The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-03-13

IVY . oASh lOtA Ia hSA0s bC0.
That's so. that's sol" Mark let the
barrow handles fall and came into the
corridor blinking.
mo. wat is it youse want? Who
sent your"
"Malcolm-that is. Dr. Miller"
Yes"
And he said for me to get oxygen
in tank, right away"
Say, are you Mr.. Andrews?'
Andrews? Yes. that's my namA
Ny wife's sick-pneumonia-
"Oh. yes. now know. Saw. sit down
2 minute Ill get IT!
He padded away on his rubber soles.
Plum dotty!" he said to himself ~
he unlocked the storeroom and
switched the light.
Mark. left alone, stared unblinking.
ly at the incandescent, clenching and
unclenching his bony hands. Once he
| swallowed hard and tried to wet his
lips with his dry tongue. After . Ger.
tain time he heard a metallic rolling
noise. and saw in q dream the orderly
propelling q long blue cylinder down
the hall.
Here you are!" said Foley, AN
here's de tube an inspirator. Ill put
EN- right here in your pocket. see!
! Now you wait one minute, an Ill 6x
youse a good dose of whisky an git .
hat an some gloves. I guess one
pneumonia case at times enough for
amy family"
mo. no! don't want 1t. won't
have 1t! Let me-"
| Shut up! II youse goes hollerin'
like dat you'll wake up all me pa
tients! You keep still. see?"
1 Mark, cowed, leaned against the
wall and waited. In two minutes he
was hated, gloved, and ready for the
home trip, with a gill Of whisky burn
ing his stomach.
, Lend hand now" commanded Fo-
ley, AN we'll load 1t on de wheel-bar-
rer. That's right. Easy down de steps
now! I'd send somebody wild youse.
II dere was anybody here, but dere
amt. Now, den, I'll hold de door
open till you reach de tracks. All
right? Got it? Good luck to youse!"
! 1t was a nightmare, that freezing
dark wallow back through the bliz-
card. Shrieking wind-devils buffeted
Mark and snatched the breath from
his lips; snow-devils clogged the bar.
row wheel; cold-devils shot him
, through and through with long sting
/, ing arrows.
! His clothes, stifiened and frozen,
made every movement doubly painful.
Twice he was blocked and had to kick
the snow away with numb feet
! Once a snow pillow jolted past. glar.
ing and suffering; it forced him to
drag his load OF to one side and al.
most buried him in a smother of snow.
The mans reason and thought stag
gered down and out; he became moth
/ ing more than an automaton. lunging
onward. sobbing. thrusting the barrow
on and on through the tumult
Sight and sound faded, cold faded;
darkness and wind and everything fad.
ed from his consciousness
thing but the lash Of his idea. Time.
too. was blotted out; the universe was
Just . whirl. . whirl. . whirl.
Suddenly light broke through the
whirl and stopped It; then the man
saw some steps and felt q thrill Of
recognition-the steps were his! Some
one was coming down those steps,
voice was calling Ut seemed miles and
miles away:
Hurry! Hurry"
Oh, 1t was Malcolm. dear old Mally.
and-the cylinder was lifted; 1t was
carried up the steps. Mark followed.
Then his own self surged back again,
with sickening pains Of memory. and
Mark stood shivering. gasping in his
own house.
See! Malcolm was carrying the
cylinder upstairs on his shoulder
Mark followed again; shufiling up the
stairs. At the sickroom door the nurse
repulsed him
mo, no! You can't come In here!"
she whispered, laying her hand on his
thin chest. mo, no! You're all wet
and cold. Keep QUIT"
Quick" he heard Malcolm wins.
per to the nurse Hurry! Get that
inspirator on! She'll be gone in .
minute!"
Then there came little silence and
the click of q metal snap.
Nov lets have it-easy at firsti
Just turn the valve till you hear It
hiss!"
Another silence.
well. what's the matter! Why
don't you turn the valve!"
Il am turning 1t. doctor!"
"You are? HIM. that's odd; there's
NO gas coming. Throw It wide open!"
There, 1t won't 90 any further"
Say. what tho Why. there's
nothing in 1t! Foley must have given
him an empty"
An empty"
Mark appeared in the doorway. His
face was the color Of old ivory.
Empty, was It? Empty hs
shouted.
Hush! Go back"
And she's dead-dead!"
Malcolm started toward him. but
the man tossed up his arms and
whirled about and laughed. laughed.
mediterranean:
It's an empty one! It's empty!
Ha, ha! What q joke! Ho. no! He
gave me an empty one, and she died!
Ha, ha, ha! Capital! Cap"