The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-08-12
A CASE OF
GRIP
By EMILE RUcK DE ScHELL

lh- LOOloE ALDIA>, ash you ioi
IL the last time, will you marry
me?"
Attorney Bernard Holme. I answer
you for the last time. MOI"
There was a slamming of doors and q
scurry OBJECT on the stairs. There was also
a gleam of wrath in a pair Of fine black
eyes and a smile of amusement in pair
Of tranquil blue ones. The question and
answer had been repeated so often that
they had lost much Of their significance
and all of their romance.
Before the young attorney had gone
half a block he halted abruptly, turned
and retraced his steps. Louise had
meanwhile taken up a ponderous tome
on nervous diseases and was intent on
the study of a perplexing case when
a series of vociferous sneezes greeted
her from the outer office.
Il didn't come here to make fool OF
hyself," Mr.. Holme began, rs he
thrust his head in at the door. Il came
to get you to dose me up. have taken
a wretched cold-sneezed 20 times by the
clock this afternoon, and ache all over
In spots, as II l had been sleeping on
the rock pile. Now don't you dare tell
me that 1t is the grip"
Poke out your tongue, little boy.
Here, you may smoke up while count
your pulse" and she placed the bulb OF
a tiny Thermometer beneath his tongue.
Call 1t what you like, but II is influenza
Just the same. and q good round case
of 1t, with danger Of pneumonia. heart
disease, and other complications. Go
straight home this minute and have
your mother make you a barrel Of hot
lemonade. Boil your feet for an hour
and then turn into bed and stay there
until you sweat IL out Yes. and you
must take one of these every two hours"
and the woman counted out IL huge tab
lets.
"All right. doctor. I'd as soon die by
your hand as by that Of any other men,
Der of your murderous profession. By
the way, you must have me well before
Trix comes. So you were in earnest
when you said must fall In love with
herr"
Certainly. and marry her-if she'll
have you She looks exactly as did
when you proposed to me dozen years
ago Trix is IS. and ought to have
no difficulty in curing you of your ridi-
culous infatuation for an old maid OF
30. neglected to tell you that she will
arrive tomorrow. instead OF next week. Z"
And I neglected to tell you that ]
have already met your niece" her COM
| panion returned. in a tone that seemed
to her as unnecessarily fiippant. "She
was in the same sleeper with me when
went from Albany to Boston last week
While the porter was making up her
berth she came and sat with me. and, of
| course. we chatted. recognized her by
| her resemblance to you. and had no diff
| Guilty in verifying my suspicion. I'm
| afraid should have fallen in love with
her on the spot II II had not been for
the contemplate disloyalty to you"
'sNonsensei" Louise calculated. Go
home and take your medicine, or you
| won't be able te see her tomorrow even
/ ing" and she resumed her study as II
she were quite alone. For an hour after
| the door closed behind her too persistent
lover, she tried to read. For some un-
accountable reason the words conveyed
no meaning. A sentence that at any
| other time would have been perfectly lu-
cid had to be read again and again before
she could grasp its significance. Al
length, disguised with herself. she threw
aside the book, ordered her carriage, and
went out to make some professional
calls. When she returned II was quite
dark, and the telephone was ringing fu.
riously. 1t was Mrs Holme. and in a
voice full of excitement she announced
that Bernard was very i'll, in a raging
fever, and that he was going on like q
crazy man."
Bernard in deliriumi" the physician
cried, and for the first time in her pro.
fessional career she lost her wits. The
carriage had been dismissed. and. in q
tremor Of fright she ran-yes. actually
ran to the home Of the man for whom