Evening star., 1914-03-22

about the nOStrS relaxed, the clencned teetn parted
the breast rose and fell with the indrawing and out
going of sigh of relief And the man slept, so soundlv
that she moved from him presently without disturbing
him. and passed into the room adjoining, where the
doctor and the nurse holding whispered
fabuation
There would be need to send in another profes-
sona attendant the Sister said that the patients
wife had arrived. She possessed remarkable ability
for nursing, and extraordinary self command. She
shrank from nothing, not even the most repugnant
duties of the sick chamber The Sister had in her
time with ladies who took things cooy but this lady
really surprised her
The doctor in the act of shaking his head, not
from side to side but up and down,-a gesture that
expressed ndugent liberation of the Sisters surprise
while it repudated the notion of his entertaining any
his account--when he jumped for calm,
quiet voice at his elbow said:
"You told that Mr. Rosval dangerously i'll.
Is he dying?"
The nurse had vanished into the carbolc-laden at
mosphere of the Chamber of Horrors.
"My dear Madam your husband is in the hands
So the doctor was beginning, when the obvious inap
propriateness of the stereotyped formula stopped him
short Then he admitted that the condition of the man
in the other room was very precarious that he could
not, when not in arteo mortis be said to be dying
but that toward the small hours of the morning he
might attain pitch of prostration closely allied to
that condition; and that nothing could be done for
him but to give him milk and medicine regularly, and
The doctor would have ended "and trust Provi-
dence but for obvious he thought better OF it
Then he went away, feeling certain in his own mind
that Mrs Rosval would be widow before twentyour
hours were over
THAT woman, meanwhile, returning to the sick1oom,
had persuaded the tagged nurse to go and lie down
She understood how TO do all that necessary, she
whispered and would call the Sister if any change
cured Then she sat down at the foot of the bed and
prepared to keep her vigil with mistaken fortitude
The sleeping in the next room breathed heavily
the sounds of rolling wheels and arng voices grew less
and less; then all fell quiet About three hours be-
fore dawn the sleeper awakened. The hollow eyes no
longer turned her with the blind CLASSY stare of de-
lirium. There in Rosvals look and memory
He seemed to beckon and she came near. She had
to stoop to catch the moaning whisper that asked
"How-did you-come here2"
She answered steadily, "They sent for me"
"rhey'd not have-if had known!' Rosval gasped
~If annoy you,' said Mrs Rosval with icy toler-
ance, Il can GO
She turned, meaning to call the nurse; but cawike
hand weakly out and caught at her skirts. The
grasp stronger than that of a newborn child
but, Just for that 1t feeble, it held her
you'll not GO! Three years-you've treated me
like leperl Never would-1sten to what I'd got
say But now! l tell you she-sat on-my knee and
kissed me-before l knew it-and then-the hus
band came IN. A plant, by Gad!"
Mrs. Rosva said, @You must not talk. The doctor
says YOU are not to talk" and busted herself with the
bottles and glasses that occupied little stand near the
bedside.
Rosval condemned the doctor Mrs. Rosval meas
ured out his medicine raised his head with professional
SKILL and offered him the glass He clenched his teeth
and defed her with gaunt eyes across the brin.
"No. No milk-no doctors stuff I've been going
to the dev1-for three years past, proclaimed the SIN
ner feebly @Why not goat once-and have done
with it?' Then he fell back heavily on the pillow
Mrs. Rosval summoned the nurse. The nurse could
do nothing; for the moribund obdurate, and
every fresh manifestation of obduracy drove not
but half gross, of nails his coffin. That casket