The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-17
THE HATTIESBURG NEWS

the door.
Thomas opened the door himself
Thomas, fully dressed and in his Gus.
tomary health. had the blanket over
my arm.
Il brought the blanket. Thomas" I
said; II am sorry you are so ILL.,"
The old man stood staring at me
and then at the blanket. His con-
fusion under other circumstances
would have been ludicrous.
what! Not ill.," Halsey said from
the step. Thomas, I'm afraid you've
been malingering."
| Thomas seemed to have been debat.
ing something with himself. Now he
stepped out on the porch and closed
the door gently behind him.
II reckon you bettah come in Mis-
Innes." he said, speaking cautiously
ITS got so l dunno what to do, and
it's boun to come out some time er
rutfe."
He threw the door open then, and
l stepped inside, Halsey close behind.
In the sitting room the old negro
turned with quiet dignity to Halsey.
| you bettah sit down, sah," he
said. TITS place for a woman, sah"
Things were not turning out the
way Halsey expected. He sat down
on the center-table, with his hands
thrust in his pockets, and watched
me as l followed Thomas up the mar
row stairs. At the top a woman was
standing, and second glance showed
me it was Rosie. She shrank back al
little, but I said nothing. And then
Thomas motioned to partly open
door, and went in.
The lodge boosted of three bed
rooms upstairs, all comfortably fur.
nished. In this one, the largest and
ARREST, night lamp was burning, and
by its light l could make out a plain
white metal bed. A girl was asleep
Thereon in a half stupor, for she
muttered something now and then
Rosie had taken her courage in her
hands, and coming in had turned up
the light. 1t was only then that
knew. Fever-fushed, i'll as she was,
I recognized Louise Armstrong.
Twill you tell me what you mean,
Thomas Johnson, by not telling me
this before?" demanded indignantly.
Thomas quailed.
Mis- Louise wouldn't let me- he
said earnestly. Il wanted to-. She
ought to a had doctor the night she
came, but she wouldn' hear to it. Is
she very bad, Mis- Innes?"'
bad enough l said coldly. Send
Mr.. lines up"
Halsey came up the stairs slowly,
looking rather interested and inclined
to be amused. For a moment he could
not see anything distinctly in the
darkened room; he stopped, glanced
at Rosie and at me, and then his eyes
fell on the restless head on the pill
low. think he felt who 1t was before
} he really saw her; he crossed the
room in couple Of strides and bent
J over the bed.
} "Louise!" he said softly; but she
did not reply, and her eyes showed nc
recognition. Halsey was young, and
} Illness was new to him. He straight
ened himself slowly, still watching
, her, and caught my arm.
: She's dying, Aunt Ray!" he said
!, huskily Dying! Why, she doesn't
+ know mel"
e "Fudge!" l snapped, being apt tt
, grow irritable when my sympathies
. are aroused She's doing nothing Of
: the sort-and don't pinch my arm. L
r you want something to do, go ant
: choke Thomas"
( But at that moment Louise reused
(. from her stupor to cough, and at thu
Q end of the paroxysm, as Rosie laid hel
t back, exhausted, she knew us. Tha
was all Halsey wanted; to him con
d seriousness was recovery. He droppet
t on his knees beside the bed, and trie,
to tell her she was all right, and W,
1 would bring her around in hurry
|, and how beautiful she looked-only t.
8 break down utterly and have t.
). stop. And at that l came to m
n senses. and put him out.
g. This Instant" ordered, as he hes
q itated "And send Rosie here"
e When the doctor from Englewood-
n the Casanova doctor, DR.. Walker, BIZ
e ing away-had started for Sunnysid'
and l had got Thomas to stop tryin
e to explain what he did not understan
e himself, l had long talk with th
p old man, and this is what l learned.
On Saturday evening before, abol
ID ten o'clock, he had been reading
y the sitting room downstairs, whe
le some one raped at the door. The Of
d. man was alone, Warner not havin
Ie arrived, and at first he was uncertai
d. about opening the door. He did {
finally, and was amazed at being CO
y. fronted by Louise Armstrong. Thoms
10 was an old family servant, havir
ID been with the present Mrs. Armstror
d. since she was a, child, and he W;
At overwhelmed at seeing Louise. T
saw that she was excited and tire
ut and he drew her into the sitting roo
w and made her sit down. After viii
he went to the house and broug
n. Mrs. Watson, and they talked uni
". late. The old man said Louise was
r. trouble, and seemed frightened. MI
,e Watson made some tea and took 1t
Nv the lodge, but Louise made them DO