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whom she approached. The train
had gone on.
"I must have made a mistake," she
said flutteringly. "My ticket -was for
Rushville and the signboard on the
little depot is 'Way 22.' "
"Yes'm," nodded the old man,
"Rushville is a mile and a half west
They have no railroad there."
"Myra loked dubiously across the
level twilight stretch before her.
There seemed to be no way of obtain
ing a vehicle, so she set out to walk
the distance. She hastened her steps
as the gloom of night began to en
velop" the dreary landscape. She had
nothing to go by except the broad
direction from the flagman that
Rushville was "west"
She was startled and affrighted as
suddenly a vague form loomed up in
her path. Myra came to an irreso
lute standstill as the figure confront
ed her. It was that of a haggard, at
tenuated man, whose eyes glanced
balefully and who kept muttering in
cohereritly. Almost involuntarily she
breathed forth:
'l have lost my way. I wish to
reach Rushville."
"Oh, easy that," cried the man
with strange animation. "Come on,
ma'anf, I'll help you. Oh, yes, in
deed, I will."
He laughed in a queer, terrifying
way, but Myra was willing to trust
to any guidance to reach her aunt
The man kept ahead of her. Abruptly
their course was blocked by a high
stockade. The man lined this. At
its end was a great gate which stood
barely open. He pushed Myra through
the aperture. She shrank back, but
he seized her arm and quite forced
her into one of many small build
ings. There a light burned. Myra
gazed about her in consternation. It
held half a dozen cots and as many
reclining chairs. Each was filled
with an invalid the bloodless faces
and languid poses told this much.
"Ah!" spoke a sudden brisk voice,
"you come back," and Myra nolfeed
tne speaker as a professional look
ing young man, who at once called
someuooy iroiu ouisiae. xwo men.
appealed and bore her guide away
against his wilL The young man
stared strangely at Myra,
"I cannot understand why you are.
here," he spoke, and trembling, fear-?
filled Myra explained. The young
man looked serious and troubled.
"There are two Rushvilles access!-
ble from the city Union depot,' he?
said, "on different railroad lines, and
I fear you got a ticket to the wrong
one. The Rushville just beyond here
is a poor industrial town. Typhus has
broken out and I am Doctor Willis, in
charge of the hospital here. I am
very sorry, miss, but you have been
exposed to the disease through the
folly of that escaped patient, and will
have to be quarantined."
It came upon Myra with a shockt
but never was physician more gentle
and reassuring that her courteous,
intelligent host He explained to her
that the law exacted her isolation for"
fourteen days. He assured her;
however, that she should have a.
froom in the house himself and his
sisters occupied. J
"I shall give you preventive medi
cines," he explained, "and from your
general appearance I believe you will
be immune from infection, as I am
myself."
The sisters of the doctor were like
warm-hearted sisters, indeed, to-"
Myra. They gave her a room by her
self. The next day she had recovered
her natural poise and became inter
ested in their helpful duties. They
f took care of their brother's dispen
sary, nursed the convalescents, and
Myra felt really happy and content
ed as they gave her some cloth to
make bandages of, and became a
helper in good work of the stockade
. hospital. '
"It is my first experience in actual
work among the poor and sick,"
Myra told Dr. Willis one evening.
"Yours is a blessed task."
' She regarded him with genuine ad-'
I miration. His tireless, patience and
V-
ammmmum
