The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-03-21
1 WENT OUT.


the eager students. That beautiful old
woman is too much for them; they sit
down and are dumb, and gaze at her
These rough boys feel the power of her
presence. She walks in quickly, but
without haste; dressed i'll her mulch,
her neckerchief, her white dimity short
gown, her black bombazinc petit
coat, showing worsted stockings and
her carpet-shocs. Behind her was
James with Rab. James sat down in
the distance, and took that huge and
noble head between his l1ness. Rab
looked perplexcd and dangerous; for
ever cooking his ear and dropping it az
fast
Allie stepped up on u seat. and laid
herself on the table, as her friend, the
surgeon told her; arranged herself,
gave rapid look at James, shut her
eyes. rested herself on me, and took nv
hand. The operation was at once be-
gun; it was necessarily slow; and
chloroform-one of Gods best gifts to
his suffering children-was then I'M
known. The surgeon did his work.
The pale face showed its pain. but was
still and silent. Rab's soul was working
within him; lie saw something strange
was going on-blood flowing from his
mistress, and She suffering; his ragged
canvas up.and importunatc; he growled
and gave now and then n sharp, i'm
patient yelp; he would have liked to
have done something to that man. But
James had. him firm, and gave him n
glover from time to time, and an init
nation of Il possible llicll-all the better
for James, it kept his eve and his mind
off Allie
1t is over; She is dressed steps gently
and dcccntly down from the table, looks
for James; then turning to the surgeon
and the students she curtsics-and in
low, clear voice, begs their pardon il
she has behaved ill. The students-all
of us-wcpt like childrcn; the surgeon
Mapped her up carefully-and, resting
on James and INC, Allie went to her
room, Rab following. We put her to
bed. James took off his heavy shoes.
crammcd with Jackets, hccl-capt and
toc-dapt and put them carefully under
the table, saying, ''Maister John, I'm
for name o yer strange nurse bodies for
Allie. I'll be her nurse, and I'll gang
about on my stoclIin' solos as cannv as
pussy" And SO he did: and handy and
clever, and swift and tender as any
woman. was that horny-handed, smell.
peremptory little man. Everything She
got he gave her; he seldom slept: and
often saw his small shrcwd eyes out
OF the darkness fixed on her As be-
fore, they spoke little
Rab behaved well, never moving
showing us how meek and gentle he
could be. and occasionally in his sleep.
letting us know that he WAS demolish-
ing some adversary. lie tooI Il walk
with me every day. generally 10 the
Candlcmaller Row; but lie was sombro
and mild; declined doing battle. though
some fit cases offered. and indeed sub
mitted to sundry indignities; and was
always very ready to turn, and came
faster back. and trotted up the stair
with mach lightness, and went straight
to that door.
jess, the mare, had been sent. with
her wcathcrworn cart, to Howgate,
and had doubtless her own dim and
placid meditations and confusions. on
the absence of her master and Rab and
| her unnatural freedom from the road
and her cart.
For some days Allie did well. The
wound healed by the first intention
| for, as James said. "Oor Allies skin,
| over clean TO bell" The students came
| in quiet and anxious, and surrounded
| her bed. She said she liked TO see their
young. honest faces. The surgeon
dressed her. and spoke to her in his
own short, kind way, plying her
| through hi, eyes. Rab and James ont.
si.,e the circle, --i;ab being now recon
ciled, and even cordial and huyino
made up his mind that as yet nobody
required worrying Bat, rs you mas.
suppose. sniap,r p.::.il;
| So far well: but, four days after the
operation. my patient had sudden and
! long shvcring, Il ''eroossin'," as She
called it. saw her soon after; her
eyes were too brigh., her check colorcd;
she was restless, and ashamed of being
so; the balance was lost: mischief had
begun. On looking at the wound, a
blush of red told the secret: her pulse
was rapid. her breathing anxious and
quick; she wasn't herself, as she said,
and was veXed at her restlcssnass. We
tried what we could. James did every.
thing, was everywhere; never in the
way, never out Of it; Rab subsidized I'M
der the table into n dark place, and was
motionless, all but his eye, which fol-
lowed everyone. Allie got worse; be-
gan to wander in her mind, gently;
was more demonstrative in her ways to
James, rapid in her questions, and sharp
| Mt times. He was veXed, amp said. She
was never that way afore; no, never. "
For time she knew her head was
wrong, and was always asking our
| pardon, -the dear. gentle old woman:
then dclirium set in strong, without
pause. Her brain gave way, and then
came that terrible spectacle
| "'rhc intellectual power, through words and