The National tribune., 1893-05-18

shoulder into the palm OF MS lett nand, ana
bringing the stock to his face, fired q
snapshot at the dimly-seen bird. 1t was all
done in an instant. Lena had no time to
start back, and the sportsman, with his eyes
keenly fixed upon the flying bird, did not
see her against the background of the ruin.
A sudden, sharp pain darted through the
girls temple. She gave terrified cry, put
her hand to her forehead, and felt the warm
blood trickling over her fingers. Then she
tainted away.
When she came to her senses, she found
herself lying on the top of the escarpment,
with the young sportsman bending over
her and stanching the blood which still
flowed from her temple with his handker-
chief
"Oh, my God!" he groaned. "Have 1
killed her?" Then, seeing Lena's eyes open,
look of intense gratitude and joy broke
over his face, and he exclaimed: "Thank
heaven!"
Lena sat up " am not killed, I guess"
she said, with wan smile; but / am
afraid | have bad flesh wound Water
bring me some water, please!'
The young man leaped to his feet and
sprang down the hillside. 1t seemed scarcely
a minute before he was back again, with his
silver pocket-cup filled with water. "Can
you forgive me?D he pleaded, as he placed
the cup in Lena's hand. "Truly, l never
saw you until heard you cry out. But it
was so careless of me!o
oh it was not your fault" said Lena,
touched by his evidently keen distress. 81
suppose l ought not to have been wander
ing around in unexpected places, at such an
hour in the morning but it was about my
only chance to see the old fort After all,
guess am not so very badly hurt"
May | seq" asked the young man. He
gently raised the clOtted hair from Lenas
temple, dipped his handkerchief in the
water which remained in the cup, and
sponged away the blood. Lena could not
help noticing how light and def and careful
his touch was. care you a doctor?' she
asked, with a sudden confidential impulse.
! am studying medicine" he replied with
a smile. There" he added, in tone of
great relief. i see just what has hap
peued. One pellet of shot, and only one,
has ploughed along the upper part of the
temple, leaving really little more than
deep scratch. A little warm water with
some linen bandages and antiseptic dressing,
will heal it very quickly. Where do you
live? ?"
" live in-in Boston," said Lena.
Indeed" cried the young man. Then he
laughed. s. can't get you home as quickly
as L hoped, if that is the case" he explained.
" But where are you stopping in this vicin-
ity?"
al am at the hotel-the-the Milwaukee
Beer HoteIin exclaimed Lena, desperately.
" I was obliged to go there. 1 missed my
train, and had to stay somewhere over
night"
" I understand understand" cried the
young man. Then he burst into laugh,
quiet, weIl-bred, but 20 infectious that Lena
could not help joining him. After that
mutual laugh they felt quite well acquainted
with each other.
&" L have rig in the barn over yOnder,"
said the sportsman. " drove over from the
Pavilion Hotel at Tt, for the early morning
duck shooting IF you will wait for me
here, or if you feel able to walk with me to
the barn, I will drive you at once to doctors
office in III village. and we will have your
wound properly dressed. Meanwhile, let
me bind it up with my handkerchief"
Lena not unwillingly submitted. Then,
rising, she said: " / think l can walk nicely,
thank you. I will walk to the Junction,
and you may send doctor there"
"Neverl" cried the young man, firmly.
Never will | allow you to do that Now,
come" he added, pleadingIy, "don't stand
cumstances as the present-please DON'T
Let me do for you what would do for any
body, man, woman or child, whom I had
been so unfortunate as to injure as have
you. Be reasonable, please! Let me drive
you to a doctors office"
And Lena consented to be reasonable
The Winter succeeding Lena Capen's adj
venture at old Fort.Ticonderoga was a gay
one in Boston social circles. AS usual, all
sorts of brilliant, delightful, and audaciOusly
irreprOachable things were done in sweet
charity's name 1t was at q charity ball in
the Mechanics Institute Building that Lena
one evening saw a well-remembered face
that made her heart beat fast with sudden
emotion. The face was one among a party
of young Harvard Medical School students
who had Just come into the room in body.
Forthwith the gay decorations and the bril-
liant throngs seemed to float away from the
girls mental vision, and instead there rose
before her silhouette of dark, ruined walls,
a morning fog creeping over the surface of
| the water below, ghosts of old heroes drift
ing to and fro in the mist and then
Miss Capen, permit me to introduce to
you my young friend, DR.. Grayson. We all
call him Doctor though he doesn't expect
I commission to hang out his shingle for
two years yet" The speaker was the
Capen's old family physician, DR.. Wells.
And Grayson?-well, Grayson was quite
as recognizable i'll conventional evening
dress as in corduroy shooting suit.
A vivid blush dyed Lena Capen's lovely
face as she graciously extended her hand.
1 think have met DR.. Grayson before"
she said.
"Indeed?" cried Dr. Wells. g am glad
of it. His father and / were classmates at
the Medical School, and have been fast
friends ever since. You will pardon me for
| making you acquainted a second time, will
you not? Grayson, why didn't you tell
me?"
Lena and DR.. Grayson exchanged deeply
amused glance. 81 will explain it all to
you later on, Doctor" said the young man.
1t is quite long story" Then he begged
the next dance of Lena; and thereafter it
might have been remarked that ditto
would have answered quite as we'll as
"Grayson ON her dance-list.
Two years passed. It was June of an
other sweet Summer. The Pavilion Hotel
at Ticonderoga was beginning to receive its
,rNta Of nit fbara