Page:The leopard's spots - a romance of the white man's burden-1865-1900 (IA leopardsspotsrom00dixo).pdf/405

 Tom's face brightened. "She's comin' to, doctor,—thank God!"

The doctor paid no more attention to him and went on with his work as best he could.

Tom laid his tear-stained face close to hers, and murmured soothingly to her as he used to when she was a wee baby in his arms,

"There, there, honey, it will be all right now! The doctor's here, and he'll do all he can! And what he can't do, God will. The doctor'll save you. God will save you! He loves you. He loves me. I prayed all night. He heard me. I saw the shinin' glory of His face! He's only tryin' His poor old servant."

The broken artery was found and tied and the bleeding stopped. When the wound in her head was dressed the doctor turned to Tom,

"That wound is bad, but not necessarily fatal."

"Praise God!"

"Keep the house quiet and don't let her see a strange face when she regains consciousness," was his parting injunction.

The next morning her breathing was regular, and pulse stronger, but feverish; and about seven o'clock she came out of her comatose state and regained consciousness. She spoke but once, and apparently at the sound of her own voice immediately went into a convulsion, clinching her little fists, screaming and calling to her father for help!

When Tom first heard that awful cry and saw her terrified eyes and drawn face, he tried to cover his own eyes and stop his ears. Then he gathered the little convulsed body into his arms and crooned into her ears,

"There, Pappy's baby, don't cry! Pappy's got you now. Nothin' can hurt you. There, there, nothin' shall come nigh you!"