The Elbert County tribune., 1917-03-02

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 deliiiums, 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 Wakef1eld'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 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
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 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, seizing
Wakefield's white hair with one hand
| and the nurses black locks with the
| other.
|
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 formality. He
asked few questions which reused
the ire of the old physician. He ex-
amined the patient, threw of the
smothering blankets and exclaimed.
Fresh air is the best and only 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
torinented 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 a
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 II she lived.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)