Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-04-12

mid and Embarrassed.
with the Staffords, father and son, than
ever before.
Days and nights of narrowing fear
dragged over that household. Wealth
had not dulled affection, nor could 1t
seem to bribe death. The fever line
mounted on the nurses chart like
mountain side, and Gloria grew weak
er, except In her deliriums, when she
seemed to be inhabited by demons of
ferocious strength.
At length David felt that Doctor
Wakefield had been given all the time
to experiment with Gloria's life that
could be afforded. He was for calling
In young man of the newest school
of medical art. He called for Doc.
tor Royce. Royce came with no hesi-
tation over medical ethics or cour.
tesies. Gloria was more than pa,
tient to him, and old Wakefield was
less than a doctor In his eyes, after
he had questioned the Staffords as to
the manner of Doctor Wakefield's
treatment. Things were, as he feared,
all wrong. 1t was life or death. Doc
tor Wakefield could not cope with the
disease. He must be dispossessed az
politely as possible.
Doctor Wakefield, he learned, was in
the sickroom above. Royce would not
mince matters or wait on professional
etiquette. He felt the eagerness OF
a lover In coming once more to the
rescue of his idolized Gloria.
He ran up she stairs and walked into
the room. He hardly knew his Gloria
when he saw her She was in tho
throes OF wild delirium. She imag
ined herself once more among the
Seminoles who had held her in bond
age when she ran away In Florida five
years before.
In her tormenting fancy she was
again dressed as squaw and set to
the task OF gathering firewood and
subjected to the worse task of endur.
ing the old squaw's hatred and the
young chiefs love. She begged him
to kill her rather than marry her, and
she fought with all her fury. selling
Wakefield's white hair with one hand
and the nurses black locks with the
other.
There was no quieting her outcries
Take me home; my father is rich!
He will make you rich! Oh, they don't
believe me! Help! Help!" Then she
smiled and cried Dick, Dick, it's
you! You'll save me! Blessed, beloved
Dick! oh, I'm so glad, SO glad you
found mel"
Then the frenzy left her and she
sank back exhausted, but content. Doc
tor Royce realized that he had two
antagonists now to fight-Death and
Richard Freneau-both of them try.
ing to take from him the girl of his
heart.
Death was the first to fight. Royce
was too desperate to treat Doctor
Wakefield with much + lily. He
asked few questions ii reused
the ire Of the old physician. He ex
amined the patient, threw off the
smothering blankets and exclaimed
Fresh air is the best and Gully treat
ment for pneumonia" He flung up the
window, showed Gloria's bed against 1t,
and let the cold air from the
river sweep into the room and into her
tormented lungs.
Almost at once her breathing be
came less labored. Doctor Wakefield
left in as dignified rage as he could
manage. Royce threw away all the
Wakefield medicines and gave the
nurse new set of instructions. The
nurse, at least, whom Doctor Wake
field had prescribed, seemed a capa
BILE one. Royce welcomed her as
valuable aid in the gruesome fight
He arranged to stay all night, and al
layed poor old Stafford's fears as best
he could. But his own head was near
to breaking with terror for the safety
of Gloria's sweet life-and for her hap.
piness il she lived.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)