The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1895-02-12
NUMBER 49,"


doomed out of the fog as the doctors
brougham drew up, with jerk, under
the portico. Against the dark lining
of the carriage the set face Of a man
inside was visible by the light OF q
portable lamp. It was the face OF a
man whose mind is not at ease. There
were irritable folds at the corners of
the mouth, a restless look in the keen
eyes, even as they travelled over the
page he was reading. Sir Kenneth
Brandon only shut his book as he
stepped out and entered the White
chapel Hospital. The doctor always
read as he drove about London from
one consultation to another. 1t was
his habit to allow himself no leisure
for idle thoughts.
Sir Kenneth Brandon was one of the
ew London doctors whose names are
familiar abroad. He had made one
big discovery, he had done great
Geal of useful work, and at 50 he was
already making large income. His
recent knighthood was popular-not
only among his patients, but among
his professional brethren-and his din
nerS were among the incest in town.
And yet many people and, who
knows? perhaps Sir Kenneth himself
missed a hostes' smile, a Woman's win
ming phrases, at his brilliant dinner
table in Wimpole street. Sometimes
If ever ne had time to think-per-
haps the great physician might have
regretted the pretty, bad-tempered,
foolish wife, whom he had scolded and
neglected in the old days; the child
for she was little more-Who had fin
ally lefs their dlngy suburban villa for
good; the girl he might have saved be-
fore it was too late-for at first she
had left his house after one Of their
miserable, sordid squabbles, and had
gone back to her father and it was only
after humiliating scene with her hus-
band that she had finally disappeared.
She had disappeared, and she had never
come back. The police had been un-
able to find trace Of her, beyond tkat
she had first gone to Spain with some
man who was unknown to him. After
that all was a blank. To all intents
and purposes his wife was as one who
is dead. Yet the embittering quarrels
of those early years; his severity when
he should have been lenient; his care
lessness when he ought to have
watched over the foolish young life
that he had sworn to cherish and pro-
tect-were facts which, though he sell
dom allowed himself to think Of them,
had LETT their traces written on the
great physicians face.
Inside the large hall, where mar
bic statue of the Queen loomed chilli
ly out of the vague half-light, a lady
was already waiting for him. fair,
high-bred face, with something OF the
look of the student, modernized by a
slightly bored air, such as is often seen
in cultivated woman OF the world.
Lady Sibthorpe was widow OF leisure,
and was internationally interested in a
variety of questions. She occasionally
wrote short article for one Of the
monthly reviews, preferring such top
les as do not usually commend them
selves to the more tender-hearted sex,
for she by 10 means posed as phil
lanthropist, and was understood to
have views little in advance Of those
of the British matron. Just now, for
instance, she was interested IN the hos
pitable question, and at dinner party
the night before Sir Kenneth had vol
unteered to explain the internal work
ing of the "Whitechapel." The doctor
never missed an opportunity of being
useful to Lady Sibthorpe; she was just
the woman he would have asked to bs
his wife :
They met as people meet who are
more than interested in each other.
For some time past Lady Sibthorpe had
known that he liked her, and for some
time past she had almost made up her
mind that she might accept him, but
there was no hurry; they were both of
a certain age; they both had their oc-
cupations, their affairs. And now they
turned up the stone staircase together,
On their way to the woman's wards.
Lady Sih thorpe paused for an instant
as they passed the operating theater.
The doors were closed. Outside two
porters were waiting with a stretcher.
Suddenly the door was pushed ajar,
and then there was a vision ofanxious,
interested faces, lit up by a strong
glare of gas; of q nurses back bending
forward, and of surgeons face blow
Ing spray on to something that was In
visible. Over all an intense silence,
broken only by the hoarse whispers of
the porters with the stretcher, wonder
ing how long they would have to wait.
Lady SiAthorpe was not emo
tional, but she shivered little as she
passed on.
In the "Catherine ward" che hfty
blue coverleted beds effaced themselves
- 41,o ,loo,, tho )oor roorn Here