The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1911-02-06

IN the end ils uchsr promised io
dothls bnt hIs Tone uas thai 90 bro.
ken aud disuausAt donrd s he
lindmal 1f his Iife seemed Suddenly
shifted
leanlgl nile the siilering IS ot ~ elheIs
lord were inereasing and casao
was forced 70 give up IN hope Of ret.
ting him down the trail next mctn-
ING, and when SWenson, the forest
guard from the solth Fork. knocked
ii the door to say that he had 81 en- to
the valley and that the doctor. was
coming up with Redheld and the dis
trict forester Ross thanked him, but
ordered him TO 60 into camp across
the river and to warn everybody to
Keep cIeaf Of the cabin. put your
package down outside the door, he
added, eand tate charge Of the situa-
ton on-the outside. III take care OF
the business inside. p
Wethertord was In great pain, but
the poison Of the disease had misteT
lis bratnS aud, he no longer worried
over the possible disclosure Of his iden.
tity. Atstimes he lost the sense OF his
surroundings and talked Of his prison
life orSof the long ride northward.
Once he rose in his bed to beat OF.
the wolves which he said were attack
Ing his snenys
He was a piteous figure as he strug-
gied thus, and 1t needed neither his
relationship to Lee nor his bravery in
caring for the Basque herder to fill
the rangers heart with a desire to re-
lleye his suffering. perhaps should
have sent for Lie at once" he unused
as the light brought out the red sig
natures OF the plague.
Once the old man looked up with
wide, dark, ;unseeing eyes and muir
INJURED. Il don't seem to know you"
eI'm a friend Ny name Is Caya.
nagh."
81 can't place you" he sadly admit
ted. 81 feel pretty bad. III ever get
out Of this place I'm going back to the
Fork. I'll get gold mine; then III
] go back and make up for what Lie
has gone through. I'm afraid to 60
back now"
IAN right" Ross soothingly agreed.
But you'll have to keep quiet till you
get over this fever you're suffering
from"
'Tf Lie weren't SO far away she'd
come and nurse me. I'm pretty sick"
Swenson came back to say that
probably Redfeld and the doctor
would reach the station by noon, and
thereafter. for the reason that Caya-
nagh expected their coming, the hours
dragged woefully. 1t was after 1
o'clock before Swenson announced
that two terms were coming with
three men and two women In them.
They'll! be here in half an hour"
The rangers heart leaped. Two
women! Could one Of them be Lee
Virginia? What folly-what sweet,
desperate folly! And the other-she
could not be Lie, for Lie was too
feeble to ride so far. "Stop them on
the other side of the bridge" he COM
manded. Don't let them cross the
creek on any pretext."
As lie stood in the door the futter
Iof n handkerchief, the waving Of a
hand, made his pulse glow and his
eyes grow dim. It was Virginia!
Lie did not flutter a kerchief or
wave hand, but when Swenson stop
ped the carriage at the bridge she said:
NO, you don't! I'm going across. I'm
going to see Ross, and If he needs help
I'm golngsto roll up my sleeves and
take hold"
Cavanagh saw her advancing, and as
! she came near enough for his voice to
reach hsr he called out: Don't come
any Loser! Stop, I tell you" His
voice YRS stern. "You must not come
a step nearer. Go back across the
dead line and stay there. No one but
the doctor shall enter this door. Now,
that's final"
II want to help" she protested.
Il know you do, but won't have 1t.
This quarantine is real, and 1t goesl"
But suppose you yourself get sick?'
We'll cross that bridge when we
get to it. I'm all right so far, and I'll
call for help when need it."
His tone was imperative, and she
obeyed, grumbling about his youth and
the value OF his life to the service.
That's all very NICE" he replied,
"but I'm in It, and don't intend to
expose you or any one else to the con-
taglon."
1--WE had 1t once" she asserted.
He looked at her and smiled In rec
ignition Of her subterfuge.
no matter; you're ailing and might
take it again, SO toddle back. It's
mighty good of you and of Lee to
come, but there isn't thing you can
do, and here's the DOCTOR" he added
as he recognized the young student
who passed for physician in tho
Fork. He was a beardless youth of
small experience and no great cour-
age, and as he approached with hest
tant feet he asked:
Are you sure it's smallpox"