger and frCSher by much than
before, and as l moved in my bed there
the setting aside OF the curtains
again, the rustic Of n dress, and there
she stood looking at me, for an in
slant. But as | moved she was gone
and l began to lose my temper and
ask myself what was the matter, and,
rs a sick man viii, complained of my
fate.
Then 1 took counsel with myself,
and turning to n side, so that l could
see the door, | thrust one arm under
the pillow, put my head down so that
[ covered one eye but left the other
free, and then, with some labor, be 1t
acknowledged, placed the other arm
over my face, with but q small opening
left FOR the n eye to watch the door.
| lay quiet, as IL again asleep.
Twas a long time, and | began to
lose my small stock of nerve, when the
door again slid open a bit and her head
appeared cautiously. Seeing me thus
asleep, h came slowly on tiptoe with
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 rest
in her hands on the counterpane
close to me. And there she lay quietly
a long while, till suddenly the curls
began to culver and the shoulders to
and to my wonder l heard a soft
sob, then another, then another. l
could bear it no longer and. quietly
my arm put my hand on her
head.
"Deborah!"
She was half across the room in an
instant, looking at me in terror, with
her hands at her breast and tears in
her eyes.
Are you awake?" she asked in a
whisper.
Yes, Deborah" said /, land / am
very tired. Will you not come and fix
my pillow for me?'
She was by me in an instant, rear
something that was already
light, ~murTnurlng again and again as
she did so, My dear, my dear. nv
lear" as she pushed back the hair
rom my forehead, strengthening the
;ounterpane and brought me some
hing to d~rink-still murmuring MY
lear, my DEAR" in feverish haste, 81
emily, for all the world like a quiet
angel.
Deborah"
You must not talk! you must not
'ay a word" she cried out under her
putting her hand gently over
ny mouth. And suddenly she knelt
again by the bedside and laid her head
lose to mine, her face buried in the
pillow, and | could hear her still MUIR
nuring, My dear, my dear! I'm SO
'orry, so sorry, so sorry!"
A sudden fear seized me, and |
pushed myself instinctively away from
Ter and tried to speak. Some sound
her look up and she cried out in a
frightened tone:
What is IT,"
What is the matter with me? Is
t--?"
mo, no, twas the brain fever. DR..
LOW says 1t was a miracle you had not
smallpox. Aye, dear" she went on,
eeing my face, 'let us both thank
And a DOL hand was laid on my
orehead. | kept still q moment, my |
yes closed for very weakness, and
hen, with some struggle, | got my
up to my head and took her hand |
ma put 1t To my lips. She was on her
again, all changed in a moment,
nd stood by me looking away and say
ng not a word. She might have drawn
er hand away, for l had not the
trength to hold it, but there it lay,