The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-06-18
miscellaneous.
Kill or Cure.

man, with beetling brows, piercing grey eyes
thin compressed lips, and long bony hands
sat in shabbily- furnished room in a splendid
old house, casting up accounts by the light OF
a single candle. The weather being cold, one
of those baskets for live Goals which are some
times appropriately called "kill joys" glim-
mered in the huge CRATE. The door Of the
room, which opened into the oak panelled hal
was ajar, and presently servant girl bearing
a light, fitted by from the staircase. Hel
master called her: "Hi, Jenny! come here
What makes you look so scared? Is your
mistress worse ?"
Pm afeard so, Sir Timothy"
L" Eli what? really bad?"
"Ye-es."
"Going to die?"
"She says so, Sir Timothy, and oh she
looks it, too. 0 sir" cried the girl earnestly
hurting out what was on her soul, "if she
were to die with doctorp
This abnormal possibility shocked Sir Tim
othy Grabham also, the invalid being in a man.
ner dear to him. 1t was avery general notion
amongst his neighbors and tenants that the
man was incapable ofcaring for anybody; but
this was prejudice he did care for his wife
after his own fashion. 1t was not, perhaps,
an enthusiastic attachment, or deep one; /
don't suppose he loved her as well as good
bargain, for example; but comparisons are
odious
He remained silent for while looking
down, and then muttered:
al declared that ! would never send for that
fellow Radford again." which was an error on
his part he had never made that rash Obser-
vation-it was DR.. Radford who had vowed
he would not come.
"Shall Charles go for DR.. Radford, please,
Sir Timothy?"
"There is no one else; so suppose he mus"
Jenny vanished i'm search of that footman-
groom gardener named Charles; and her mas
ter tried to get back into his sum, but made q
mistake of two-pence farthing, and relapsed
into reverie.
Sir Timothy Graham was not nice man,
but if he had remained Indifferent to his wife s
condition, he would have been monster. She
had now, for thirty years, devoted herself to
the difficult task of pleasing him; she had
brought him money, and saved him money
born economical, she had developed the facul-
ty into extreme meanness to gain his appro-
baton. Passion would have been out ofplace
at his age, and hers, but he esteemed her
After hard days work, DR.. Radford had
turned into bed with the snug conviction that
he was going to remain undisturbed up to
eight o'clock on the following morning, for
his last Gladys case" was going on as favora-
bly, as if civilization had been unknown, and
no fcllow-creature looked to him for introduce
ton into the world for the next fortnight to
come But at half.past eleven his sleep was
broken by the night-bell, and he had to wrench
himself from his warm nook in the feathers
feel for his dressing-gown and slippers, blum.
der into his dressing-room, which looked out
on the front of the house, and open the win
dow. "What is ?" he shouted, shivering rs
the frosty night air blew in upon his face, and
played about his unprotected legs.
"Please, sir, it's me-"
Idiot your name ?"
"Charles from the Hall"
"Then, Charles from the Hall, you may GO
back again, for | am not coming"
my lady is very i'll, sir"
Cant help it, Tell your master that
won't attend him or his family, and he need
send no more messages, rs | shall muffle the
nght-bell" And with these words the doctor
banged down the window.
"What are you doing, John? said voice
from the bed presently.
Tying stocking round the clapper of this
COMPOUNDED bell"
"What forg"
ITO get good sleep, in spite of Sir Tim
othy Graham"
"Why, he has never sent for you ~
lie has, though, the nsolent screw his
| wifcs ill.,"
"Well, well, don't tie up the bell, John
she may be really bad--dying, you know"
| what Is that to me?"
81 know they have treated us very badly
rich man like that to refuse to pay for youl
attendance; it is unheard of! But Other
people might want you"
Not likely"
"No, but it is just possible. Don't muffle
| the bell"
need hardly tell the married reader that
the doctor got growing into bed, with the
| bell clapper free to rouse him out again. In
| an hours time the provoking bit of iron avail
| ed itself of that liberty, but for some minutes
| DR.. Radford declined to stir. Consideration
| for his wife's rest, however, at length induced
| him to turn out once more and again GO
through the process of refrigeration.
"Sir Timothy's messenger again, sup
poser he cried.
mo" replied well-known voice; al am
here myself"
"For what purpose, Sir Timothy Grabham,
| do you come and disturb me, when you know
very well that never intend to enter your
doors again?"
| GAY, ay," replied the voice from below
but this is not time to bear malice. | tel
you that my wife is dangerously ill-dying,
believe, and if she dies for want of medical
assistance, you will be responsible"
| "Not so; the responsibility will all lie on
your own shoulders. lam poor man, work
ing hard for my living, but no one ever knew
me to neglect patient because he could moi
pay me. Two-thirds of my work is done fol
nothing, or next to nothing, and those who
can afford it ought to take some share of thu
burden, more especially you, the lord of thu
manor, under whose protection the whole
which you refuse to pay me foractual attend
ance upon yourself and family for upward
Of yearp