The Argosy, January 1906 — page 134: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

We in our faces again. Wish we had a boot. That would—keep—her—dry- - His voice trailed off, his lips ceased muttering, and suddenly his eyelids flew apart. He stared up at the serious face of Burress with —— and bewilder- ~s =A he enimorad, - “Nothing. : ear. sleep,” rephed Burress, and went _ back to his desk. - But he had a clue to what Kloyd had ae dreaming; it had happened years ago when they were half-grown young- _ sters and Leslie was quite a 1 little girl. There was a picnic, to which they had driven in an old “shay” drawn by a - horse almost as antediluvian as the ve- _hicle itself. Coming back, a summer a Sehawisr had developed, saturating the trio. Leslie had managed to keep dry in the depths of the chaise until they turned into the Barrowsvale road at _ Ladd’s Corner. Lloyd had been dream- ing of the incidents of that afternoon. “This was an evening to be remem- - bered, and for more than the dream. lloyd was finally aroused from his = somnolent state when Burress was dis- —_ turbed by a late and urgent call. Lloyd ran out to harness the horse, and ‘insisted upon driving the doctor as usual. ~ Returning, the wind got under the cover of the light buggy and wrenched it back, twisting the framework so that it could = not be pulled forward again to shield _ them from the rain. Lloyd’s dream seemed to have fore- doomed this experience. Both young men returned in a saturated condition. Bur- ress took ordinary precautions for his own, and extraordinary precautions for his friond’s health; but the day follow- ing the latter showed evil results of the _ drenching. 2 “Before the week was out the obstinate 3 cold: which resisted the application of all simple remedies, resulted in a fever. - Lloyd was forced to remain in bed, and his temperature advanced in spite of every effort. 2. Heretofore the physician had kept him effect of any illness i in his panenvs pres- ent iental Bua 5 You’ve been talking in “perfectly well, for he-doubly feared the - and = strained hands were full outside of the house, ‘and Lloyd’s obstinate illness worried him every minute he was away from his side._ Leslie had come over at once, and she and Betty did all they could to lighten the physician’s burden; but the presence of the women disturbed the. sick man greatly. Returning after his series of calls one day, Burress found Lloyd’s pulse very rapid and there were other signs of in- creasing fever. Nothing he could do seemed to retard the rising mental stimu- lation. Never since he had been under Burress’ care had Lloyd been so voluble. The doc- tor strove to quiet him; but he would not be calmed. His state was verging upon that of delirium. Evening came and Betty brought in the lamp. -Leshe whispered to the phy- sician from the doorway: “T am not going home yet, Ramon. Perhaps you may need me by and by.” The troubled physician nodded with- out looking around, and then heard the door closed upon old Betty’s departure. The man on the bed, who had been twist- ing and turning restlessly, suddenly lay still. His face was turned toward the doctor, who sat in the chair by the bedside. The lamplight was shaded from the patient’s face, but Burress saw his eyes glitter in the dusk. There was a change of some kind, and the physician half rose to scrutinize him more closely. Hoarsely, stammeringly, a voice sud- denly penetrated the silence of the room —a voice not at all like the tones which had marked Lloyd’s recent utterance. “Ramon? Who is Ramon? Ramon Burress! ” The doctor fell back into his chair, clutching its arms and biting his lips to stifle the cry which rose to them. Not only had Lloyd’s voice changed, but since learning to express himself verbally in his present state he had never called the doctor “ Ramon.” “Where am I? My God, where am I?” rasped the voice. “ What has hap- pened? ” The figure on the bed started suddenly _ into action. It sat up, and the wild eyes countenance appeared It was a busy season for the doctor; his - = ’ mM PRE LOUE! UN Poo DAD Saf th ae ie