The Cecil Whig., 1886-06-12
Ro"o"'s. A"'''ot'. f''''o".
PRISCILLA
PART II.

went tripping past l)r. fOrman mouse
which stood on the opposite side Of th'
street. The moisture from the over
hanging branches Of the clm-trces wa
dripping upon her, and her boots were
q,ite soaked through. Across the way
the doctor was just stepping out of hi
buggy, and she stopped and debated
whether she should not go over anC
ask him to drive her quarter of milk
further down the road to St. Philip:
rectory. As she stood hcsitating, {
woman approached her out of the mist
and spoke.
'May | inquire she said, 'sthc way
to the house of the Reverend Mr.
Thorburn ?"
She was perhaps forty, and had once
been pretty. Even now a certain pa
thetic charm attached to her, and the
voice and accent were OF that cult
vated kind that established her title tC
be called lady, in spite of the ex-
treme plainness Of her attire.
"Nes,' said Priscilla, with ready po-
liteness; Gust down the road, the first
house to the left. You Will have to
wait an hour or two, perhaps, though,
for Mr. Ihorburn. He is seldom IN
before half past six. l am Mrs. Thor
burn, you see," she said, smiling.
The stranger looked at her for a mo-
ment with kind OF wide-eyed horror,
and throwing up her arms in the air
fell prone on the ground as if she had
received pistol-shot through the
heart.
Priscilla had meyer been brought face
to face with any startling emergencies
during her quiet life. She stood Tor q
moment frozen with terror, and then
ran like deer across to where Dr..
Forman stood giving some directions
to his man.
"Oh, doctor, come run as fast as
you can" She pointed to the pros
trate figure lying in the muddy road.
DR.. Forman gave one glance, anC
started at i smart pace, Priscilla keep,
ing up with him, and telling hin
breathlessly what had occurred. The
doctor bent down, turned the unfortu
nate woman over on her face, and sale
two words, dead faint"
Cant | do something's said Pris
ella, lowering near.
eyes. Go and tell Sam to com,
here at once, and then so home your
self. You'll have another touch 0
rheumatism if you 50 out in this wea
ther. | shall speak to Thorburn abou
it."
The doctor was man of authority
so Priscilla, after sending Sam oyer
and returning only to be sharply or
dered about her business, vert home
Mr.. ThOrburn was later than usual tha
night. A strike was threatened amon
the brick makers, and they had salt
they would treat with him and with n
one else. Next morning he was o.
| bright and early, Priscilla making III
mention of her aching joints. Befor
night the doctors promised touch c
rheumatism had set in. Priscilla mad
light of it, but agreed to send for Dl
Forman, and having two good servants
insisted that Thorburn should atten
to the business of averting the strike
Instead of coming himself, young ID
NultlS, III. Olllitill D dSSlStdIll, Cttlllt
DIR. Forman had a very i'll patien
Mrs. 1horburn inquired eagerly abou
the woman Who had dropped in til
street. DIR. Curtis had heard DIR. Fol
man say something about it, but SUP
posed it was ali right, as he had hear
nothing further on the subject. Mr.:
Thorburn would be all right too if sh
would stay in the house IN bad weather
and take care of herself.
The incident made no very particu
lar impression on Priscilla. But on tn
night after it had happened, DIR. Sur
bury got very pressing message fror
DR.. Forman. He went at once to tn
doctors house, picking his way throug
the dark November night and D.
Forman opened the door himself, an
led the way INTO his little back office
where he told his visitor of the patier
he had found in the street, and who :
that moment lay upstairs in the doc
tors spare bedroom, with the doctor
house-keeper in attendance ON her.
"And- she-is-" DIR. Forma
hesitated. "She is-the first wife {
Mr.. Thorburn."
DIR. Sunbury rose from his chair all
sat down again. He raised his han
as if in denunciation. "May Cod
"Wait. He is as guiltless as yo
are DR.. Forman paused a minui
or two, and then took up the thread {
his discourse where he had left off de
scribing his sending Priscilla Thorbur
home. 81 brought her. with my man
help, into the house, and had her pl
in bed. 1t was plainly nothing but
faint but she went from one faintin
spell INTO another, and when | had fiji
ally brought her round, the faintin
spell changed into commissions. Fc
hours | worked with her. At last
stopped them, and got her under th