Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-05

with me instead or leaving me SO
much alone"
Il will try TO come home for dinner,
but don't wait for me-, was his answer.
CHAPTER KICK.
TIME whole town was stirred by
\ an epidemic of scarlet fever.
- Just as Robert had decided that
III had better take the children away,
little Betty was taken ill. and few
hours after Bruce also came down
with the dread disease.
/ was almost frantic. The doctor
iouarantined me and the nurse on the
third floor with the children. Then
came days and nights of anguish
which 1 never shall forget
From the very first Bruce was dread
fulIy i'll Betty had little more than
lscarlatina- and was scarcely i'll enough
To keep her in bed. This made 1T
harder for Us. as she was very fretful'
ard had to be amused every minute
Poor little Bruce tossed and tum-
.bled on his bed, burning up with fever
which nothing the doctor coulu 90
seemed to quench. ] think he, the ooc-
tor. feared for him from the very nrst.
Robert used to stand outside the mousse
and / would talk to him from the hai-
.cony he had insisted on having puilt
outside the nursery. Even from there
ne looked. and I knew he was grieVing
a., was. worrying because he could
NOT be with the boy he almost ldoh]eo
lOnce or twice he declared-so the olu
!;o,tor told me-that he would break
the quarantine and see his SON nut
are doctor had persuaded him not TO-
as there was nothing he could DO 10
help. and his work would suler'
/ "He told me, Mrs. Drayton' that
Errucb depended on his attending TO
business most strictly for the next lew
weeks" the doctor informed me. he
las worried also about you. he Iears
I,ba nursing added to the anxiety viii
he too much for you, and you VIII Do
I'm again" p.o,os
mo danger of that while my panles
need me, you may tell him, replleu'
,hSnting how trivial everything SEEM
ed. how little anything counted against
1.-The life of my darling son.
! Martha also had been forbidden the
Sicx room but every day she woulo
lcrouch outside the door and weep quiet
lIv as she listened to Bruce moan anu
Icry. 49,. ,o,v
comforting letters, telling US 10 spar
no expense, but to call on MN TOT any
l.mount. He had even suggested SEND
ling a New York specialist to u.s. out
we had every faith in Doctor Morton
land told father so. Helen offered 10
lcor,a and help. but I wrote her that we
were doing all that, was possible =
Never even for one moment ala
admit TO myself that there was any
lSsnger of Bruce dying. Had ], l
could not have borne II. buI dc a.. ne
lima for the turning point in the dis
ease came. the doctor looked very anN-
lIous his visits were more frquent, ana
lhe remained longer by my Boys Deu
! Even IL they get well they are apt
lao he left with some sort OF trouble
deafness or something" the nurse TOTO
me when she first came, and tnat is
why we must watch httie Betty 80
lclosaIv even though she is not very
iii" ,-.,.,o
At first ] would get so sleepy that
could scarcely keep my eyes OPEN put
&c the DAVIS passed and my anxiety
grew greater 1 felt as If 1 never shoulo
sIeep again. II I had laid down ana
ldrobped into a restless doze, Bruce
faint crv of Mammal" would wake
"a ,,.,,,,a5ia,eIv- and would find ii
laImost impossible to resume my nap
Tber too Betty's fretful murmurs had
- he omitted for fear they would dls-
turb her brother. The nurse was most
lcompetent, and attended to all the med
,cines and food for the sick chlloreh
lint I was constantly on the watch ana
while I did not trust myself 10 take
lcharge, 1 knew my boy was h@ppiei
that was with him.
%. dsv DR. Morton came to me and
begged me to lie down.
az IL the turning point. He Is
lasleep. and may sleep for hours.
.sHe'u get wen; won't he, DOCTOR"
In asked, for the first time admitting a
possibility, but the look on Dr. MOT
TONS face had frightened me, so ruiz
lof pity and sympathy was It 81
lisn't going to die! won't let MINI
declared fercely.
i "T hone Cor the best, Mrs. Drayton
". is a sturdy little man and Is MAX
ling q great fight. But IL is an insnlous
dtsease and Il is very hard TO predict
!, what turn IT may take. 1t is so treach-
erous."
Instead Of going to bed took cold
bath. changed my dress Tor one more
comfortable, and in spite of the ooJec-
lions the nurse offered, took my place
beside the bed.
For hours 1 sat beside my boy.
4 scream shading him, but leaving his
lttny emaciated face where couIo
watch II. At times he seemed not 10
breathe so quietly did he sleep. and my
heart would contract with fear. Then
a spasm of pain, or a twttching OF
muscles would show me that he was
still mine The nurse begged me 10
rest. The doctor came and went ana
came again, and still sat there. Rob
ert had not left the house, and occa-
sionally 1 could hear him pacing back
and forth in the room under US. L
knew from his presence at this time
that the doctor considered Bruce's con-
4 dition very serious.
About O'Clock Bruce stirred. The
doctor had only just that moment
come in. and he stood by the bed watch
ing. I leaned over my boy, and to my
low he whispered. Mammal" then
IIapsed of into a sort of unconscious
sleep again.
"A good sign" the doctor said quiet
IL forcing me back into my chair.