The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-03-11

/
uraI. You say the danger is over
past? 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 1 repeat
| the danger is at an end. Now go and
rest"
Wondering to whom it was the
doctor spoke. whose was that rau-
cous, weary voice that questioned
/ him. she slowly turned her head, and
/ beheld a gauntfi, hollow-eye ghost
Of a man, whose pallid, Sunken cheeks
were overgrown with a course stub
| BILE of unshaven beard, standing be
tween the bedposts, clutching at one
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 ails me, doctor he mum
/ bled and now she knew who he was
and remembered. Il would sooner
| His voice abruptly ceased in mid
| period; ne reeled, steadied himself
for an instant, and then toppled slow
| ly forward and crashed at full length
upon the floor
! Swiftly the doctor tore open the
breast of the Coloners doublet; but
not even so much was necessary. At
once he perceived what had hap
| pened-
He IS asleep" said DR.. Beamish
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, you'll
not rouse him-not until the clock has
gone round once, at least"
They laid him there, a pillow under
his head. and Beanish returned to
his patients side.
'Sleep?" she questioned the doctor,
wonderingly. "Is that sleep?"
Nothing worse, ma'am- The Colonel
has never so much as closed his eyes
for a whole week. Nature compass
sionately has closed them for him ."
She looked at him intently. II
have the plague, have not?"
Say rather that you had it, ma am
| You have it no longer. The plague
will not touch you again. For the
great mercy thus vouchsafed you, you
may render thanks to God and, next
to God. to your husband
She frowned. perplexed.
MY husband?"
Your husband, ma am. And a hun-
band in a thousand-nay, in ten thou.
sand. His is a devotion that makes
a hero Of him; and because he has
been fearless, he has been spared
Fortune favors the brave. ma am"
but but he is not my bus.
band"
mot your husband?" said the
doctor. COMPOUNDED And he repeated,
mot your husbandp' Then, with an
affectation OF cynicism very alien in
reality to the genial, kindly little
man, "Gadso!" he calculated, per
haps that explains it, But what is
he, then, who has all but given his
life for your"
She hesitated. at loss how to de-
fine their relationship. At last:
"Once he was my friend" she an
swered
"Once?" The physician raised his
bushy brows. And when, pray, did
he cease to be your friend-this man
who stayed with you in this infected
house when he might have fed: this
man who has denied himsalf sleep or
rest Of any kind in all these days,
that he might be ever at hand
against your need of him: this man
who has wrestled with death for you,
and rescued you at the risk of TAX
ing the pestilence a thousand times
for your sake?"
did he do all this7" she asked.
DR.. Beamish entertained her with
the details of the heroism and self
sacrifice that Holes had displayed.
When the tale was done, and she
my silent and very thoughtful, The
doctor permitted himself a sly humor-
Gus smile.
He may once have been your
friend, as you say" he concluded,
SINKING. But / cannot think that he
hmes ever more your friend than now.