El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-07
A NAME
By Reinhardt Rooster.

" HE nurse entered the room and
noiselessly crossed - the pa
- TENTS bed After Il quick glance
at the patient, who was sleeping qui-
city on her pillow, sha pent down ever
the man who was si>tins in IN arm
chair at the bedside his Lead resting
in his hands, to sec II lie hal fallen
asleep, but his eyes were wi lie open.
Wont you let me fetch you some
thing TO eat or a bottle of wine, doc
tori"
The man shook his head without
looking up.
Your wife is sleeping soundly now.
The danger is over, and now you must
think a little Of your own health, doc
tor"
The nurses words were like her
walk-soft and almost noiseless. The
patients face changed almost imper-
ceptibly, and her lips moved in a low
murmur.
The doctor was startled. He bent
| down over her and listened intently.
In his face was an expression of an
guish and despair. a few more undis-
tinguishable sounds, then the patients
face resumed it's peaceful calm and she
slept On. DR.. Wilmer fell back in
his chair exhausted.
THE baby is all right" said the
ear that he felt her breath.
Thank you, sister"
His voice sounded so calm and unin-
terested that she almost thought he
had not heard her. He sat perfectly
motionless and stared at the pattern OF
the carpet She felt she could do notf-
ing, so she went out of the room softly
as she had come.
For two days and two nights DR..
WILMER had been sitting at his wife's
bedside The birth of her first child
nearly cost her her life. Since the
night before his face had grown pale
and his eyes big and staring. Was 1t
really only exhaustion, as the sister
thought? Then why did he so suddenly
refuse to eat? Was it the fear of los
ing her that made him forget hunger
and thirst? Until this morning the
life of the baby had been like flicker
ing candle, but now It was calmer and
stronger Death was no longer Turk
ing in the room
Why did he not leave her bedside for
a moment even now? Why did he not
breathe freely even now, when the dan
ger was past?
The name! Oh, this cruel. torturing
name
oh. not was insane to think of
such a thingi He was just exhausted,
his brain was tired and sick from
brooding He must allow himself a lit
tie rest and then he would laugh at his
own suspicion.
But this name had struck him like a
bIow-like a dagger it had pierced his
heart.
Fred" she had whispered softly
and tenderly. Fred" nothing more.
That was all that had happened-only
a name.
Really it was foolish, shameless of
him to build up suspicion on this mere
name. a suspicion that threatened 70
ruin a whole life's happiness. Why
should she not speak the name of her
childhood friend, who had been their
guest so many times? He did not even
know where she was in her thoughts.
Perhaps she was back in the days Of
her childhood. Fred had always been
her playmate.
He chung to the thought that she
had spoken as child, for is it not a
fact that a fever patient in delirium
often raves about her childhood. OF
course that must be it, She must have
been dreaming she was playing with
him in the old garden and asked him to
pick her an apple she could not reach.
Or perhaps she had been pleading with
him to help her with some difficult
lesson. Why, surely there was the, ex-
PLANTATION. How could he possibly sus-
pect his wife of anything so disgrace
full? 1t was shameless of him to think
thus of his wife when she was strug-
CLING with death after giving birth to
their first born child.
Doctor Wilmer spoke to himself as
he would have spoken to a patient and
gradually he found peace. But sud
denly he groaned in despair again; she
had not spoken the name as one child
speaks to another. She had spoken
like a woman who loves.
Oh. this terrible doubt, How was he
to find out.
Again the patient moved, her lips
opened but no sound came.
How beautiful she was as she was
lying there! the mouth had lost lit
tie of its fresh, rosy color and looked
so small A smile Of happiness was
playing on the lips, but even this was
mingled with a touch of sadness.
How he loved this smilei He had