Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-07-11
HIS CHOCOL ATE
GIRL
By B. CRTTENDoN LYLE.
Copyright. 1910. bv American Press
Association

''rhat is the most singular thing |
eyer saw. Can | believe my eyes?
There Is The Chocolate Girl the pic
turc J have seen II hundred times. car
rying the tray with pot of chocolate
ana cups and snuccrs on Ii. but In
stead OF standing still. as any respect
able figure In picture should do and
us all picture figures did until the in
veniion of the viariscope. she Is walk
ing across the floor There. She has
put her tray on IL table. turned and
walked deliberately out OF the room.
Am I'm moving picture show?
! am not. am In bed. strange bed,
strange room everything strange.
There IL IA picture on the wall. a pic
ture OF n man stealing upon deer to
shoot him. I'll watch to see IL the man
moves. No; he doesn't. He continues
10 crouch with his thumb ON the ham
mer OF his gun. his foreGnGer on the
trigger. The deer Is nipping the grass.
Perhaps If he gets the mans wind hen
toss his head and be Off toward cover
over In that wood. No; the deer still
nibbles. and the man still keeps watch.
ing him. They are making me tired.
wish one or the other would show
signs OF life. or, rather. wish the
chocolate girl would come back.
8 Il wonder how ! came to be I'm this
room. believe I'll get up and go
out and find out about it,
tried to rise. but fell back on my
pillow.
There must be something wrong
about me. 1t seems that the chimes of
fifty cathedra!s are ringing ut once in
my head. IL one would ring ut n time
! fancy the sound would be very mu-
steal. see colors. too. as If the light
were broken by II prism.
Here comes the chocolate girl"
She came In softly. advanced to the
bed. looked down at me. placed her
hand on my forehead-oh how soft
and cool 1t fclt!-thcn walked away.
Now that she is nearer or. there's
more light or l can see her better, or
something. | presume that she wears
q white dress. white apron with a
bib and straps over her shoulders. Her
cap isn't exactly like the picture after
all. l wonder If 1t Is really chocolate
In the pitcher. Those things on the
tray are not the little cups and saucers
OF the picture ut all. There are one cup
and saucer. Il covered dish. q plate. n
knife and fork
Come here" ] said to the chocolate
girl
She turned quickly. as If surprised.
ana came to the bed looking al me crit
ically.
What ] wish to know is whether or
not you are the chocolate girl"
She put her hand on my forehead
again soothingly. but made no reply.
Indeed. the question didn't seem to sur.
prise her very much,
Because IL you are the chocolate
Girl want to say TO you that have
loved you for years in the picture and
now you have stepped out of IL and
into the flesh I shall love you the
same"
| The door opened and n man with n
bald head and mutton chop whiskers
came in. The girl turned TO meet him.
and they cOnvcrsed in low tones I
heard her say. He Is still delirious."
He stayed but few moments. then
went away
so ] am delirous. That's all non.
sense. I'm i'll or have been. And this
person whom I at first mistook for the
girl In the picture is my nurse. I'm
glad | told her what ] did before
realized the conditions. When man
is i'll and Is ministered to by pretty
woman he's bound to foil in love with
her. ] wonder If II wouldn't be GOOD
scheme TO 60 on making love TO her
MS the chocolate girl. II doesn't scare
her bit. whereas II 7 were to give
her the real thing IL might spoil the
game. She's pretty enough TO kiss.
Delirious | might try 1t on: i'm my
senses IL would he a very different
matter. I shall continue In delirium."
This was the beginning Of my con-
valescence. I talked to my nurse. call
Ing her my chocolate girl. sweetheart.
dear love-everything n man might ap-
ply to his ladylove. She suspected
nothing. so she gave me free rein. |
could see that this being called endcar-
Ing names by young man even in
delirium was pleasant TO her.
a couple OF weeks passed i'm this
way. when the doctor called one morn
ing and, coming up to my bed felt my
pulse. rammed his thermometer into
my mouth, took 1t out. looked at It
and said:
"This Is the strangest case I ever
heard OF. This mans pulse and tenn
perature are both normal. and yet you
say he is still dclirious."
| burst into n laugh
The doctor looked somewhat sur
priscd. While the nurse bIushed a rosy
red
Doctor" I said. you're right. 7
woke up this morning feeling all right
recognized that I'm I'm hospital and
In all respects except one have come
IN r,v ccncoo