The Portland daily press., 1895-06-15

pack under gentle regime of zinc oint-
ment, was r alnted round with blister
ing fluid and found after three blasphe-
nous nights that his sore was stimulat-
ed into healil 1g. Mrs. Crowder, who had
always rega rded the birthmark upon
her second daughter, Eliza, as a sign
of the indig nation of the Creator at a
third helping of raspberry tart which
she had paI taken of during a critical
period, learn ed that, with the help of
two galyanio needles, the mischief was
not irreparal ole. In a month DR.. Yer
rinder Smith was known, and in two
she was famt )us.
Occasional ly DIR. Ripley met her as he
drove upon is rounds. She had started
a high dogoa rt, taking the reins herself,
with little tiger behind. When they
met, he inva riably raised his hat with
punctilious p oliteness, but the grim se-
verify of his face showed how formal
was the cor rtesy. III fact, his dislike
was rapidlyd d eepening into absolute det-
estation. '"T he unsexed woman wan
the descriptic N of her which he permit
ted himself t give to those of his pa
tients who sti II remained stanch But
indeed they we're rapidly decreasing
body, and eve, y day his pride was CALLED
by the news Of some fresh detection.
The lady had | somehow impressed the
country folk with an almost supersti-
tious belief in her power, and from far
and near they fiocked to her consulting
room.
But what 6 allied him most of all was
when she did something which he had
t. be impracticable. For
all his knowlt nge he lacked nerve as an
operator and usually sent his worst
cases up to london. The lady, how
ever, had no weakness of the sort and
took everythil lg that came in her way.
1t was agony to him to hear that she
was about to traighten little Alec Tur-
ner's club fo' ,t, and right at the fringe
Of the rumorc anne note from his moth
er, the rector Is wife, asking him if he
would be SC good as to act as chloro-
formist. It W. Duld be inhumanity to re-
fuse, as there was no other who could
take the plat 10, but it was gall and
wormwood to his sensitive nature. Yet
in spite of his vexation he could not but
admire the { lexterity with which the
thing was dor 70. She handled the little
waxlike foots 0 gently and held the tiny
tenotomy knit b as an artist holds his
pencil. Ones traight incision, one snick
of a tendon, and it was all over with
out stain IN the white towel which
lay beneath. He had never seen any
thing more i nasterly, and he had the
honesty to sa y SO, though her skill lin
creased his di slike of her.. The operation
spread her fai ne still farther at his ex-
pense, and Sc Il preservation was added
to his other 6 rounds for detesting her.
And this We ry detestation it was which
brought mat,ters to curious climax.
One winters might, just as he was ris-
ing from hi lonely dinner, a groom
came riding own from Squire Faircas-
ties, the rich ,st man in the district, to
say that his = laughter had scalded her
hand, and tina t medical help was needed
on the instalr {. The coachman had rid
den for the la Idy doctor, for it mattered
to tn 9 squire who came, as long
as it were spe >edily. DR.. Ripley rushed
from his sur 9 cry with the determine
tion that she S hould not effect an en-
trance into this stronghold of his if hard
driving on his, part could prevent it.
He did not ev' an wait to light his lamps.
but sprang In to his gig and few off as
fast as hoof or ,uld rattle. He lived rather
nearer to the squire's than she did and
was convince Il that he could get there
we'll before er
And SO he would but for that whim-
sical element Of chance which will for
ever muddle up the affairs of this world
and dumfountt, the prophets. Whether
it came from the want of his lights or
from his min dbeing fullof the thoughts
of his rival he allowed too little by
half foot il taking the sharp turn up
on the Bast ngstoke road. The empty
trap and the frightened horse clattered
away into the darkness, while the
squire's groq m gcrawled out of the ditch
into which b g had been shot, He struck
match, lod ked down at his groaning
companion, 1 md then, after the fashion
of rough, st .ong men when they see
what they hs we not seen before, he was
very sick.
The doctor raised himself little on
his elbow in the CLINT of the match. He
caught a glimpse Of something white
and sharp b1 istling through his trouser
leg, half wat down the shin.
"Compcur DIP he groaned. "a three
months job, and tainted.
When he anne to himself, the groom
was gone, fu. he had scudded off to the
squire's house. for help, but small page
was holding.algig lamp In front of his
injured leg, a rid woman, with an open
case Of polished instruments cleaning
in the yellow light, was deftly Sitting
up his trouse RS with crooked pair of
scissors.
"It's all tight, DOCTOR" said she,'
81 am SC sorry about it.
You can have DR.. Horton tomorrow,
but am sur syou will allow me to help
you tonight. could hardly believe my
eyes when I saw you by the roadside. :"