The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-12

On seeing Sir Kenneth Brandon
] Sister Catherine, Il long-nosed woman
With bright eyes, hurried forward as
superintendent of the ward.
The doctor introduced the two wo-
men to each other, and for while
Lady Sibthorpc, note book in hand,
was absorbed with statistics.
Nov take me round to your pa
tents. Sir Kenneth" She said when she
1ad done. Sister Catherine moved for
ward, a professional look on her bright
face. They stopped at every bed.
Lady Sibthorpe asked questions in a
business-l like way, and Sir Kenneth,
whose "hospital manner was pro-
verbal, addressed the patients in the
same tone he would have employed to
a duchess His way with women was
one of the things for which he was
! Justly famous. They had cometo the
end OF one Of the lines Of beds. and
were now turning up the other side 0
the room.
I'VE have new patient there, Sir
Kenneth" said the sister; No. ga
hopeless case-the last stage Of con-
sumption, aggravated by want and
dirt. They brought her in from one of
the common lodging houses. Poor
ature! she was in a terrible state
wnen she came"
"Indeedw calculated the great physi
ian, in his sympathetic voice.
All three approached the bed. The
PATIENTS back. was turned to him, but
as steps approached she tossed over
and lay on her back, her weekly vicious
! face, with its flush of color on each
cheek bone, looking sharply elnaciated
against the witnesses Of the pillow.
There We're streaks of gray in the dark
hair, and the eyes--Gull, slaty eyes,
which had once been blue-Were blood.
shot and red-ldded:
Sir Kenneth leaned forward and their
yes met in a long star 4 The
years seemed. 20 roll aWay.r
The doctors heart stood still. Great
God! Could this horrible wreck OF
womanhood be his wife? ~..-:. x x
And she was going to speakr It. was
fateful moment.
But No. % only langhed-an IN.
mirthful coarse and empty laugh
Oh, Lordl Are you here:" she NUT
cred, and tossed over.
The doctor drew a long breath; he
lad grown little paler before he
spoke. Poor creature; she mistakes
me for some one else. They often do
at the last" he whispered, and then,
taking down the usual card hungabove
the bed on which the patients age,
disease and diet, as well as the dooto.as.- t'e.
name N charge of the case, were writ
ten, he added urbanely: "Quite right
perfectly right. Dr.. Brown has or
iered everything that could possibly
be of use. Sister, look after this case
specially"
Lady Sibthorpe said something gra.
;ious and passed on. Not a feature Of
the strange scene had escaped her. 1t
was evident that something eXtraordl.
nary had happened. That these two
the fashionable physician and the pitt
able outcast on the hospital mattress
knew each: other she had now not the
smallest doubt. :: But the three moved
on to the next bed, smiling and chat
ting as they went. Presently Sir Ken
meth Brandon urged consultation at
the other end Of London at ) o'clock
and offered to drive Lady Sibthorpe
back, as she had sent away her car
ciage. They were both rather silent as
hey were howled along westward,
A few nights afterward they met, BY
accident, at a dinner The talk, like
the food, was stimulating: the wine,
like the beauty Of the women, was rare.
1t was in gracefully artificial moments
like these that Sir Kenneth, pessiIniSt
though he was, felt tenderly toward all
t. g world. Sir Kenneth, in fact, was
delighted, for he was deputed to take
Lady Sibthorpe down to dinner. She
was a woman who looked specially
we'll by candle light and at dinner tine.
Her teeth her shoulders, and her dia
monds We're proverbial--three things
which, added to her native wit, made
the widow a much-coveted dinner COM
panion. Sir Kenneth, indeed, had
never realized how devoted he was to
her before. And vet there was an ex-
preston in Lady Sibthorpe's eyes to-
night which he had never seen there,
and which he could not quite under
stand.
81 see from the papers that you have
been in Paris the last few days" she
said, as they ate their soup; Il hope
you have saved Europe one Of its ex-
crowned heads::"
''To anyone but you am profession,
ally tongue tied" whispered the doctor,
gallantly. "Her Majesty is now out OF
Hanger. l was, in fact, able to Leave
Paris by the II train-just in time to
tline here tonight. But haven't
opened single letter or telegram"
He kept the talk of the gossip of the
day until he saw the corners Of her
mouth give way with a little tired
droop.
land your article on the hospitals
said the doctor, bending his head ant
smiling at the charming woman at his
side, II hope you're going to let us
down easily"
"Ah, my article will be on quite an
other question:" said Lady Sibthorpe
II have been curiously interested in d
case which is typical Of one Of thegfeat
problems of modern society. I have
been three times to the 'Whitechapel
since that day"
u wish to heaven you would not run
any such risk! We doctors are hard
ened, you know, but there is always
the fear of infection for delicate wo