El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-19

tn HE sound of grating wheels on
the driveway IN the yard below!
1t was Warreni Helen half rose
on her elbow, and then, through sheer
weakness. fell back among the pillows.
In the still night air, every sound
came through her open window-the
murmur Of voices, the steps on the
porch and the slamming of the screen
door, Warren had come In few
moments he would be there beside heri
Still dazed from the quieting potion
they had given her after her excited
outbreak on learning Warren had been
sent for without her knowledge, Helen
gazed about the room with strange
sense OF qnreality. Everything seemed
curiously 'unreal-the room, the black
night outside the window. the murmur-
ing sound of voices downstairs, one OF
which she knew was Warren's.
( She waited with a sort of apathy,
for them to bring him to her. At that
moment she seemed void OF any feeling.
Something trickled down her face. She
put her hand to her head and found
an ice cap there
Not once. since she had been Ill. had
Helen realized how very I'll she was,
nor did she now know that the curious
sense of remoteness, Of unrealness that
had come over her was only the stupor
of the fever.
But as she felt her forehead burning
with heat even under the ice she was
conscious of vague satisfaction. At
least Warren would see that she was
ill-that he had not been sent for with
out cause.
eyes, He's Down stafrs,s He Said.
Her eyes closed. she was becoming
strangely drowsy again. Then. at the
sound of some one beside her, she
looked up. It was her father.
Is Warren here?" She seemed hardly
able to form the words.
Yes, he's down stairs. 1 am going
to let him come up in moment DR..
Davis IS here. too, and want him to
see you first
Helen's only answer was to close her
eyes The languor that was slowly
claiming her deepened. She did not
notice the increased anxiety in her
fathers voice and face. She was con-
seious only OF an utter WEAKNESS
against which she could no longer
struggle.
DR.. Davis was in the room now-and
her mother. She seemed to feel that
Warren was at the door, but it all
seemed part of a dream-the low MUIR
muir Of voices. the moving softly about,
the distant barking of a dog. Nothing
was clear or distinct
The CLINT of a shining hypodermic-
then quick, sharp pain in her arm.
She moaned and turned uneasily.
Was 1t part OF the dream or was it
really Whrren's voice that cried:
''Heleni HelenI''
IT was two days before Helen re-
gained consciousness. As 1t was again
night, her first thought was that she
had been asleep. The shaded light still
burned beside the bed and the white
muslin curtains still fluttered OUT .n
the night air. And Warren-Warren-
was he still down stairs? Had they not
brought him to her yet?
Then, as she gazed about the room
she was puzzled by the many changes
Her bed had been moved away from the
wall A cot was on the other side of
the room by the window. There were
many more bottles and glasses on the
stand by her bed. The gown she had
on was not the same. That, she remem-
bered, had been trimmed with lace and
blue ribbon, and this was embroidered.
What had happened? How could all of
these changes have been made while
she slept2
The White Gowned Nurse
And then. as she stirred a white
gowned nurse, who had been sitting on
the other side of the bed, bent over her
Helen started at her, bewildered. The
nurse smiled reassuring1y
You are all right now aren't you?'
but now-what has happened
Where is mother"
your mother is asleep. Shall I call
her? She's been up two nights with you
and told her she must rest tonight.
Slowly it was dawning on Helen. So
she had been unconscious for two
nights
And Warren-my husband? she
faltered.
He's downstairs I'll go for him