The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-03

left behind. Then She turned her at
tention to the child.
Day and. night Lucille administered
to the girl, now encouraged at dinli-
mutton Of the fever, now doWncast at
discouraging symptoms. All she had
to work with were the natural weapons
which nature leaves to the hands OF
the sensible nurse. Where the patient
had been fed meat, Lucille made
broth; where witch doctors had stimu-
lated a weakened heart and system,
she soothed. And SO much depended
upon the little brown girl. If she re-
covered then Lucille knew she would
have made no mean friend in the grim
chief who called daily to watch his
daughter for a few moments, then.
without q word, would disappear. And
friends meant so much to her now. 1t
was such q task she had laid out for
herself, the way was SO stormy and
beset with thorns. But she could not
lose She must get back to Manila and
clear her sweetheart of the charge
against him.
1t was on the eighth day she was
awakened from one of the maps she
had accustomed herself to taking, by
the girls turning on her pallet and re-
garding her out of eyes that held the
light of sanity in lieu of the delirium
it had seemed so impossible to combat.
Slowly, very slowly, under the abrupt
rela Ration of the strain under which
she had been. Lucille's knees sank
I,ov do n 1o1
rushes she knelt, shaking with inco-
herent sobs, filed with JOY so great
the tears refused to flow.
How long she knelt she did not
know, was never to know. But n?er-
ciful slumber came to her and she Was
awakened by the tender touch of cal
loused hand upon her shoulder. Startled
she sprang to her feet, then laughed at
her alarm as she looked at the chief
and saw from the expression upon his
face that he knew his child was out OF
danger.
| She turned to the patient. still sleep
ing. Yes, no one could fail to see that
| the crisis was reached and passed
''She is going to get WE'LL said Ifu-
ellie, and the chief smiled at her tone.
| From outside came a sudden clash OF
sound. ripping. drumming sound
that diminished to almost an echo only
to rise slowly, gradually into perfect
thunderous wave. There was some
thing unsteady triumphant about it
which seemed to her to jibe With the
majestic tones of huge organ,
! Slowly the chiefs right hand reached
out, his head slowly bending in ohei-
sance Lucille Wonderingy placed her
| fingers upon the forearm OF the man
and emerged into the open, her eyes
rounded in wonderment at the sight
that greeted her.
Gorgeously caparisoned in scarlet
and gold, a wonderful throne Of the
same coiors upcn his back, bronZed
native astride his head, knelt milk
white elephant almost at her feet. Be-
fore the hHts stood the natives, their
wide shields held across the forearms
OF their right hands, while they
drummed out the chorus she had OBJ
tervcd before by slapping their spears
against the tightly drawn surfaces.
The old chief stood motioness beside
| tuC cietliiHI, oHt lcttllLeo Stoh -
that he meant her to take the seat.
She shook her head in mega ton She
was too utterly tired and worn out to
do anything Before she had time to
regret her decision. the old man step
ped toward her, unwinding a curioilsly
shaped amulet from about his neck
Came a crowding forward Of the ma
hyes from every diret ton. the men il
the forefront, the woman and childre
in the rear. Something in the silenc
that succeeded the drumming noise, j
the sober faces Of the orderly thron
surrounding her, made her turn towar
the chief rather exDectantiy.
Gravely as any king bestowing Il
order upon loyal subject. TIE oil
man lifted the amulet by its tw
golden threads and dropped it abou
her neck. an amulet of curious milk
stone carved into the semblance of Il
elephant and glittering with tiny pre-
cious stones, SO set as to spell out cel
tain native words.
Lucille looked about, smiling q
what she knew to be sign of thes
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