Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-05-22

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Copyright by The Bobbs Merrill Co
CHAPTER Xxx
Search Of the Lanquid Eyes.


Search of the Languid Eyes.
All through the long and terrible
day following that tragic night, the an
gels of life and death waged their grim
struggle in the parlor bedroom, where
the hapless sufferer writhed in the de-
Iirium that followed the shock of her
wound.
Toward evening Aunt Eliza, believ-
ing with the others that the end was
near, beckoned the woodsman to the
bedside.
1t fairly staggered him to see. the
frightful change the hours had
wrought. Under an impulse of pity
that he could not resist he bent over
the bed, caught up her hands and spoke
Der name. She instantly grew more
quiet and turned her face toward his
voice.
The doctor was quick to notice this,
and at his direction Jack dropped on
his knees by the bedside and began
talking to her, softly stroking her
bands and wrists and face the while;
and as he talked she grew calmer.
Hour after hour the man knelt and
CroOned the story Of their playmate
days, while the doctor piled his utmost
art and the women lavished their care.
Late that night she seemed to quiet
away into light sleep. A smile strug-
gled out upon the Doctors grim feat
ures and he went out into the yard for
a moment of relaxation. The woods
man laid the girls hands down upon
the covers, rose to his feet, stumbled
out to the kitchen and dropped down
on chair by the cook stove.
Barely a minute after Aunt Liza,
sleepless and faithful, tapped him on
the shoulder.
"She's frettin' ag'in."
He sprang up and hurried to the
gick-room. But before he reached the
bedside her tossing had ceased and she
lay back against the pillow still and
white. He caught up her hands; they
were so cold it startled him.
At that moment the doctor came
back in. The instant he entered the
room the unusual stillness-or the in
stinct Of his professfon-must have
warned him that something was amiss,
for he hurried to the bedside and bent
a keen look upon the patient.
"Her hans are like ice," the woods
man faltered.
''She's sinking FAST" was the doctors
answer, as he made ready a powerful
Stimulant Rub her hands and wrists
and temples-rub toward the heart
and try to call her back with some
more of that Black rock and Whisper
lng spring talk. And be quick with
those hot cloths, you women If we
can only keep breath in her for the
next hour"
The woodsman, toiling with gray and
craven face, was the first to notice the
CLEANLINESS leaving her hands and
faint tinge Of color beginning to drive
the chill out of her fingers. The doc
tor bent low over her, noted the respi-
ration, took her pulse again.
"She's got chance" he mutteped.
Keep on with that talk, Warhope,
and rub her wrists and temples and
come on with more hot cloths, the rest
of YOU"
Nearly an hour had gone when the
girls lids fluttered apart and the bril-
liant eyes strayed open-weak, nag
gard, but no longer wild and vacant
with delirium.
Slowly the eyes Travelled over the
room, languid questioning in them
searched the faces about her: dwelt
at last upon the face of the woods
man.
"Jack'-it was only a whisper, fiut-
tering out upon the labored breath.
but it was the sweetest sound his ears
had ever heard-"he didn't kill y'u-"
He dropped on one knee by the bed
side, but dared not trust his voice with
q word.
ck-what-what-?
you've ben sick-bad-a we're
all tryin' t. coax y'u back well. When
WI git strong, Wen have long talk
you and me-but now, won't y'u list
try t. go t. sleep? Won't y'u?"
eyes," she whispered, like a trust
ing child-"I'm so-tired-"
One hand stole across the covers
and hunted his; the long lashes
dropped over the languid eyes and she
slipped away to sleep. The others tin
toed from the room.
what she needs above everything"
muttered the doctor, softly closing the
door-"sleep--it will do her more good
right now than all the medicine in the
world"
And there Jack crouched-himself
bruised and worn-afraid to move
with her hands in his, lest she start
awake and so lose one moment of the
rest just then precious beyond calcuIa-
ton. Only man of his superb phy
steal powers could have held the
cramped, uncomfortable pose so long.
Several times one of the women.
and once the doctor, softly opened the
door and peeped in, but they as often
closed it again and left the man to his
silent vigil.
BY the next day she was so much
better that the doctor declared her
out of danger-time alone being all
that was necessary to bring her well.
In the serene evening the sun peeped
under the porch roof for one last look
before reluctantly passing on to less
interesting scenes beyond the gates of
the west; fell in at the open parlor
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