They carried Hugh to the room designated by Densie, and into which he

went very unwillingly.

It was not his den, he said, drawing back with a bewildered look; his

was hot, and close, and dingy, while this was nice and cool--a room such

as women had--there must be a mistake, and he begged of them to take him

away.

"No, no, my poor boy. This is right; Miss Johnson said you must come

here just because it is cool and nice. You'll get well so much faster,"

and Aunt Eunice's tears dropped on Hugh's flushed face.

"Miss Johnson!" and the wild eyes looked up eagerly at her. "Who is she?

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Oh, yes, I know, I know," and a moan came from his lips as he whispered:

"Does she know I've come? Does it make her hate me worse to see me in

such a plight? Ho, Aunt Eunice, put your ear down close while I tell you

something. Ad said--you know Ad--she said I was--I was--I can't tell you

what she said for this buzzing in my head. Am I very sick, Aunt Eunice?"

and about the chin there was a quivering motion, which betokened a ray

of consciousness, as the brown eyes scanned the kind, motherly face

bending over him.

"Yes, Hugh, you are very sick," and Aunt Eunice's tears dropped upon the

face of her boy, so fearfully changed since yesterday.

He wiped them away himself, and looked inquiringly at her.

"Am I so sick that it makes you cry? Is it the fever I've got?"

"Yes, Hugh, the fever," and Aunt Eunice bowed her face upon his burning

hands.

For a moment he lay unconscious, then raising himself up, he fixed his

eyes piercingly upon her, and whispered, hoarsely: "Aunt Eunice, I shall die! I have never been sick in my life; and the

fever goes hard with such. I shall surely die. It's been days in coming

on, and I thought to fight it off; I don't want to die. I'm not

prepared."

He was growing terribly excited now, and Aunt Eunice hailed the coming

of the doctor with delight. Hugh knew him, offering his pulse and

putting out his tongue of his own accord. The doctor counted the rapid

pulse, numbering even then 130 per minute, noted the rolling eyeballs

and the dilation of the pupils, felt the fierce throbbing of the swollen

veins upon the temple, and then gravely shook his head. Half conscious,

half delirious, Hugh watched him nervously, until the great fear at his

heart found utterance in words.

"Must I die?"

"We hope not. We'll do what we can to save you. Don't think of dying, my

boy," was the physician's reply, as he turned to Aunt Eunice, and gave

out the medicine, which must be most carefully administered.




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