San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-24
Begin Here Today.

ham hires HOLES to abduct the
beautiful actress, Sylvia Farquhar-
son. 1t ,is dark when the colonel
carries her off and when he arrives
at the house Buckingham has rent
ed. HOLES is horror stricken when he
sees that Sylvia is an old sweet
heart.
buckingham and HOLES engage in
a duel. The servants of the Duke
| come upon the scene and knock the
| colonel unconscious.
| When the Duke attempts to en-
brace Sylvia her dress falls from her
throat, revealing a purple blotch,
token of the plague. which is
spreading so rapidly in London. The
Duke and his servants flee. The
colonel stays to nurse Sylvia and
waits upon her night and day. Now
so on with the story.
1t was entirely as result of that
tireless vigilance of his and Of the
constant poulticings which he ap-
| piled. that on the fourth day the
swelling in the patients armpit, hav
ing been brought to head, began TO
vent the deadly poison with which
| her veins were laden.
Beamish was as amazed as he was
delighted.
Victuals and what else was needed
from outside reached them through
| the agency of their own Waterman.
HOLES, who was still plentifully sup
piled with funds from what Bucking-
ham had furnished him for this ad
venture. would lower the necessary
money from the window in basket.
BY the same means the Waterman
would send up the purchases he made
on behalf of those within, absenting
himself when necessary for the pur-
pose but always leaving the door
locked and taking the key with him.
Thus, until the morning of the
sixth day. when from daybreak until
past eight o'clock HOLES waited in a
sudden frenzy of impatience for the
coming of Bcamish. When at last he
arrived, HOLES met him at the stair
head.
The Colonel's face. was CHASTITY. his
eyes fevered, and he was trembling
with fearful excitement.
"She sleeps-quietly and peace
fully" he informed the doctor, in
whisper, a finger to his lips.
Very softly they entered the cham
Der now and tiptoed to the bedside,
HOLES in an agony of hope taking up
his position at the foot between the
carved bedposts. At glance confirmed
the news with which HOLES had met
the physician. Not only was she in
an easy, tranquil slumber, such as
she had not known since taking TO
this bed, but the fever had entirely
left her. This the doctors practiced
eye judged at once, even before he
moved TO take her pulse.
AT that touch of his hand upon her
wrist, she stirred, sighed and opened
her eyes, sanely and calmly awake
at last. She looked up into the
wizened. kindly little specialized face
of the doctor, blankly at first, then
with little frown of bewilderment.
But he was speaking at the moment,
and the words he used helped her
cropping wits to- piece together the
puzzle of her surroundings and con-
lition.
.qhe danger is overpast," he was
saying. "She will recover now,
thanks be TO God and to your own
,tireless care of her. 1t is yourself
gives me more concern than she does.
Leave her now TO the care of Mrs.
Dallows. and do You go rest yourself,
or ] tell you | will not answer for
your life He had been looking at
HOLES whilst he spoke. Now he
turned to consider her again, and
found her conscious glance upon
him. "Sec. She is awake" he cried.
"The danger is overpast?" HOLES
echoed. his voice thick and unnat-
ural. "You say the danger is over
past? l am awake. good doctor! L
have not by chance fallen asleep at
my post and come TO dream this
thing?
"You are awake man, and ] repeat
the danger is at an end. Now go
and rest
Wondering to whom it was the
doctor spoke, whose was tina,
raucous, weary voice that questioned
him. she slowly turned her head and
beheld gaunt. hollow-eyed ghost oi,
a man. whose pallid, sunkcn cheek
were .overgrown with a course stub
Bile of unshaven beard. standing be-
tween the bedposts, clutching at ono
of them as if for support. Meeting
her gaze, he recoiled a step and
loosed his hold. Then he swung
half-round. hand to his brow.
"Naught ais me, DOCTOR" he
mumbled. and now she knew who he
was and remembered. Il would
His voice abruptly ceased in mid.
! period; he reeled, steadied himself
for an instant, and then toppled slow
! ~ forward and crashed at full length
| upon the floor.
Swiftly the doctor tore open the
| hrenst of the Colonels doublet; but
not even so much was necessary. At
| once he perceived what had hap
pened.
HE is asleep" said DIR. Beamish I:
and he almost chuckled. "That is
all Help me to lift him to. that
couch, Mrs. Dallows. No need TO
carry him farther or to, do more for
him at present. Never fear your
not rouse him-not until the clock
has gone round once, at least"
They laid him there. pillow under
his head, and Beamish returned to
his patients side.
"Sleep?n she questioned the doc
tor. wonderingly. "Is that sleep!"
"Nothing worse. ma'am. The
Colonel has never so much as closed
his ewes for whole week. Mature
compassionately has closed them for
him."
She looked ut him intently. u
have the plague, have j nott'
Say rather that you had NJ
ma'am. You have il no longer. The
plague will not touch YOU again. Fo'
the great mercy thus vouchsaie,
you. you may render thanks to God
and, next to God, to your husband
/ She frowned, perplcxed.