Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1903-05-02
Sunny Bank Farm
FLOYD LivrNcsroN


| Richard Delafield stood gazing upon the
apparently dying girl and the weeping
man, who seemed wholly incapable Of
action; then ro,ising himself, he went In
quest of the black women. commanding
| them in voice they dare not disobcy TO
come at once to the sick room. He had
heard that nothing but violent and con-
| tinual perspiration had as yet been ct
any avail In such extreme eases. and
calmly giving orders to that effect, he
| himself assisted while the hcmlock and
the bottles of hot water were applied.
then. administering a powerful tonic, he
bid Jessie go to her mother. while he took
his station ut the bedside to watch the
result.
| Quictcd In n measure by the cool de-
meanor of his companion. DR.. Clayton.
too. arose. and after hurrcdly 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
countenancc and wrinklcd brow. stood
with folded arms and firmly compressed
lips. struggling TO subduc the evil pas
sion which whispered. let her die.
There will he u comfort in weeping. over
her grave. and knowing that she Is not
the bride of another"
In the meantime Jessie had been miss.
ed. and a servant dispatched To find her.
But this the woman failed to do. rs she
was then at Magnolia Grove, and Mrs.
Lansing was about vcnturing to 20 in
quest of her. when she appeared saying
"she knew Miss Lee was dying. she look.
cd so drcadfully.'
"Jessic--child"' screamed the alright.
cd Mrs. Lansing. shrinking from the lit.
tie girl as If she had been a loatls"nis
thing. Have you been therein the
roomY
| Without any attempt at conccalment
Jessie told whit she had done. and when
her mother exclaimed. you are dead
child" she answered. fcarlessly, IL am
not afraid TO die"
Just then the negro who had been sent
to the village for the family physician
returned. bringing the news that the
fever had broken out there the night be-
fore. and that In one family two were
already dead, while a third was thought
to be dying. In the utmost dismay. Mrs.
Lansing now announced her intention Of
leaving the place ut once and fleeing for
snfcty to her brothers plantation. which
was distant about twelve miles.
"And leave Miss Lee alone? Oh.
nothcr!" said Jessie. beginning to cry
mt the unfccling desertion.
But Mrs. Lansing was determined.
'Shc couldn't help her at all II she
stayed" she said. "And the colorcl
women would do all that was necessary;
II wasn't like leaving her alone with
Dr. Clayton. for there were dozen able
bodied females In the house 10 wait upon
her."
And II she diesY' suggested Jessie
hut her mother would not hear to reason,
and urged on by Ada. who was 10 less
frightened than herself, she ordered out
the travelling carriage, wit h soon stood
before the door.
She would fain have had her brother
accompany her. but she knew It was use-
less to propose Il. Still. she would zee
him before she went. and her waiting
maid was sent to bring him.
; I'm go. Lot me go." said Jessie: md
ere her mother could detnin her, she was
half way there.
Entering the room on tiptoc, she gave
her uncle her mothers message. un,l
then stenling up to Rosa. wound her
arms round her neck. and laying her
soft. warm check enrcssingly against the
white. thin fact Of the teacher. went her
last adieu. They would newer. never
meet again. for ere the summer flowers
were faded. one would be safely In tn,
bosom of the Good Shepherd. who would
lead her IN green pastures. aud beside the
still waters of the better land.
BURY her under the tail magnolia,
!. little ways from father" was .Jessie's
last injunction to DIR. Clayton. whose
tears burst forth nfrcsh. for not ill then
had he thought how he must leave her
alone In that fur South land--mnny miles
away from her native hills, and that to
, him would be denied the solnce Of weep
ing over her early grave.
a,
II was In vain thnt Mr.. Delafield at.
tempted to dissuadc his sister from so.
ing. She would not listen. for their lives
she said, were all endangered by remain,
ing In town. and as several other fami.
lies were going to leave, she should fol.
low their eXample-then bidding him
hasten TO them the moment Rosa was
dead. she entered her carriage aud was
driven rapidly away. followed by Hal
bert and two or three negroes on horse.
back. Unfeeling as this proceeding seem.
. ed to Richard, he still experienced sen
, sati0n Of relief ut the absence Of the
family, and thinking they would proba,
. bly, DO safer ut The Pines than at Cedar
; Grove. he returned to the chamber above
where Rosa still lay, In the same death
like Inconsistencies, perfectly still save
, when II movement Of the head or u faint
moan told how she suffered.
The clock In the hall struck the houl
of eleven, and then. with II feeble moan
the sick girl withdrew her hand from
beneath the covering, and when the stern
man took 1t within his own he forced
back an exclamation of joy. for It was
moist with perspiratlOn. There was
hope, and his first impulse was To tell
the good news to his companion; but the
demon. which all the morning he had
Rugged 10 his bosom, whispered, mot
now--let him suffer yet n little longer.'
Soon, however, casting this thought aside
rs unworthy of him, he said. "Look Up,
DIR. Clayton; she is better. She may
live, See" and lifting the damp hair
from her brow. he pointed to the dewy
drops which stood thickly upon 1t.
"Thank heaven" was DIR. Clayrons
exclamation, aud bending down, he said,
Rosa, my precious Rosa! She will live,
and you have saved her." he continued,
advancing toward the dark statue, whose
hand he pressed to his lips. ITO you