The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-12-30

gently opened It, There on the step lay,
as well as could see by the twilight, a
young, well-dressed man. He made an
effort to rise when he saw me. partly re-
gaining his feet, caught at the door-post,
staggered and fell headlong into our
garden. An This vas but the work. of a
moment, and now, thoroughly alarmed,
and hardly knowing what did, I closed
the door and rushed into the house. Ny
husband met me on the threshold.
"'What now? What's all that scrim-
mage about?' he asked.
Tinidly told him. ----l'- 7-s-ss=7''-'
"'You fool, are swenot hard-up enough
already, but you must be playing the
Good Samaritan, and let the man in? Do
you want to turn the place into hos
pital? He's drunk, no doubt
s With this he reached the spot where
the unfortunate man lay face downwards
upon the edge of the soft, unknown lawn.
Gently turning him over, my husband
went on: 81
"fWhy, he's dying, if not dead; we
must fetch doctor A pretty mess you
have got us into, but we must go through
it honestly, or else who knows what we
may be charged with-murder, perhaps?
Be off and get a doctor; there's red
down this road
81 flew to do his bidding, terrified by
his words, which 1 saw had some reason
in them, and had nearly reached the
house when he called out:
"fHere, go out this way, by this door
here into the road; it's nearer
81 returned and was about to open
the garden door, close to which he was
L<~1 r
he was examining the contents of large
portemonnaie, which he had taken from
she pocket of the PROSTATE, unconscious
nan. Itseemed to be full of notes and
gold. hesitated, but fearing to remon-
,trate, was drawing back the bolt, when
le whispered:
'Stop-wait minute Did any one
see you let him in p
"'No one; there is not creature
about, and the roads is not overlooked
answered.
"'No, nor this corner Of the garden
where we are-no, it's too much shut in
by trees, and it's getting too dark
whilst speaking he was looking
around to assure himself that he was
unobserved, and, seeming satisfied, be-
gan to further examine the contents of
the pockets and to transfer the porte
| monnaie, a letter or two, handsome
gold watch and chain, and scarf pin to
| his own.
"What are you doing?' I timidly
asked.
Mind your own business" he said,
do as tell you and hold your tongue.
I'll go for the doctor myself; but first of
all we must get him into the house.
Here catch hold of his feet
''Then, without listening to my pro-
| tests, my husband raised in his arms the
slim, helpless form of the young man,
| and, with my assistance, carried him
| along the path, under the shadow of the
| high wall and trees, into the house, and
laid him on n sofa in the little breakfast
parlor that gave upon the lawn by an
| open sash-window.
Light a candle, pull down the blind,
get some water and brandy: he is not
quite dead, said my husband, whilst ex-
amininS the mans pocket handkerchief
" No initials, nothing to identify him
| by. Good Now / will go. for the doc
tor; you stay with him. Put little
more brandy to his lips from time to
time, loosen his necktie-so, and now
mind. when L return with the doctor, if
there have been any signs of conscious
ness, or ii the poor fellow speaks mt all,
keep it to Yourself; don't say aword. You
can tell me when the doctor is gone
\ The man is not dead, but he will die, I
| think, and if he does die without speak
] ing-well, we shall lose nothing for our
hospitality; it's worth risking. Mind,
now, what tell you, he added, with a
fierce look at me, If you don't I'll be
the death of you
"Then he went out through the front
door and gate, ostentatiously in hurry,
and heard him running down the silent
road. I turned to my patient, and found
him still breathing, but quite uncon-
scious. sss
Terrified and bewildered I hardly
| knew how long it was before I heard
hurrying footsteps again on the road, and
presently, having let himself in by the
latch key, my husband appeared with a
stranger, the doctor, a seedy, needy
looking man.
Rapidly examining the patient, he
said, with his finger on the pulse.
"About twenty minutes since he was
seized, eh? HIM your younger brother
you say?
Yes, answered my husband prompt
ly, with a significant look at me as
started at his reply.
"The doctor had his ear on the mans
chest, while my husband continued with
assumed emotion:
My youngest, my favorite brother.
Dear sir, pray tell me-Ah! I fear by
your face; but say, is there no hope?'
"The doctor shook his head.
"'Oh, will he die?'
"The doctor bowed his head, and ny
husband buried his face in his hands fo
moment.
81 was aghast, perplexed beyond mea
sure, and was about to speak when an
other fierce look checked me- EE#
when the doctor had moistened the
patients lips once more with brandy
and after using the stethoscope fo
several minutes, he said with professional
gravity:
"'It is my painful duty to tell yo
, that you must prepare for the worst
"'Ah, I feared sol said my husband
! My poor brother was supposed to hav
,, disease of the heart; it was the opinio
! expressed by a physician two years ago
"This is not the heart said tn
a doctor, feeling the pulse again. This
cerebral hemorrhage-apoplexy, in fact
, He is all but gone; nothing can be done
= linen there was n suPht cOnVulSlOT
). and the doctor continued:
g. Il fear I can be of no further us
n professionally; but can L help you to d
n what is necessary now, or do you kno'
any ~ -, s5sas @sR rEs "a &s
: "sNo. we know no one in the neighbo
!, hood; we are strangers here, interrupte
k my husband. we are from Cornwall
and are come to live in London, an
g have only been in the house three day
9 My dear brother came to stay with U
I, yesterday. He has been out all da,
n The moment he came in he faintet
g and then-and then ran for You. Wi
there be any need for an inquestY
1 Indeed said the doctor, I'm afrai
Z, there will