The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-03-05

Ten minutes later he had returned
from the house where the last operator
lay dead, with the big door key, and
We were let into the sweltering, dusty
little box Of a room, which seemed
to ne as If It still held traces Of the
disease. I opened the windows to
make the girl comfortable, and sent
the boy out after some ice water and
scme lemons. Then I remembered
something.
"Say," I called to him, and I went
outside and asked him where 1 could
find the nearest bar.
"Ovah thah in tn tavehn," pointing
to 4 long, low, unpainted house.
I ran across the street, followed
leisurely by the boy, and found my
way into a bare room with shelf
across it, and perhaps dozen bottles.
\ portly man, in soiled yellow linen,
was doing in a chair. I awakened
him.
"Have you any tonic" said.
"Who's got it now!" he asked, with q
start.
"Got what?"
"The fevah. Yes, sab, I've got plen-
ty, sah;" and he went into another
room, and brought out two green:sh
bottles of tonic.
"It's the best medicine thah is fur
it. Who's got it? The muses. bring
down tonic, but it's no sich brand as
this!"
mo, suppose not" I said; and then
I asked after ice, but found that be-
yond the supply held by the muses."
there wasn't any in the town.
I took the bottles and went back
across the street, followed presently by
the boy with the water.
II can cool it." the girl said, and she
sent the boy back after an earthen jar
of water. She wrapped 1t in wet cloths,
put the bottles in it, and set the whole
in the window.
"Wbats that message Of yours" she
asked. found she had already intro
duced herself to the other Offices along
the line. I sent telegram to Ransom,
telling him in the Office cipher Of my
plight, and instructing him to make
some arrangements about getting me
out of the ix was in, without saying
anything about it. wanted to sneak
back without being quarantined.
"What is your name?" asked the
girl.
Fanny. Martin" she said.
"Well, I am going TO have the answer
to my message sent to you. I am not
anxious to have people talking about
my being down here"
"Don't want your right hand to
know, eh?"
But 1 made no explanations.
Suddenly Miss Martin came running
down the path.
"Come in here, quick" she said,
and went back ahead of me. I fol-
lowed her into IN old-fashioned square
house, with wide oilclothed hall, and
thin balustraded stairs, which she light
ly mounted. In the room was an old
man who had fallen back on his pillow,
dead, his face drawn and yellow with
the scourge. Standing by his side was
a tall, sallow woman, Who'll am
ashamed to confess-even in that mo-
ment presented herself as familiar
figure. I had seen her counterpart on
the stage hundreds Of times as the
typical spinster. There were even the
glasses and the keys, and the punches
Of skimpy curls behind the ears. She
was looking down at her father In
hard sort of dumbness.
''Thc servants have gone," Miss Mar
tin said. There is nobody to do any
thing. 1t is lucky you are here"
I did not stop to contradict, her, but
set to work for humanity's sake to do
what I could.
One Of the sorrows Of those times
was that the dead must be buried SO
quickly. 1 took lantern, went out to
the burying ground, and hunted up the
family lot. With the assistance Of a
negro man, whom Miss Martin discov-
cred, dug q grave. We went back to
the town and found a coffin, and in the
early summer morning we buried the
dead man.
AS we came out Of the graveyard I
stopped Fanny Martin.
"Haye you been to the ofice?" I
asked.
Eyes, indeed"
"Well, where .s my r1essage:'
"There wasn't any"
'The deucev' I said, and walked on
back with her. The spinster lady lin
gered by her fathers grave. Miss Mar
tin seemed inclined to stay, but 1 knew
she could do no good there. I took her
by the arm and led her back to the tel
cgraph Office, and dictated some mes
sages that would bring answers.
left her clicking off long message
to somebody.
It was almost dark when q knock
came Oh my door, and the grayish
negro boy put his head in and followed
it by the rest of his body, carrying
a yellow envelope. 1t was from the
superintendent, telling me he would do
what he could for me, but he feared
I should be stopped, as quarantine
was very strict.
"If I don't get out, any way you
will be sure to get your tonic" said to
Fanny Martin. We had grown to be
famous friends. She was a smart,
clever little thing, with a shrewd way
of looking at life, and keen sense of
humcr. She had made excursions
round about during the day, riding on
horseback. There were very few cases
left, and they were going to move on
to the next town.
THE reports are exaggerated she
said; "but then that's what sells the
papers. It's all in the days work.
Now, suppose you tell me what brought
you down hereW ,,,,