Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-09

lady, but took no further interest in her all
menls No he nursed with an enthusiasm
and devotion not to be described. doubt If
any rheumatic spinster in red flannel was ev-
er 80 cared for before For four weeks was
the object of the most assiduous attentions
from two young people scarcely on speaking
terms with each other At the end of two
weeks more / was able to walk about. An
other fortnight aud l was pronounced able to
ride a donkey. By this time it might have
been supposed that as DR.. Manning felt no
interest whatever in Miss Sutherland the at
tendance of physician might have been dis
pensed with The Baroness Burdett Coutts
had Just married a man forty years younger
than herself, to be sure, but the case was not
parallel. Nobody on earth would have imag-
ined for q moment that the doctor was in love
with me.
There is nothing to do at Capri but make
excursions on donkeys. My return to health
was to be celebrated by donkey excursion,
and the arrangements for it finally brought
out from the doctor that after the day was
over he would betske himself to Naples. Up
to this time Miss Sutherland's imperturbabil-
ity had been almost equal to that Of her low
er. This announcement brought a feverish
color to her cheeks, and from the magnih
cent repose Of her usual manner she took to
eAulDNluB what IN hu elu6fly WOmhu WOulu
have been described as 'hdgets."
The objective point of our excursion was
the villa of Iiberius that is in the best repair.
There is great choice of them, each one
more like mass of dilapidated brick cellars
than the last. We started on a sunny morn
ing on two of the most obstinate and refrac-
tory donkeys that Capri produces The doc
tor preferred to walk, which he did by my
side. Each donkey was conducted by peas
ant woman with immense earrings and no
shoes. Now to these creatures had been CIV
en- the directions by an obliging landlady to
take us through the most beautiful portion of
the island to the villa. The donkey woman
of Capri is an indescribable mixture of man,
woman and beast. They are as strong as
men, as loquacious as women, as stupid and
obstinate as their own donkeys. In this in
stance, however they did as they were bid.
We bad been riding an hour or more, Miss
Sutherland in advance, and the doctor with
his hand on my saddle exhibiting all the de-
votion that a young man naturally feels
toward wrnkled spinster of fifty, when
there was halt on the part Of the donkeys,
and chorus from the women "Signora
signora Val di Matrimonio, sgnora val di
Matrimonial"
Miss Sutherland had not caught the words,
and indignant at the additional outburst of
patois inquired: "What is the matter with
them? Is it anything extraordinary Z"
| have wholesome terror of Miss Suther-
lands moods, but the doctor had apparently
survived his, for he answered. very coolly
"We are apparently upon the verge of the
Valley of Matrimony, and the donkey wom-
en- are calling our attention to the fact.
There was silence that under the circum-
stances was painful. Miss Sutherland tried
to look dignifed from the top of her donkey
! ip,vnppibla Abipp har Tho
doctor succeeded without trying in looking
savagely bitter from his position at the tail of
| mine.
To relieve the situation opened Bsedeker.
60 The so.called Val di Mitromsnis, some
times called Matrimony by the islanders, de-
scends eastward to the sea at the base of the
Tuoro Grande."
"Ah, " said the doctor, ''it certainly does
descend eastward"
| | went on:
" The Grotto di Mitromania, or Grotto of
Mithras, a shrine of the Persian god of the
sun, to which one hundred and thirty steps
| descend"
This time Miss Sutherland was ready with
remark
"We must see the grottU, by all means"
To this objected on the score of the one
hundred and thirty steps and the doctor
agreed with me.
shall always think that it was the pecul-
iarly chilly ana disagreeable tone of the doc
tors voice that sent Miss Sutherland precipi-
lately toward the brow of the hill. In half a
moment she was off her donkey and explain
ing in her choicest italian to group of wom-
en- and small boys that she would not have
either their assistance or their company in de.
scending the ragged steps, The peasants
shook their heads doubtfully, and shrieked,
half in warning, half in fury, at being disap
pointed of their soldi. The doctor never NOV
ed muscle, and in two minutes more the cir
was out of sight. By way of relief to bi:
mind and my own nerves. we began to dis
course eloquently on Italian scenery. Final
ly the subject could not be avoided any long
er.
Doctor, said l, find out if you can from
these women how long it ought to take to de
scend to that grotto and come back again"
The labor of this investigation was dread
full. The doctor talked and the women scream
ed. Time enough was consumed to have los
a dozen lives, when he announced as the re-
suit of his struggles that Miss Sutherland
should have returned long ago.
Doctor" 1 exclaimed, 'that girl has bro
ken her neck" "
"Wenw
"Wen!" 1 shrieked. ''Is it possible 20,
don't care anything about it?"
"On the contrary, am rather pleased a
such an appropriate denOuement She ha
broken my heart, nearly lost your life, AM
what could be more suitable than for her T.
finish by breaking her own neck ?"
This was pretty speech from man il
love!
'Will you go down and look for her? ?"
Certainly, if you will go with me. w
shall probably find her sitting on rock po
litely Indifferent to our feelings, and medita
ting on her next new bonnet"
He positively declined to go unless wen
with him. Further solicitude on Miss Suth
erland's behalf it was not in DR.. Manning
programme to bestow. Hand in hand, an
assisted by a sturdy peasant woman, W
scrambled down that horrible precipice. Th
shrine of the Persian god, a cave with archie
and walls of brick, was passed, but no sign Q
Miss Sutherland's presence,
Presently, looking over a small cliff, we sa'
the young woman half sitting half lying, o
a rock
rs anything the matter ?" the doctor cal
ed out.
mo. nothing-not exactly"
The words were precisely those Miss Sutl
erand would have liked to utter in her firm
est tone. The tone she did utter them in We
one that denoted an agony of suppresse
pain.
: nc hOStOA hSoiN ~ duAsS 10 "SA 10 N'N
but he did not move.
"Will you come up, or shall come dow
to you ?"
, By this time we could see the white, draw
face. The doctor took two steps forward an
stopped.
Miss Sutherland, Spartan though she wa
had borne all she could bear. Both arms wei
., held out, and the weakest kind of voice al
swered
II cannot come. Come to me-"
There was really "nothing-not exactly
! the matter with Miss Sutherland but broke
: ankle and dislocated shoulder,
What piece of work it was, carrying hi
/, up that dreadful hill And how did We ev'
manage to get her all the way back to Il
. pension without killing her Tears stood
. the doctors eyes as he handed her to first OF
and then the other of the stout peasants wi
. helped him with his burden. That was Il
. only sign of weakness on either part.
8 The doctor manages his wife there is I
: doubt about that Just precisely what syste
, of discipline was inaugurated among the len
e on groves of Capri, when Miss Sutherland
= ankle was fully mended and her shoulder sc
J. tied in its rightful place, / don't pretend
: understand. 1t is all very well for him, but
II for me, when / undertake my next charge,
: hope she will be a commonplace young pc
and