The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-23

were TO leave us, Sutley came in one
morning with n very grave face.
Prof. Loring's got tho smallpox"
he announced. What on cn-th can
we do for him?"
Prof. Loring was q naturalist and
botanist from an eastern college, who
had, few weeks previously, come to
study the fora and fauna of the Willow
Ridge region. He had, with SUITS per-
mission, built Il shantv about two miles
up the creek, where he lived all alone
among his bugs and snakes and lizards,
and we had seen very little of him. but
that little inclined us very much in his
favor.
"IIc went over in the hills to the In
dian camp for some snniscs." continued
SUIT, and. of course, caught il there
When l knocked this morning he called
to me and told me he had the smallpox,
and TO keep away, but to send l. doctor
if one was to bc had. But, great Scott
there isn't doctor within fifty miles,
for Doc Murray went east last week,
and he's the only one ut Snithbu:g"
We all sat silent for Il moment. Then
Teddy, with much con cer,i, for he had
become quite well acq tainted with the
professor, and liked him, remarl;cd
Poor old chap! l don't see wha.
can be done for him."
Has he," asked Potter, slowly, INC
one ut all, Mr.. Sutlcy?''
Not soul"
Then will go over and take care
of him. have studied medicine"
| am sure Miss Carnahan had no.
spoken to HIM for two days or moro,
and had feared it was all over be-
tween them; but when she started up
and circulated: wallace Potter, you
shall do nothing of the sort!' / knew
and was glad that there was still hope
for him and that Massachusetts girl.
Then, while we all knew that Prof.
Loring would die unless some one cared
for him-anyhow, perhaps-wc inter
posed all sorts of objections. 1t was
QuiXotic, wild, utterly foolish, said the
major. Why, the man was total
stranger, and the idea was not TO be
thought of for an instant Added tc
the majors objections and those of the
rest, were his daughters efforts to as
sert her auth orit.;' but it was no use
Potter was firm. ''it is my duty" he
said, simply, END that's all there is to
it"
Then, Wallace Io.,er, if you will dc
it, shall stay and take care of YOU"
And Miss Canadian said it rs if she
rneant it, and everyone knew that stay
! she would.
| don't know what Miss Carnahan
and Mr.. Potter said to each other dur
ing the half-hour they were alone to-
| gcthcr, right after the above convcrsa-
| ton, but | know that when he went
away after dinner, with his basket OF
medicines and things, she kissed him
before us all, and then went to her
room, where she remained over an
hour. joining us, later on, with sus-
piciously red eyes. 1 know also that
Teddy that evening, overcome by the
moonlight or something, proposed to
Miss Carnahun, and was kindly, but
firmly, refused, and informed that the
heart he asked for belonged to Mr..
Potter-much to Teddy's after satisfac
ton, as he informed SUIT and myself.
Because" said the young man, "il
would have put me in deuce of q
pickle. and, besides, l didn't really
mean it. 1t was because she looked sc
sweet at that moment that couldn't
think of anything else to say, guess
She's a lovely girl, and no mistake
but"
And in that simple "but" was con.
veyed q world of assurance TINT tho
little girl in Massachusetts still hel.r
the larger portion of Master Teddy's
eccentric heart
1t went hard with the unfortunate
sick man. and for time we feared he
could not live; but Potter was fighting
a good battle, and fighting to win, and
one morning, when Miss Carnnhar
and the scribe rode over, rs some of Us
did every day, with food and other nee.
essaries. the glad look on the worn
thin face of the brave nurse told us
that the victory was his
Then Miss Car nahan cried, and called
him hero, and her dear, darling
brave boy, quite regardless of the
| presence of the scribe. And now" she
concluded, Il suppose I'll have to take
care of you, just as knew l should"
| And SO she did. suppose that, nc
cording to accepted traditions. ought
| to kill off poor Potter at this point, or,
at least. bring him to deaths door; but
| I'll do nothing of the kind, for it didn't
happen that way. Potter was i'll, it
must be acknowledged, but the story
doesn't end with his untimcly demise
He didn't even have the smallpox, but
was just laid up few days from nerv-
Gus exhaustion. Then came the end OF
the story-at least, of Miss Carnahans
part. For Potter was pretty weak to
travel, and would mead good care, so,
ono day, the minister came over from
Smithburg, and performed, in the big
room of the ranch house. n marriage
ceremony rs binding as the most fash
ionable kind that obtain in New Yorl:
and when our guests went away
there wasn't any Miss Carnahan.