The advocate., 1894-04-25
CHAPTER XVI.
AN OLD SOLDIERS REWARD.


BURNS.
Sam Cotterells life hung by a fragile
thread. At first DR.. Darlington be-
lieVed the old mans spirit had left its
weary mortal tenement forever; but he
liked Kate, and knowing how she loved
her father and how the news of his
death would smite her, the Doctor, who
pitied, also, the moaning wife, put
forth with unusual vigor and perseVer-
ance every means his science knew for
restoring suspended animation; and OBJ
serving at last some faint but unmis-
taxable signs of vitality, he spoke for
the first time since he had begun his
examination, and spoke hopefully:
81 think likely that snow.drift saved
him; but 1t was close call"
AT these words, Mrs. Cotterell sprang
instantly to the Doctors side; for she
understood that they meant her hus-
band was not dead. She now aided the
Doctors efforts, and they soon had the
satisfaction of hearing COtterell's voice,
though feeble as yet:
"Mother, you amt been a-WOrryin'
Of Kate and John about it, have you?"
"No, SAM" replied Mrs. Cotterell
tenderly. 81 knowed you wouldn't
want me to, and they don't know
nothin' at all about it. /"
"YOu must not talk now, Mr.. Cot
terell," said the Doctor kindly, "nor
allow anything to worry you. Every
thing will be looked after by kind
friends"
"If only knew the critters"
"Your stock will be all right; it will
be looked after as well as If you were
around, so don't worry. Everything
depends on your keeping perfectly
quiet now"
"You want me to keep my fapper
shut spell? Well, III try to do it,
Doctor. My off legs givin' me hail
Columby, but I'll have to grin and
bear it, reckon" )"
This latter remark led the Doctor to
make another careful examination Of
Cotterell's frozen limbs, which, at first,
he had feared might have to be ampu.
tated. Cotterell having, in answer to
questions, described in his own char
aCteriStic way the nature Of his Sensa-
tions, the doctor deemed the indica-
tions favorable to complete recovery.
When he started away at last, Mrs.
Cotterell followed the medical man out
into the front yard to inquire:
"What do you think of him, Doctor?
Is he goin' to get well?'
eyes, hope he will, Mrs. Cotterell,"
said the Doctor, who was no longer the
man of easy selfshness we met in our
first chapter; that mortgage on his
opera house had changed him for the
better, and he could work from sympa-
thy now as hard as he once did for
money alone. "But we must be very
careful of him for several days-per-
haps for two or three weeks. No one
must be allowed to mention to him the
experience he has been through, nor
must he be permitted to talk about it.
He must keep very quiet, and must not
be allowed to worry. Persuade him
that everything is being looked after
all right. Unless complications which
donot now foresee should arise, hope
to see him up again soon. But he will
require good care; he is getting old,
you know. l shall return tomorrow.
Good-day."
For some days Cotterell was "out of
his head" and "flighty," as Mrs. Cot
terrell remarked to an inquiring neigh
Dor; and although she greatly wished
to learn how he came to be in the
snow-drift, Mrs. Cotterell did not &C
quire that coveted information until it
reached her through some neighbOrs
who were making free with the barn
one day. Cotterell's team had not
come home, and this strange conduct
on the part of those well-known quad
upeds was great neighborhood mys-