The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-06-07
KILL OR CURE.

times appropriately called Akill
joys" ghmmered in the huge CRATE
The door of the room, which open
ed into the fine oak paneled hall
was ajar, and presently a servant girl
bearing light fitted by from the
staircase. Her master called her
saying:
Hi, Jenny come here. What
makes you look so scared. Is youl
mistress worse ?"
"I'm afraid so, Sir Timothy"
"Eh! what, really bad ?"
"Ye-es.n
s'Going to die?"
"She says so, sir Timothy, and
oh! she looks it, too. Oh, sir,
cried the girl earnestly, blu-ting out
what was in her soul, ''if she were
to die without q doctor p
This abnormal possibility shocked
Sir Timothy Grabham also, the in
valid being in a manner dear to him
1t was a verygeneral notion amongs'
his neighbors and tenants that the
man was incapable ofcaring for any
body; but that was prejudice ; ht
did care for his wife, after his own
fashion. 1t was not an enthusiastic
attachment, or a deep one dono'
suppose he loved her as well as 0
good bargain forexample ; butcom.
parsons are odious. He remained
silent for a while looking down, and
then muttered:
II declared that I would never
send for that fellow Ranford again,
which was an error on his part
he had never made that rash obser
vation-it was Mr.. Ranford who
vowed he would not come.
"Shall Charles go for DR.. Ranford
please, Sir Timothy ?"
"There is no one else, so l sup
pose he must"
Jennie vanished in search of tha
footman, groom, gardener named
Charles, and her master tried t.
get back to sum, but made a mis-
take of two pence and a farthing
and relapsed into revery.
Sir Timothy Grabham was not (
nice man, but if he had remained in
different to his wife's condition. ht
would have been q monster. Sht
had now, for thirty years, devoted
herself to the difficult task of pleas
ing him she had brought him
money, and saved him money; borr
economical, she had developed ths
faculty into extreme meanness tt
gain his appreciation. Passion
would have been out of place at his
age and hers, but he esteemed her.
After a hard days work, DR.. Rad
ford had turned into bel with the
snug conviction that he was going
to remain undisturbed up to eight
o'clock on the following morning
for his last 'lady's case" was goins
ON as favorable as if civilization had
been unknown, and no fellow Great
ure looked to him for introduction
into the world for the nextfortnighi
to come. But at half past eleven
his sleep was broken by the nigh
bell, and he had to wrench himself
from his warm nook in the feathers
feel for his dressing gown and slip
pers, blunder into his dressing room
which looked out on the front of The
house, and opened the window.
"What is it?" he shouted, shiver.
ing as the frosty night air blew ir
upon his face and played about hi
unprotected legs.
"Please, sir, it's me-"
"Idiot!-your name?n
"Charles from the Hail."
"Then Charles from the Hall, you
may go back again, for I am no
coming"
any lady is very i'll, sir"
"Cant help it. Tell your master
that / won't attend him or his fami
lly, and he need send no more MESA
ges, as l shall muffle the night 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 clap
per of this confounded bell"
"What for?"
ITO get a good sleep, in spite o
Sir Timothy Grabham."
"Why, he has never sent fol
your
He has though, the insolent
screw; his wife is ILL.,"
well, well, don't tie up the bell
John; she may be really bad--dying
you know"
"What is that to me?"
II know they have treated us very
badly, a rich man like that to refuse
to pay for your attendance tits un'
heard of but other people might
want YOU"
''Not likely"
mo, but it isjust possible. Don't
muffie the bell"
need hardly tell the married
reader that the doctor got growing
into bed, with the bell claIper free
to rouse him out again. In an
hours time the bit of iron availed
itself Of that liberty, but for some
minutes DR.. Radford declined to
stir. Consideration Of his wife's rest
| however, at length induced him tc
turn out once more, and again &C
through the process ofrefrigeration
"Sir Timothy's messenger again !
suppose I" he cried.
mo" replied a well known voice
Il am here myself"
"For what purpose, Sir Timothy
Grabham, do you come and disturb
me, when you know very well thai
/ never intend to enter your doors
again?"
aAy, ay," replied the voice from
below but this isnot time to beal
malice. / tell you that my wife il
dangerously M-dying, ! believe
and If she dies for want Of medica
assistance you win be responsible.
"Not 80, the responsibility will al
lie on your own shoulders. ! am {
poor man working hard for my liv
ing, but no one ever knew me to ne
j slect patient because he could no
pay me. Two-thirds of my work il
done for nothing, or next to nothing