Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-03-29
CHAPTER XIII.

IN dimly lighted room III the puhsa
low at Loango two women bad
been astir ali night Now, as dawn
i approached, one Of them. worn out
with watching. wearled with that
blessed fatigue of anxiety which dulls
the senses, had lain down on the cur
tain covered bed to sleep.
While Marie slept JOcelyn Gordon
walked softly backward and forward
with Nestorius In her arms. Nestorius
was probably dying. He lay in the
Englishwoman's gentle arms, a little
brown bundle of flexible limbs and cot
ton nightshirt. 1t was terribly hot.
All day the rain had been pending. All
night it had held off until the whole
earth seemed to pulsate with the desire
for relief. Jocelyn kept moving 30 that
the changing air waited over the little
bare limbs might alIay the fever She
was in evening dress, having, indeed.
been called from the drawing room by
Marie, and the child's wOolly black
head was pressed against her breast
as if to seek relief from the inward
pressure on the awakening BRAIN
A missionary possessing some small
knowledge of medicine had been with
them until midnight, and, having done
his best, had gone away leaving the
child to the two women. Maurice had
been in twice, clumsily. on tiptoe, to
look with i'll concealed awe ut the
child and to whisper hopes to Marie,
which displayed ludicrous. IL lamen-
table, ignorance of what he was talk
ing about.
Little chaps better" he said; I'm
sure, of it. See, Marie, his eyes are
brighter. Devilish hot. though, Isn't
he? Poor little soul"
Then he stood about, awkwardly
sympathetic.
Anything I can do for you. Joce-
lynn he asked, and then departed.
only too pleased to get away from the
impending calamity.
Marie was not emotional. She
seemed to have left all emotion be-
hind, In some other phase Of her life
which was shut off from the present
by q thick curtain She was patient
and calm. but she was not so clever
with the child as was Jocelyn. Per-
haps her greater experience acted as
handicap in her execution of those
small offices to the sick which may be
rendered useless at any moment. Per
haps she knew that Nestorius was
wanted elsewhere. Or it may only
have been that Jocelyn was able to
soothe him sooner, because there Is an
unwritten law that those who love us
best are not always the. best nurses
for us.
When at last sleep came to the child
it was In Jocelyn's arms that he lay
with that utter abandonment OF pose
which makes a sleeping infant and q
sleeping kitten more graceful than any
living thing. Marie leaned over Mes
torius until her dusky cheek almost
touched Jocelyn's fair English one.
HE Is asleep" she whispered.
And her great dark eyes proDed
Jocelyn's face as If wondering whether
her arms. bearing that burden, told
her that this was the last sleep.
Jocelyn nodded gravely. and con-
tinued the gentle swaying motion at
fected by women under such circum-
stances.
Nestorius continued to sleep. and at
last Marie. overcome by sleep herself.
lay down on her bed.
Thus it came about that the dawn
found JOcelyn moving softly In the
room, with Nestorius asleep In her
arms. A pink light came creeping
through the trees. presently turning to
O golden yellow. and. behold. It was