The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-02-27
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ROMANCE
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"Alie fTeneau and her father held
their council Of war Gloria had gone
out to the hall to wait its outcome.
ihere Freneau found her huddled up
on the lower step. hugging herself as
II sne were cold. He rushed to take
her in his arms for kiss. She bat
tIed him with mock resistance, before
she ran up the stairs to play Juliet to
his Romeo. Then, throwing kisses.
they parted.
When she reached her room Gloria
found herself shivering with violent
chill that all the warmth of her heart
could not subdue. Burroughs was IN
stantly alarmed. She summoned,
Glorla's father, who was even more
alarmed. He made her go to bed at
once, ordered her covered with manv
blankets, and had hot-water bottles
filed.
The chill did not abate. In a panic
he telephoned from Glorias own room
to his old family physician, Doctor
Wakefield, and was fortunate enough
to reach him and be assured of his
Immediate attendance. Doctor Wake
Held was fussy medical man Of the
very old school. He had taken good
care Of the Stafford family, but lat
terly he had let science outrun him.
Still he recognized pneumonia without
difficulty. re WHISPERED the dreadful
word 20 Stafford and ordered in two
trained nurses and no end OF medi-
cines
i-erpont Stafford was frantic with
anxiety Ee telcrhoued for Cloria's
brother and for AUNT Hortensia. Bur.
rouE,lls told them III HE stolen sleirh
Ti-a ana 1r2aaau accame less popular
with The staffords, father and son, than
ever before
Days and nights CT narrowing fear
dragged over that household Wealth
had net dulled affection, nor could it
seem to bribe death The fever line
I mounted On the nurses chart like
mountain side, and Gloria grew weak
er, except il 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 callir g
in q young man Of the newest school
OF medical art. He called for Doc
tor Royce. Royce came with no hest
tation over medical ethics or cour-
tesies. Gloria was more than a pa
tient to him, and old Wakefield was
less than q 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. It was life or death Doc
tor Wakefield could not cope with the
disease He must be dispossessed as
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 the stairs and walked into
the room He hardly knew his Gloria
when he saw her. She was in the
throes of a wild delirium. She mag
med 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 ana
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
Wakefields white hair with one hand
and the nurses black locks with the
other.
There was no quoting her Outcries
stake 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 80 glad, SO glad YOU
found mel"
Then the frenzy left her and sh>
sank back exhausted, but content. Doc
tor Royce realized that he had TIVE
antagonists now to f1ght-Death ant
Richard Freneau-both of them try
ing to take from him the girl of hi
heart.
Death was the first to fight. Royce
was too desperate to treat Docto
Wakefield with much Formally. HI
asked a few questions which rouse'
the ire of the old physician. He 81
amined the patient, threw of tn
smothering blankets and exclaimed
Fresh air Is the best and only treat
ment for pneumonia" He flung up tn
window, showed Gloria's bed against Il
and let the cold air from tn
river sweep into the room and into he
tormented lungs.
Almost at once her breathing b.
came less labored. Doctor Wakefield
left in as dignified rage as he coul
manage. Royce threw away all tn
Wakefield medicines and gave tn
nurse a new set of Instructions. IN