The evening times., 1895-11-08
A Modern Cupid.
Continued from yesterdays Evening Time.


ened enioirsn OF all the better possibilities
OF iife-thau 1 nesitated to breathe any
thing OF my love for her. More than thia
1 was poor. AMI 1 had nothing to Offer
any woman tnaI would draw her TO me;
such was my thought.
l met her often, in the many sQualid
places to which was called: sometimes shs
came TO the surgery In urgent cases-rars
and hurried visits. the memory OF which I
treasured.
Once she came late at night to summon
ME, l remember now how saw her then,
standing in the little surgery, with the neat
little bonnet. with its dependent veil, shroud-
ing enviousiy The wayy brown hair.
Il am sorry, DR.. Richards, she said, but
there Is boy who is very i'll, and want
you to conn. TO him. It's fever, and he has
been taken suddenly; have got him in bed"
III come at once, nurse" said. But
there is nothing to be sorry about; the pity
is that you should have to keep at IL ike
this, at all hours of the day and night"
"Oh, that's nothing" she answered, suil-
ing. I'm used to it,
Il have often wondered" said, as We
walked on tuward the place. THAT you have
never taken up some quieter branch OF your
profession There are So many better pa
tients whom you might get, 81 many better
people among whom you might work,
under improved conditions as regards cum.
fort. and
NO. no." she said burriedly. IL have
NO wish to chang. 1 like these people;
am glad to be able to help them, even 80
little"
''who Is your patient?'' 1 asked pres
emily. do knew him.
''Oh. he is a most terrible boy" she
replied, laughing, 1.-THE terror of all the
people about here. / believe his name il
Green
Not Ginger Greenr' cried. Il haven't
seen him for a day or two, and wondered
what was the NATTER
Il believe that is the tile they give
him." she said. smiling Here is the place
mind this step-I am used to it. you see.
Shall l go first?'
She went up the dark and rotten stair.
case, that aked even beneath her light
tread. and I followed. In room at the
top OF the house l found the boy on
wretched bed, tossing In a high fever.
He nodded in his old familiar fashion,
and spoke in weak voice:
''Lor' lummyi Things is aIookin' upi
Ny doctor-an' my nussl 'Adn't yer bet
ter old consooltashun about this 'ers
case. guv'nor? An I'll tike little sham
pine, II il don't make no odds, an I'll ave
II dry
You be quiet, Ginger" 1 said. control
ling my face ''and keep still, and do ex-
dCtlS as tLe nurse tells YOU
Right yer are. guv'nor,' he replied,
philosophically. 'On'y mind yer keep my
strength up-I mustn't be let down-my
constitooshun won't stand it,
He was certa inly very ill, but Mary was
with him almost night and day, and I
went TO see him almost night and day, and
for reasons not wholly connected with him
SELF. II was on one Of these occasions thatI
first confessed my love 10 her. Perchance
F,sr.
in that squalid room-drew the confess
sion from me. Ginger was almost conva-
lescent then. and had, after his delirium,
fallen into sleep which told me that his
danger was over
To my surprise. Mary Esmond shranE
away from me and covered her face with
her hands.
1t has come at last" she said, In low
voice. sobbing bitterly as she spoke. II
have known that that first mistake must
cling to me forever. / have known that
some day L should meet some good man
who would love me. and who could be to
ne all that L could desire, and that then
hat mistake should hold me back and
say: You shall not"
1 was beside her in an instant and my
arms were u bout her.
MARY. for the love OF heaven" said.
don't torture me like this What mistake
10 you mean? What mistake cau you
have made at any time, my darling-r
But she thrust me away from her.
Il must tell you. you must know now.
had thought to hide it here, to bury myself
here. and to live my life and do some little
good, and be remembered, perchance, for
that and the rest forgotten. But It can.
not be, 1 suppose. IL am grateful, DIR.
for all that you have said; 1 am
more, much more, than grateful. But it
cannot be. l am married woman"
1 looked al her increduously, and would
nave spoken. but she stopped me gently and
went on.
When l left school I met a man who
vas. TO my girlish fancy, all that my dreams
lad painted. l ran away and married him.
only too soon l discovered the bitter wreck
had made of my life. win not dwell upon
{; suffice it that he was coarse and COM
non creature, possessing no manly attrt.
,utes. l left him; fought my way alone;
trained myself for this; hid myself here.
Ie ma y find me again when be wantsmoney.
hat is my story"
In pity and distress took her In my arms
gain, and she leaned her head upon my
,reast and cried there softly for a few
minutes. Then she gently disengaged her.
elf. But held her for an instant.
Mary, give me some crumb of comfort, 10
here is no hope for me. II you love me-if,
nder happier circumstances, you could have
lcssed my life-put your lips to mine.'
IL was Just at that moment that Ginger
woke. and we were startled by the exc
lamation in a low voice:
"0h. my eye!''
Marysprang away and busted herself with
he window curtain. walked across to the
'atien,, who was regarding me with grin.
IS | drew near he whispered:
"Ain'tshe daisy guv nor2 But. guv'Dor.
traight. l didn't mean to say Duffink;
aven't Grabbed it, ave I?'
Thereafter Ginger's admiration and grati-
ude to his ''nuss, as he called her. knew no
ounds. He would folio W her respectfullyat
distance; he neglected his precarious BUSH
ess disgra cefully in order to be near her
nd to perform small services for her.
One night, some months after his illness,
e burst suddenly into my surgery, and sank
nto a chair, and regarded me with a blank
Expression of terror. I saw that lie was
in every limb.
''Gawd 'elp me, guv'nor," he whispered.
I've done it this time. an no error. lisa
lnging Job-that's wot 1t is, guv'nor''
BY degrees got his story fromhim, told in
rks.
II was walkin' along be'ind my nuss,
-hen a bloke 'e stops in front OF 'er. an
eaks-an' she shoves 'er 'ands on 'er face,
nd begins to cry. Then the bloke lays old
+ 'er arm, and speaks rough like. an shakes
n. an e says: so I've found yer, ave ~
n e shakes 'er agin. An I rushes up to
m an jumps on i'm, an e staggers, wi
lie on top OF i'm, an'-oh. Lord!-he goes
ght over In the road. an a railway wan was
comm round the corner, and it misses me
n goes slap ler is ed. An 1t warn't my
iult, guv' v'nor-sw'elp me, it warnt: on'y
ieant to make I'm let go of my nuss. An
ley We took i'm to the 'orspital. guv'nor"
had started up in my excitement, when
suddenly saw Mary's quiet figure in the
,om. Her upraised hand stopped me.
e" You can do nothing" she said, in low
lice.