The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-08-08

return and lay that night happy but
miserable-for this meant the end OF
my visit. And what was to come in the
future? I had not thought of that.
! I put it off for the time and, having
obtained willing permission from Gar
net, l went his round the next morning,
and of course found my way to the farm.
T fancy the servant looked at me in a
rather peculiar, constrained way, as she
said her master had gone to the off-land
farm.
"And Miss Kate" 1 said.
"Shes down in the wood, sir !" said
the girl.
I waited to heM no more, but ran
along the garden, leaped the gate,
crossed two fields, went through the
wilderness and over the stile into the
wood.
"My darling!' kept repeating as [
hurried on, expecting to meet her at
every turn and then 1 stopped short,
with horrible pang seeming to catch
my heart. I was dizzy, faint, raging
with anger, and mad in turn but that
all passed off to leave bitter, crushing
sense of misery, as I held on by young
sapling and peered at the scene before
me. There stood, with her back to
me, Kate, false, false Kate-with the
arm of tall, handsome military-looking
man, encircling her waist, her head
resting upon his shoulder, and even as I
gazed he bent his head down and she
raised her arms-her face-her ips-to
meet his kisses, as he folded her tightly
to his breast. I saw no more, but stole
blindly away, went to the stable, saddled
and bridled the horse i'll dreamy
fashion, mounted and rode back to Burn
lev, threw the e.bridle to the man, walked
straight to the station without seeing
Fred Garnet, and went off to London.
Six months glided by, and then I
was once more called upon to take
charge of the practice of friend in the
suburbs.
1t was one dark night in winter. l
was just going to bed, half wishing that
had had call when the surgery bell
rang sharply, and the summons wished
for came. 1t was q policeman with a
hausom cab, and his oilskins shone
wet and vividly in the red light over the
door.
"Axiden' case. sir % he said; CDR.
Barker in the next streets got in, sir,
and he wants help"
learned from him that n gentleman
had been knocked down by the very same
cab we were in, and trampled upon by
the horse before tue wheel went over,
and broke his leg.
We were there in few minutes, and
was shown into the back parlor of a COM
fortably furnished house, where the suf-
fercr had been laid on a mattress. A
irief conversation with my colleague en-
a,led. and he told me what he feared and
E.,w he was situated-another important
c..ll demanding his presence. The result
was that / agreed that we would examine
The patient, and then I would stay until
DR.. Barker's return: A faint groan from
the mattress saluted lis rs we turned to
our patient; and as I held the lamp over
his face and the light fell on the fair
hair and the long, dropping moustache,
I nearly dropped it. "Nemesis !! I
thought. "Mine enemy delivered into
my hand Hates lover lying bruised
and broken-crushed like reed-at my
feet And now Ineel not kill him to be
revenged for oil his cruelty to me, but
only stand by supine and he will die p
for few brief moments told me that I
possessed greater knowledge than my
colleague. and that, if 1 withheld mine,
nothing which DR.. Barker could do would
save the flame even now trembling in the
socket of life's lamp.
The scene in the wood flashed before
me once again as 1 stood there-Kate's
sweet face upturned, asking for this
mans kisses-and all so vivid that my
brain reeled and mist foated before my
eyes.
"What do you think, Mr.. Lawler ?"
said a voice ut my elbow, and started
back into the present.
"That he'll be past saving in all hour"
I said, quietly.
"I fear SO !" said DR.. Barker, shrug-
g!ng his shoulders.
"Unless--"
Here I unfolded my plans, as | said
bitterly to myself "And heap Goals of
fire upon his head. Kate, take your
lover-and G d forgive you I"
Excellent !" exclaimed DR.. Barker,
who was q frank, gentlemanly fellow,
without professional jealousies; and in
an hours time we had done all that was
necessary. our patient was breathing
easily, and DR.. Barker WAS shaking my
hand.
"Hes saved, Mr.. Lawler. You've
saved his life. Now, I'll be off and get
back in al hours time. "You've given
me the greatest lesson in surgery that I
ever had in my life"
And then I was alone, thinking bitterly
of what I had done.
Notwithstanding
These words, feebly uttered, brought
me to myself, and I was the cold, hard
man once more as I rose, and taking
the lamp, bent down over my patient,
whose eyes now opened. and he stared
at me.
Where's Kate ?" he asked; "and
where-what - He stopped short.
Accident? Oh, yes I remember.
I was going to catch the night train for
Burnley, when that confounded cab -
"You must not talk, I said, fighting
hard to contain myself. "You are seri-
ously hurt"
That last was not professional, but
there was grim pleasure in giving him
some pain.
"That's bad, DOCTOR" he whispered
for I was going down to see my darling
she's very ill.,"
"Ill w 1 exclaimed, starting.
eyes," he said, speaking with pain,
and I could not stop him now. "Con-
sumption, they say; broken heart, I think.
Some scoundrel-"
Ialmost dropped the lamp as I caught
his hand and gripped it, and said, in a
hoerse, choking voice-for I was strug-
Cling to see the full light:
"What do you wish me to do ?"
"Telegraph, at my expense, to my
brother-in-law. Take it down, or you'll
forget: From Christopher Anstey to
John Brand. Greenmcad, Burnley. Say
Kate is not to fidget. You know best. I"
Yes-yes Z" stammered. nv hands