Evening star., 1923-08-19

! want YOU to listen, TO me-n case i
should be seriously ill-which ! probably
won't-probably nothing but cold-be
all right tomorrow-well, in case should
| Il want you to take my pocketbook,
| here it is-and my travellers checks
and take care Of them
Hes going to die!'' walled Lois T.
herself. Aloud she replied soothingly
eyes, Ben: pocketbook and travellers
checks-and take care of them. But
you'll be all right, tomorrow, I'm sure"
Hope so.'' said Ben. "My head hurts
| terribly Pull down that shade,
| will you-all the way down! It was not
! the tone in which he usually addressed
her. Lois reached across him and
pulled down the shade with dignity.
|. Take the railroad tickets, too he
went on. ''rll keep my watch. under
| the pillow. here. There's plenty OF
money for everything-we'n go straight
Don't you think 1t might be good
plan to get off the train. at the next
good sized town. and to go to hos
pital?" suggested Lois timdly.
'I do not" he retorded. almost
| savagely. What do you think is the
| matter with me: pneumonia"
It was just about what Lois did think,
So she hastened TO deny it,
Poor little girl" said Ben remorse-
fully: frightened to death. aren't you?
I don't want you to wear yourself out.
now-looking after me-Ill be all right
:" He added with a groan and
jerk. Cant you get that blasted
shade any lower than that? My eyes
are killing me-
Lois struggled with the shade, tears
! in her own eyes.
He groaned once or twice in a
| suppressed sort Of way.
Does your chest--hurt you? Or your
, side:'' Lois offered, her shyness melt
| ing before the suffering in his voice.
He turned a feeble glare on her: For
| heavens sake don't ask me how / feel.
I haven't got pneumonia, II that's what
you want to know; but I am burning UP
with. some kind of rotten fever or some
thing. Don't sit there and stare at me
go and get ice water or something to
put on my head-or stop the train long
enough ior me to jump out Of the win
dow-and die in the ditch
"Oh, Ben II only there was a doctor
| on the train
Don't want doctor" he muttered
angrily Don't you let a
doctor coma near me! All I need is
rest-and something cold on my head.
Are you going to get IT for me-or
not?" He added, to Lois frozen horror,
You little freckle faced shrimp
Poor child, she dripped tears as we'll
as ice water on the stiff clean towel
retrieved from the shelf in the tiny
washroom.
1t was all very we'll to tell herself
that Ben was a little out of his head
with fever. as he undoubtedly was;
that did not alter the fact that one
does not go off on d honeymoon to
be addressed as a freckle- faced shrimp.
She went back. her small face
grimly set, and laid the folded towel
across his closed eyes. He put upl
a shaking hand and touched her min
istering fingers.
Little sweetheart" he whispered:
then in another, and startlingly diff
ferent tone. You're as awkward as
the mischief-can't you see you're
stopping that all over the pillow?
What's the bell ringing?"
There wasn't any bell ringing. Lois
told him so.
Ben had all his life had a tendency
to delirium with any sort of fever,
which, of course. Lois had no way Of
knowing.
Also. it was one Of his personal
fetishes TO dislike, in time Of illness,
being asked how he felt.
While Lois sat there fighting a
growing tendency to hysteria the
porter came along and poked a digni-
fled woolly head in the door.
"How's yo' husban', madam" he
inquired in a low and unctuous voice.
Not very WELL" said Lois truth
fully.
She turned back 10 look at Ben once
more. He lay in a kind of stupor.
She had the sofa berth made down
and went to bed. needless to say not
to sleep. Three times during the
night she climbed out and changed
the towel on Ben's poor burning head.
Once he thanked her. drowsily. Once
he asked her if she had seen the air
plane just outside the window. Once
he merely groaned.
u
\ ATEXT morning, when she awoke
~ after a belated and heavy slum-
ber the landscape outside was
blank keted in snow, a flawless and
binding whiteness. To Lois mex
ci0
scmely beautiful. an almost religious
thrill
"Oh, Ben" she cried softly, when
she leaned over him to say good
morning, not, with dear-bought wis
dom. to ask him how he felt, you
must see the snow; it's perfectly
| wonderful! All over everything, ex-
actly like Christmas card" She
lifted the shade an enthusiastic six
| inches.
Ben uttered an agonized cry that
| was almost a yell, and covered his
eyes with both hands. Put 1t down"
he gasped. Put it down--its kill
ing me-" There was no question Of
the genuineness of his suffering.
So the snow covered fields went by
outside in a virginia. phantasy-and
within the compartment Lois sat all
day sunk in a nightmare Of appre-
! hension. She wanted to wire ahead
| for a doctor to meet the train. but
! Ben heard her discussing the matter
| with the obliging porter and vetoed
| it so excitedly that she had to let
him have his way. A woman in an