Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-09-05

for she had seen enough to cOnvinc
her that her fathers will was law t
the motherless girl, and she meant t
make her will law also at some futur
date. Very excellent plans, no doubt
and tolerably feasible; but tn
/ planner of them was scarcely fittet
for the post Of sick-nurse, and so Dr.
Lenrard saw. He did not see the rea
| reason, but ne saw enough to cOnyinc.
], him that Mrs. AthertOn was inclined
to neglect her charge, and spend he
time in the tiny drawing-room, mouth
ing oily consolation to that charges
/ papa.
1t was late in the afternoon wher
| the summons reached DR.. Leonard
| later still when he stood at the door
/ of the Leighs. 1t was open, and he
went in, and into the little sitting
| room. No one was there and, rather
annoyed, he rang the bell smartIv
In answer TO it Mr.. Leigh himself ap
peared, and presently Mrs. Atherton
Paying little heed to her softly ut.
tered but incessant lamentations over
the shameful ingra titude of the Sery-
ants and her own painful position, he
requested to see his patient.
Lefty was in a high fever: her
cheeks burning crimson, ner gray
eyes flaming and flashing, her long.
tLlck hair tossed back over the pill
lows She did not know the doctor.
she knew no one; and her shrill voice
went on without pause or stop. but
ner words were meaningless: she was
delirious.
How long has she been like this .,
was his first question. what medi-
cine has she taken:" his next.
1t seemed the answer to neither
pleased him, for he gave a little
anxious frown, and emptying the glass
that stood half full on the table. he
asked for a clean one, and then pre-
pared fresh potion, and held it to
the sick girls lips. She drank it
eagerly; it was acid, and she liked It.
When 1t was drained to the last drop.
and Mrs. Atherton had left the room
TO attend to his directions, the doctor,
standing by the bedside, laid his cool
hand Oh the girls hot, throbbing
brow. At his touch the bright. dreamy
eyes Enclosed, and the red lips smiled
gratefully.
You are kind she said. 81 like
you. Don't go away again-don't
leave me. They all hate me. every
one hates me now, you know; for she
cursed me, and the curse has never
left me. Never
The eyes closed again YEARLY. and
the little hand that had been raised to
touch his sunk down. The potion was
doing its work.
The doctor sat quietly by the bed
side and waited for Mrs. Anterior, in
Wardly chatting at the delay. Every
now and again the gray eyes would
open to see if he was still there, and
then close, content that he was.
AS he sat and looked down on the
pale, young face lying within a yard
of his own, and met the trusting, low
ing gaze of those shy eyes that had
never met his in health, a vague. half
blsSful, half-painful thought grew in
his brain; and yet it was scarcely d
clear thought, only a suspicion, a Won
dering surmise; but faint as it was. 1t
made him think with yearnlng pity Of
the slight hold that young life had on
this world. When at length Mrs.
Anterior came back he left his direc-
tons with her and returned to his own
home.
Every visit showed DR. Leonard
more clearly that no attention was
being paid by Mrs. Anterior to Lefty.
He had pronounced her illness fever
of the brain, and not infectious, and
on his word the servants came back
but that did not mend matters as far
as she was concerned; indeed it made
them rather worse; for when Mrs.
AthertOn sat and talked for the hour
together to Mr.. Leigh, he let himself
enjoy her batteries with an easy con-
science, thinking that one of the serv-
ants was watching by Lefty. Instead
of that the doctor often found her
alone, and parched with thirst: and at
such times he always attended to her
wants himself, in preference to seeing
Mrs. Anterior about her. Once, COM
ing early in the forenoon, he found
her sitting up in bed, her hair pushed
back from her face. and looking so
pale and collected, that he thought on
the first glance that the fever had left
her. AS he went forward to the bed
he saw that she held an old shoe IN
!, con n Or
and examining eagerly.
1t was a wOman's shoe, very small,
very dainty altogether, and had once
been a pale drab color. 1t was too
small ever to have fitted Letty's foot.
! and the interest she showed III it
! puzzled the doctor.
what is that, Letty?" he asked
gently touching her hand to attract
her attention. She looked UP at him
no parl1le Of recognition in her eyes.
1T is a little, little bit of the curse
she left behind her on the sands, the
night she followed US, the night
heard her sobbing breath al round MT
in the air 1 found it in a puddle OF
the shore: the earth wouldn't swallow
i it, because, you see, it was part o.
j her curse, and deserved it. l didn't
think so then; but l know now l did
! | knew it as soon as ever he gave owe
! noticing me: he would not look at me
he never spoke to me; and l did s.
love him.
: The wild, bright eyes were brimme'
with tears as she repeated over an
f over again that mournful plant