The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-20

81 did not know, my lady. Miss
Daisy has not been 50 bad TILL just late
ly. May L make bold to suggest, my
lady, to send for the doctorf"
doctor Partridge Is doing her no
good, " says Lady Gwendolen Craufurd
IN the firm, calm, almost cold way that
is habitual with her. II have no talth
in him. | have returned 50 recently to
England that | know little"
"Doctor Avrell, my lady, Is the first
physician in London in London" in
terposes the nurse. "All the quality
has him."
Lady GwendOlen has been bending
over her child. Now she raises herself,
and saws almost sharply
Whom did you say?'
doctor Avrell, my lady. Shall l
send for himfn
"Send for him at once. Doctor Phil
lip Avrell?"
Yes, nv lady; you must have heard
Ofhim. He brought Lord Candy through
when all the others had given him up"
go quickly then and the nurse van
ishes.
Lady Gwendolen presses one jeweled
hand to her forehead, and so stands.
''Philip Avrell, Philip Avrelll" she
murmurs. "Heaven help mel Is 1t
my faultY"
Once more Philip Avrell sat alone.
The last patient had been gone some
time, and he had tried to turn to his
writing again.
The door-be ell rang loudly; but this
time he did not heed it, and he stat ted
when Eliot entered.
"A man, sir, who comes from Mr..
Craufurd's, wishes to see you. lie
seems in a great hurry"
Doctor Avrell stepped out into the
hail His son has perhaps had a re-
lapse" he thought, with some anxiety.
LADY Gwendolen's compliments,
Doctor Avrell," said the man, land
furd is very ILL.,"
Doctor Avrell fell back a step from
the glare of the lamp, and a sudden
flush rose to his face, which however
soon died away, leaving it even paler
than usual.
"You do not come then from Gros-
venor street," he said.
"No, sir, from Berkely Square-Lady
Gwendolen Craufurd's house. Miss
Daisy has fever, l think sir. Can you
come, sir?"
II will come round in a quarter of an
hour" answered the doctor; and the
nan thanked linn and went out.
"GwendoFen Craufurdl" murmured
Philip Avrell, looking upwards. "Was
it then a subtle instinct telling me she
was near that LED me back again to the
old dayS? And she is in troubled His
chlldl' He paused and drew a deep
breath, then he whispered very softly,
Her child; let me think of that"
The little child lay tossing and moan
ing, and the mother sat In fearless
| agony, nerving herself for the moment
she dreaded 50 terrihly-the moment
| which she had dreaded these fifteen
years past, And now it had come at
last, and she was to meet him once
more at the bedside of her child-Claude
Craufurd's child.
He was noble and gentle; he will not
remember it, she murmured over and
over again. ''IIe will not reproach me
now-nOr here. Ahl' She raised her
head, and the beautiful eyes were fixed
upon the door. That voice, that baum
ting voice, so sweet, so lowl
''In here?" were all the words that
struck on her listening ear; and then
he entered.
He came round to her side of the bed
She had steeled herself then to calmness
even to GOODNESS; but she dared not of
fer her hand-she only let it lie passive
~ for a second in his. Was she not
Gwendolen Craufurd2 Then she stood
back and watched him as he bent over
her child.
How long has she been SOP" asked
the physician. turning to her at length.
"She was so when / came in from a
concerto answed Gwendolen-and her
voice was quite steady. "She was only
a little feyerish when | left the house;
but she has bten aIling for some days"
"Have you had advice for herp"
doctor Partridge mas been attend
ing her: but | have no faith in him.
'She is very ill.,"
but you can save her?" came with
such intense appeal from the mothers
pale lips. "You will ave her-you
will not let her die2 She is all-all l
have"
He caught the last woi DIS, although
her voice had sunk to a whisper, and
they pierced him to the heart. Too
well he read her story in the despairing
utterance, "she is all l have.'
''If | can save her, ! will, Lady
Gwendolen," he said gently; "but she
is very i'll. She has been allowed to
get too weak, and the oppression on the
chest is very great"
A strange, almost a fierce CLEAN into
Gwendolen's eyes, and her slender fin
gers were tightly locked together.
IL do not say there Is no hope" said
Philip Avrell-''on the contrary | think
I there is room for hope; but she will
want the very greatest care. nursing
more than anything Shall | send you
a nurse?"
81 will nurse her myself" answered
Gwendolen, with a quiet steadfast de-
termination in her low tones.
"You?' The physician looked doubt
full You do not look very strong"
Il am strong. | can do anything; |
can endure to the last" she answered
| in the same tone. you need not fear
for her, that l shall fail Just when | am
most wanted. must nurse her N.Y.
self" She raised her lustrous eyes to
his face for the FIRST time. won't
you trust me?" she said half timidly.
''You must say Yes | have"-she
paused, and then, her eyes dropping,
seemed to go on without dificulty-"I
have a motive strong enough to make
me dare anything"
lie glanced keenly at her, and an icy
chill struck his heart.
You shall nurse her, y he said quiet
w.. sit Will be better for her to have
some one she knows about her, Now
attend to me-"
She listened while he gave his direc-
tions-she was the nurse. he the ply
stefan.
II will stay for the present, he said,
''and give her something which | hope
will induce sleep"
"You are kind, Doctor Avrell. 1t is
late; we must not keep you. Mary Is a
good girl; she is in the next ROOM"
,tMv personal comfort Is nothing