Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-04-02
"At this time of year?"


Yes. A gentleman, WAC, through
a severe cold, has quite lost his voice.
He wishes to put himself in my care,
and. Sr>refore, is coming here"
"When?"
81 don't know exactly"
Not until l can get a woman In the
kitchen, l hope. I'll send to the city
tomorrow"
But now came the greatest trouble
of Brenda's life. Her father was at
tackled with congestion of the lungs
that night, and only his own presence
OF mind in directing Brenda, and the
girls extreme exertions, saved his
life.
Toward the third evening she saw
her fathers heavy eyes wistfully
reading her pale face.
steep some hops and make a tea
for me to drink, and I shall sleep to-
night" he whispered, for louder
speech was extremely painful.
Yes, father"
She knew of old this simple and eff
fectual remedy. 1t was a happy
thought of her fathers, and she i'm
mediately prepared to obey him.
Its nourishment and soothing in
fuence soon had a healthful effect on
him, and, with a few last directions
for the night, he composed himself
to a night of natural rest.
Her w room was a half flight of
stairs down to the ground floor. 1t
joined the pretty south parlor, and
was SO situated that the slightest
sound in her fathers room could be
heard there. Feeling the need of
sleep, and knowing that she could
rest satisfactorily in her own
bed than on the lounge near her IA
Their, Brenda arranged the lights, left
the doors open-the house being
evenly warmed-and stole down to
her W By this time it was
nine O'Clock, and a very dark night.
Brenda promised herself that she
would wake in an hour or two and
visit her father. She extinguished
the lamp, not being accustomed to
a light in her room, and, wrapping
herself closely in her dressing gown,
lay down upon the outside of the bed.
The apartment was warm and silent,
the bed soft, and, in spite of a feel
ing of reluctance to lose herself, the
girl soon fell deeply asleep.
She was aroused by a sound as if
the front door were gently, almost
cautiously, tried or shaken. With a
bound she was on her feet.
With burning cheeks and a fast!
beating heart, she listened.
Again she heard the door tried, and
so deep the silence of the house she
could heaS a hand brushing and fun
bling over the panels, as if stealthily
seeking for the lock. Another mo-
ment's waiting, then she distinctly
heard footsteps about the front of
the house.
Meanwhile, she could not see her
hand before her, the rooms were so
dark. She stood quite still in the cen
ter OF the apartment, trying to sum-
mon her resources.
She had none. If the person try
ing to get into the house were a bur-
glar or a murderer, or some crazed
being, what could she do? Scarcely
anything.
But they shall not harm father!"
The girl spoke aloud. Then, gath
ering the. soft folds of her
from about her naked white feet. she
moved out of the room into the
parlor, and found, one of the front
windows with her hands. Not a ray
came from the sable sky, but in a
large square of light, made outside
by her fathers lamp upon the frozen
ground, stood the figure of a young
man.
He was clearly young, for he stood
looking up at the windows of the
chamber, thus revealing every fea-
ture. Hands and face were frozen
pale, and then Brenda's eyes dilated
in involuntary horror-a slight, slow
movement showed a red line along his
neck.
For a moment the girls head
swan. Then out of the stiffness of
the house voices seemed to mock in
her ears and her vision grew blinded.
For above her stood the ghostly Wis
itor from whom Patty had fed.
1t was a swift conviction. Then,
without sign or warning, the figure
disappeared, and Brenda stood in the
silence, listening to her own heavy
heart-beats-her very brain on fire.
For an hour she waited, hardening
to every sound, but all continued I'M
disturbed, and at last, forcing her
almost paralyzed limbs to move, she
started from her position and
dragged herself up to her fathers
room.
He was still sleeping, sweetly.
Trembling, yet resisting her fear,
Brenda stood watching him, glad of
even his unconscious presence.
Then, having unconsciously dis
missed from her mind the idea of
burglars, she lay down on the couch
beside the bed, and lay wide-eyed
and thoughtful until morning.
The doctor, much better the next
day, found the girl very silent and
pale. She made no complaint of any
WEAKNESS or trouble, but when he
urged her to go to the village for
help, she complied, and, driving to
Wellbridge with Mogul, returned
with the village nurse-Aunt Dorothy
Rust.
Aunt Dorothy had strong arms with
which to lift an invalid, and was not
above lending a hand at housework.
Brenda said she would do very well.
In any event, she was all the help
she gould get.
Ii not a nurse after her own heart,
she was at least a human being; and,
weakened and more nervous than
ntnr, IaForo - lz.. H. 49, ----