The Tupelo journal., 1910-07-22
CHAPTER xII.-continued.

ST reckon you bettah come in Mis-
Innes," he said, speaking cautiously.
"It's got so / dunno what to do, and
it's boun' to come out some time er
ruther."
He threw the door open then, and
I 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. Its a place for a woman, sab"
Things were not turning out the
way Halsey expected. He sat down
on the comfortable, 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 a second glance showed
me it was Rosie. She shrank back a
little, but I said nothing. And then
Thomas motioned to a partly open
door, and l went in.
The lodge boosted of three bed
rooms upstairs, all comfortably fur
nished. In this one, the largest and
ARREST, a 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-1ushed, i'll as she was,
[ recognized Louise Armstrong.
l stood gazing down at her In a
stupor of amazement. Louise here,
hiding at the lodge, Ill and alone!
Rosie came up to the bed and
smoothed the white counterpart.
81 am afraid she is worse tonight"
she ventured at last. I put my hand
on the sick girls forehead. 1t was
burning with fever, and l turned to
where Thomas fingered in the hall
way.
Twill you tell me what you mean,
Thomas Johnson, by not telling me
this b~efore?" l demanded Indignantly.
Thomas quailed.
mis- Louise wouldn't let me-" he
said earnestly. 81 wanted to. She
ought to "a had a doctor the night she
came, but she wouldn' hear to it. Is
she very bad, Mis- Innes?"
bad enough" 1 said coldly. Send
Mr.. Innes 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. I think he felt who it was before
he really saw her; L, crossed the
room in a couple of strides and bent
over the bed.
"Louise!" he said softly; but she
did not reply, and her eyes showed no
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"
"Fudge!" I snapped. being apt to
grow irritable when my Sympath1eS
are aroused. "She's doing nothing OF
he sort-and don't pinch my arm. If
you want something to do, go and
choke Thomas"
But at that moment Louise reused
from her stupor to cough, and at the
end of the paroxysm, as Rosie laid her
back, exhausted, she knew us. That
was all Halsey wanted; to him con
seriousness was recovery. He dropped
on his knees beside the bed, and tried
to tell her she was all right, and we
would bring her around in a hurry,
and how beautiful she looked-only to
break down utterly and have to
stop. And at that I came to my
senses, and put him out.
Thus Instant" I ordered, as he hes
Atated. And send Rosie here"
He did not go far. He sat on the
top step of the stairs, only leaving tc
telephone for a doctor, and getting In
everybody's way in his eagerness to
1etch and carry. I got him away final