Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-07-31

evening sent Maggie out into the
orchard to see if any Of my favorite
'Magnum bOnum" plums had fallen
, from the trees. She brought back a
| few. and as she gave them to me
saw her shiver Violent Y as though
seized with deadly cold.
Are you cold this warm evening
Maggie?' | asked, my heart sinking
with dread.
Yes, rather" she replied; my
head aches. and there seems to be a
red cloud before my eyes. 1t s.. YES
me right, Deena; sat up reading
last night for hours after I ought to
have been asleep"
felt relieved; it might be that,
after all. sent her ia rest early, and
went to visit her She was sleeping
soundly when entered the room, hu.
some dream had taken great hole of
her
Il will not give in she muttered /;
Il will see how long he can bear it. .
shaded the night light and left
her, hoping the morning would find
her we'll again.
do not know how long | had slert,
or what had awakened me, but the
first fair gray dawn of morning was
shining when opened my eyes, with
sudden start. heard a sweet rica
voice, singing an old familiar song.
THAT is Maggie" l thought What
on earth is the child doing at this hour
of the morning?" / looked at my
watch it was not yet four. "She
cannot Sleep" l said to myself. "and
is amusing herself with singing.
What a queer ideal" Yet the voice
sounded strangely; there was some
thing wild and weird about it. |
could hear every note. for my room
was next to hers. I rose, and went in
to see what she was doing / think
that until the hour of my death, /
shall never quite forget the shock and
fright that seized me then. Maggie
was standing by the window, her
hair flowing down her neck and
shoulders. lurid light burning in her
eyes, a crimson flush on her wild
face.
Maggie, my darling, what are you
doing there cried, Fastening 10 her.
But she dbl not know me when I
threw my arms around her. She
laughed a wild. dreadful laugh, that
froze my blood. l saw then that the
cruel fever had seized her with deadly
violence. / called two or the maid
servants to assist me, and we tried
between us to keep her in the pretty
white bed where / had seen her lying
so still few hours ago. sent the
old gardener for the doctor, and told
him to hurry, for it was a case of
life or death
! All. I do not like to remember that
time, even though it is so long since
I could not recognize my sweet, bright
Maggie in the raYing maddened girl
whom all our efforts could barely re
strain. Delirium, with all its darl
horrors, had taken firm hoiG of her
Oh, the unnatural sound of THAI dear
voice as she sang snatcles If old
melodies. can hear it now.
The doctor was not long in coming
and he confirmed my apprehensions
1t was typhus fever, he said, of the
worst kind and read in his face thai
he had but little hope l told hin
about the sick child my darling hat
taken into her arms and he only won
dered that these symptoms had no
shown themselves before.
All that science could do for heI
was done; but the cruel fire ragged still
in that delicate frame and began tt
fear that Maggie's eyes would neve
see me more. 1t was strange that IL
all her delirium she never named
Walter or me. She talked for hours
together of her books and her music
and of all her friends; but our name
never once fell from those burning
lips. | sent every one away from he
room, keeping a strict quarantine
for the doctor gave me fair warnin;
tious nature. A nurse was engages
from Ordley, and together we Tough
hard against the cruel death tina
seemed to have marked my sister 70
its own.
So two terrible weeks passed, ant
there was no change: no CLEAN of re
turning reason, no abatement of th'
fierce fever came to cheer us |
seemed hopeless I resolved at las
to write and tell Walter of the deadl,
danger the girl he loved was in.
had deferred this task from day t.
day always hoping, but in vain, that
might have some better news of he
improvement to send. During hit
fortnight no word had come from
him: but knew that although Their,
might have been a cloud between
them. his love for my child was a.
deep and true as hers for him. So
wrote and told him ALL pro- using II
let him know at once when there wa
any change.
CHAPTER Nv.
Another dreary day passed, and still
no change. The innocent lips babbleC
of all the simple events of my child
| life-of all save one; the red flusl
still burned on the poor, changed face
the little white hands beat the. all