The Washington herald., 1908-07-21
CHAPTER XIV.


few minutes later he heard Purkess'
heavy step upon the brck-laid path. and
then. bringing with her a faint fragrance
Of the forest, the nurse entered
She was small but erect and alert. with
a pair OF round eyes that reminded Hugo
AZ once Of a robins. being sing1larly
bright and quick IN their movements.
she flashed a glance at him. nodded. and
bent over the convulsed child Al her
touch she seemed TO become better. but
the hard rattle IN the throat continued
she's been getting worse aid l-...
Purkess stood In a corner OF the room.
looking on wide awake and frightened
out q his life. From the closet came the
heavy. stertor0Us breathing Of his wife
Upon his forehead the veins stood out.
and when ne wiped the sweat rom his
face his thick. hairy hands trembled- The
helpiess1ess of the man was pathetic.
Cant you do anything whispered
Hugo.
The nurse shook her head
"Tis5aIe VIII be here in a minute or
two"
"He'H arrive too late she replied. with
authority
ne marveled az her self-possession. her
air even OF Couteutmeat- and the inde-
Unable expression OF yyeIl-beinE. recoz-
nizahie at once, but so hard 20 define.
She was nearly thirty. but her clear,
smooth skin had not a line upon II.
Suddenly Purkess began 70 sob vio-
lently
Hugo looked with appeal at the nurse.
who nodded her head. The poor fellows
grief had something terribly animal about
it, something too. not quite sane. like
the fury Of a horse that kicks out his
masters brains in "a moment Of terror.
Afterward- thinking the incident over
Hugo decided that this tremendous ebuI-
htion Of emotion indicated the revolt OF
ignorance against cruel circumstance.
and the beIytliug sense OF impotence. 50
strange 90 a strong man.
The nurse went Up TO him and touched
him
You mustn't do that here" she said.
firmly You viii disturb the others Go
iGto the next room"
Hug0 felt that the man would curse her
and refuse 20 bulge. but he obeyed in
stantly, sinking away, convuised with
misery.
Poor devn-' said Hugo.
Again the nurse nodded with her odd
air Of detachment. as II she were bound
by some oath 10 make no comment upon
matters outside the sphere OF her own
particular business. Hugo hurried after
the stricken father
Look here" he said. taking the man by
the shoulders Pull yourself together.
You're wanted. DO you hear2~
Purkess raised his heavy face.
Go 20 the bottom Of the hill and stand
there. When the doctor comes. bring him
on here at once A minute OF two may
make all the difference. Rum
The Haa--z- To~a H--s-@--,-7 -
later Hugo heard the man Gathering
down the hill Action had touched him
with healing fingers. Hugo went back
into the inner room The nurse had the
child on her knee. trying. with all her
art and experience. 10 soOthe il
Is there nothing We can do2' whis-
pered Hugo
If Mr.. Tisdale were here he would try
trscheotomy. Seer' She pressed the
swollen throat There is the thickeniug-
below the passage is quite clear one
tiny inciSion-and q tubei I've seen II
done several times could do II with a
sharp pair Of scissors myself
do it." said Hugo.
I daren't.
The child IS dying"
Yes, yes; but-I daren't. tell you
and We have no tube"
The words died on her lips as a worse
SkieASAA SG-NE1 AAiE CL-A4Q- ne SLTAEEle T0E
breath was terrible 10 witness The nurse
had the child, face down on her Ian.
Hugo looked or. feeling the sweat break
upon his forehead
After an eternity. the swollen throat
relayed for an instant. the breath passed
through with a fierce gasp, the twitching
limbs lay quiet
I thought she had gone then" whis-
pered the nurse
You say the incision must be made in
the windpipe, and held open by some
thing?''
That's it,
She stared at him. arrested BY an ex-
preston upon his face that few had ever
seen The moment was intensely dra-
matte. Nurse and man knew that a life
was being snatched because they lacked
the skill TO save it. That the man who
could save It was close at hand. perhaps
not more than half a mile away. made the
situation infinitely more tragic.
The breathing began to grow Isbored
again Ever since Hugo had been in the
room these dreadful intermittencss 5a5
taken place And always the period Of
ease had been shortened. Another violent
attack was about to begin
Hugo hurried from the room: when he
came back his face was quite impassive.
I can't hear the motor" he said
quietly
: The. nurse save a4sigpidcaus. shEgg Of