Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-11-28
Norine Takes CHARGE.

During the next few days ONclltY
had reason 10 bless the happy chance
which had brought Norine Exams to
Cuba. During the return journey from
San Antonio dc los Banns he had dis
covered how really III EStcban yuroan
Mas, how weak his hold upon lfe
After listening 10 his rnylngs. O'Rclllg
began 10 feap that The poor fellows
mind was permanently affected. II was
an appalling possibility, one to which
he could not reconcile himself. To
think that somewhere In that fevered
brain was perhaps locked the truth
about Kosa's fate, If not the secret OF
her whereabouts, aud yet To he unable
to wiring an intelligent answer to ~
single question, was intolerable. The
hours Of that ride were among The
longest O'ReiIy had ever passed.
But Norlne Evans gave him new
heart. She took complete charge OF
the sick man upon his arrival In camp;
then in her brisk. matter-of-fact way
she directed O'Rcilly 10 20 and get
some much-necdcd rest. EStcban was
III. very ILL., she admitted; there was no
facilities for nursing were primitive
indeed; nevertheless, she expressed
confidence that she could cure him,
and reminded O'Rcilly that nature has
n blessed way of building up a resist
nnce TO environment. As II result Of
her good cheer OReilly managed to
enjoy Il nights sleep.
lie was up at daylight to offer his
services in caring for EstCban Narona,
but Norlne declined them.
Ellis fever IS down Il little and he
has taken some nourlShment," she re-
ported. THAT food you boys risled
your silly lives for may come in handy,
after ALL"
81 dare say he won't be able to talk
TO me today?" O'Rcily vontured.
mot todny, nor for many days, I'm
afraid"
az you don't mind, then, TIL hang
around and listen to what he says" ne
told her wistfuly. "IIe might drop
word about Rosa"
''ro be sure. So far he's scarcely
mentioned her. l can't understand
much that he says. of course, but Airs
Ruiz tells me it's all jumbled and quite
uhlnteIligible."
IT WAS halmy, languid morning
about two weeks after OReilly's re-
turn to the Gay Among the Leaves. In
a hammock swung between two trees.
Esteban Varona lay. listening to the
admoHitions of his nurse.
Johnnie O'Reilly had Just hade them
both a hearty good morning and now
Norine was saying: "Ore hour, TO
more. You had 4 temperature again
last night, and 1t came from talking too
much. Remember, II takes re just enc
hour to make my rounds aR3 If you
are rot through with your tales of
blood and battle when get back you'll
have TO finish them tomorrow" With
a nod and a smile she left.
As Esteban looked after her his
white teeth cleaned and his hollow
face III up.
"She brings me new life" he. told
O'Reiuy. "She is so strong. Sc het!thy,
so fun of life herself. She is wonder
full When first saw her bending over
me thought I was dreaming. Some
times, even yet. | think she cannot Es
real. But She is. eh?''
) 'She is quite substantial" O'Reilly
smiled. All the sick fellows talk as
you do"
Estehan looked up quickly; his face
darkencd "She-er-nursos Others
eh? I'm not the only one?'
even, hardly"
There waf a brief pause; then Este
ban shifted his position and his tone
changed. Tell me. have you heard
any news?"
'Not yet. but we Will hear some be-
fore long I'm sure"
"No"~ faith does as much for me as
this ladys care. But when you 80
away. when I'm alone, when / begin 10
think"
"pon't think too much; don't permit
yourself to doubt" OReilly said quick
IL. "rake my word for it, Rosa is alive
and Wen find her somewhere, some
how. General Gomez Will soon have
word of her. That's what Eve been
WaiunS toF--iIidl duu WIKI y Nu AuiSi
have to tell me"
''You know all that ] know now and
everything that has happened to me-"
81 don't know how you came t. be in
q cell in San Antonio de los Banos, two
hundred miles from the place you were
killed. That is still mystery"
at is very simple, amigo. Let me
see: had finished telling you about
the eight at La Joya. / was telling You
how ] tainted. Some good people found
me a few hours after I lost conscious
ness. They supposed l had been at
tackled by guerrillaS and left for dead,
Finding that l still had life in me. they
took me home with them. They were
old friends from Matanzas by the
name of Valdes-cultured people who
had fed the city and were hiding in the
mani.ua like the rest of US"