Червона чума
Chapter 3
Shedrankonlyalittleofit,andcriedout:
“’Myfeet!Allsensationhasleftthem.’
“Afteraminuteshesaid,’Ihavenofeet. IamunawarethatIhaveanyfeet. Andmykneesarecold. IcanscarcelyfeelthatIhaveknees.’
“Shelayonthefloor,abundleofnotebooksunderherhead. Andwecoulddonothing. Thecoldnessandthenumbnesscreptuppastherhipstoherheart,andwhenitreachedherheartshewasdead. Infifteenminutes,bytheclock—Itimedit—shewasdead,there,inmyownclassroom,dead. Andshewasaverybeautiful,strong,healthyyoungwoman. Andfromthefirstsignoftheplaguetoherdeathonlyfifteenminuteselapsed. ThatwillshowyouhowswiftwastheScarletDeath.
“YetinthosefewminutesIremainedwiththedyingwomaninmyclassroom,thealarmhadspreadovertheuniversity;andthestudents,bythousands,allofthem,haddesertedthelecture-roomandlaboratories. WhenIemerged,onmywaytomakereporttothePresidentoftheFaculty,Ifoundtheuniversitydeserted. Acrossthecampuswereseveralstragglershurryingfortheirhomes. Twoofthemwererunning.
“PresidentHoag,Ifoundinhisoffice,allalone,lookingveryoldandverygray,withamultitudeofwrinklesinhisfacethatIhadneverseenbefore. Atthesightofme,hepulledhimselftohisfeetandtotteredawaytotheinneroffice,bangingthedoorafterhimandlockingit. Yousee,heknewIhadbeenexposed,andhewasafraid. Heshoutedtomethroughthedoortogoaway.
