Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-08-13

he went with Jessie to Cedar Grove,
going Immediately to Ross's chamber,
where, for q moment, he stood appalled,
at the scene before him. She had fear
fully changed since last he saw her. for
the disease had advanced with rapid
strides, and now utterly insensible. and
white as the wintry snow, she lay with
her head thrown back, and her lips apart,
while her hands nervously picked at the
bedclothes around her! Many a time
had DR.. Clayton heard that this was q
sure omen Of death, and though he had
ever laughed at II as an old woman's
within, he shuddered now as he saw It IN
her, and bowling his head upon the pillow
he wept like child. For a moment
Richard Delafeld stood gazing upon the
apparently dying girl and the weeping
man. who seemed wholly Incapable Of
action; then rousing himself he went In
quest Of the black women, commanding
them In q voice they dare not disobey to
como at once to the sick room. He had
heard that nothing but violent and con
tinusl Precipitation had as yet been Of
any avail In such extreme csses, and
calmly giving orders to that effect, he
himself assisted while the hemlock and
the bottles of hot water were applied,
then, administering q powerful tonic, he
bid Jessie 20 to her mother, while he took
his station at the bedside to watch the
result.
Quoted in q measure by the cool de-
meanor Of his companion. DIR. Clayton.
too, arose, and after hurriedly pacing the
room, those two men, the one with his
fair, handsome face stained with tears,
praying earnestly that she might live;
while the other, with dark, lowering
countenance and wrinkled brow, stood
with folded arms and firmly compressed
lips, struggling to subdue the evil pas
sion which whispered, LET her die!
There will be comfort in weeping over
her grave, and knowing that she is not
the bride of another" as
In the meantime Jessie had been miss
ed, and 4 servant dispatched to find her.
But this the woman failed to do, as she
was then at Magnolia Grove, and Mrs.
Lansing was about venturing to 20 in
quest of her, when she appeared saying
"she knew Miss Lee was dying, she look.
ed so dreadfully."
"Jessie--childw screamed the alright.
ed Mrs. Lansing, shrinking from the lit.
tie girl as If she had been loathsome
thing. Have you been therein the
roomT
Without any attempt at concealment,
Jessie told what she had done, and when
her mother exclaimed, you are a dead
child" she answered, fearlessly, IL am
not afraid to die"
Just then the negro who had been sent
to the village for the family physician
~ tttr nod hrtn n Zinc hA l,ak
fever had broken out there the night be-
fore, and that in one family two were
already dead, while third was thought
to be dying. In the utmost dismsy, Mrs.
Lansing now announced her intention of
leaving the place at once and fleeing for
safety to her brothers plantation. which
was distant about twelve miles.
"And leave Miss Lee alone? Oh
mother" said Jessie, beginning to cry
at the unfeelng desertion. ~
But Mrs. Lansing was determined
"She couldn't help her at all If she
stayed" she said. And the colored
women would do all that was necessary;
it wasn't like leaving her alone with
DIR. Clayton, for there were a dozen able
bodied females in the house to wait upon
her"
And If she dies2" suggested Jessie
but her mother would not hear to reason,
and urged on by Ada. who was no less
frightened than herself, she ordered out
the travelling carriage, which soon stood
before the door.
She would fain have had her brother
accompany her, but she knew it was Use
less to propose it. Still, she would see
him before she went. and her waiting
maid was sent to bring him.
"Tll go. Let me co. said Jessie; and
ere her mother could detain her, she was
half way there.
Entering the room on tiptoe, she gave
her uncle her mothers message, and
then stealing up to Rosa. wound her
arms round her neck. and laying her
soft, warm cheek caressingly against the
white, thin fact of the teacher. wept her
last adieu. They would never, never
meet again, for ere the summer flowers
were faded, one would be safely in the
bosom of the Good Shepherd, who would
lead her in green pastures. and beside the
still waters of the better land
Bury her under the tall magnolia
a little ways from father" was Jessie,
last injunction to DIR. Clayton, whose
had he thought how he must leave hei
alone in that far South land-many miles
away from her native hills, and that t,
him would be denied the solace of weep
ing over her early grave.
1t was in vain that Mr., Delnfield nj
tempted to dissuade his sister from go
ing. She would not listen, for their lives
she said, were all endangered by remain
= ing in town, and as several other fam
+, lies were going to leave, she should fo
! low their example-then bidding hr
+ hasten to them the moment Rosa wa
4 dead, she entered her carriage aud wa
y driven rapidly away, followed by Ha
;, bert and two or three negroes on hors,
: back. Unfeeling as this proceeding seen
II cd to Richard, he still experienced a SCI
$ sation of relief at the absence of tn
d family, and thinking they would prob;
T, bly, be safer at The Pines than at Celi
d Grove, he returned to the chamber abov
t. where Rosa still lay, in the same deatl
IS like unconsciousness, perfectly still sa,
when a movement of the head or fail
" moan told how she suffered