The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1895-07-26
CHATTER Z.

uelu, ana agree WIFI your UOU tuAt
the attempt ought to he made"
CHATTER Z.
Loves Reward.
Some time had elapsed before Lord
Ayre could engage the services Of
very celebrated doctor, who had al
ready performed several successful OPP
erations Of a kind similar to TINT
which alone could restore Kate Iii.
burne's reason.
The injury which had reduced the
4 baron's eldest daughter to q condition
little better than that of idiocy was,
rs we know, caused by her fall, the
skull being fractured. ~
A piece Of the skull was pressing
upon the brain, and only by relieving
this pressure could the organ of rea-
son be made once more capable of act
ing in natural manner.
This was, of course, one Of the most
difficult operations for mortal man to
perform with safety, for the bone that
was doing the mischief had to be saw
ed through and removed; but IL one
particle Of matter fell upon the brain,
or IL the membranes in which that i'm
pOrtant organ is held were In the
slightest degree injured, then death
was inevitable, and probably would be
instantaneous.
H. however. the bone could be. No.
moved enectually and without acct
dent, q thin plate could be fastened
over the exposed spot, and the patient
would in all probability completely re-
cover.
The danger as will be seen, was
very great, and Mrs. Fairfield over and
over again cntreated that Lord Lii
burne should be consulted before such
q terrible risk was Incurred.
But Lord Roland's argument was
that to do as the nurse wished would
be to give his lordship unnecessary
anxiety and pain without doing his
daughter one particle Of good, while
the accounts which he indirectly OBJ
tanned from Silverton Castle described
Lord Lilburne as generally cheerful
and resigned, though sometimes safl
and anxious as the uncertainty of his
daughters fate. 49,.
Her father would not hesitate for
moment" lie said, confidently; land
wish to spare him the terrible dread
OF failure that haunts me day and
night"
AS her son was of the same opinion
as Lord Roland, Mrs. Fairfield was
obliged to yield, though she did. SO
unwilltngly and against her Judgment.
The news of Grace Lilburne's con-
templated marriage with Sir Victor
Gayherd did more to reconcile the
nurse to Lord Roland's views than
anything else, and even when she
heard that the wedding was not to
take place until inter Christmas Day
her feelings on the subject underwent
no change.
From this time she quite fell In with
Lord Roland's plans, and lent him her
hearty cooperation.
So the day was fixed upon when
Kate Lilburne was to be restored to
reason. health and happiness, or was
to depart without further delay to
that land toward which we sons and
daughters Of mortal race are all slow
~ but surely travelling.
Two of the most eminent surgeons
In Europe had undertaken to assist
the great Sir Felix Ferris in perform
Ing the critical operation, and even
their cool heads and practiced hands
must have felt some extra strain upon
them as they began their work with
the consciousness that only q thinness
Of paper stood between their patient
and eternity.
The case was SO critical that no one
was allowed in the room besides the
operating surgeon and his assistants.
| In the adjoining apartment Lord Ro-
land Ayre paced slowly to and fro
his hands tightly holding his head
as though 1t would burst with fever
ish anxiety.
At this last moment he began to
regret that he had not sent for Lord
Lilburne.
But it was too late now, the die was
cast and as he looked at Frank Fair
field and his mother, and saw that
their anxiety was scarcely second to
his own, he felt that he already had
companions enough In his misery.
To the three watchers the minutes
that pass are like hours before the
door they watch 80 eagerly gently
opens, and one Of the surgeons, with q
smiling face, beckons them into the
room,
eve have succeeded. Her reason is
already coming back to her." said Sir
Felix Ferris, In a low tone.
And just then Kate lifted her head,
and, extending her hands in terror.
exclaimed:
"Grace, won't hide here; 1 tell you
! am afraid!'
She looked about her. but the room
was strange, go were the faces until
her eyes lighted upon that Of her
lover.
Then the first smile that had wreath.
ed her face since that fearful night
came over 1t, and she held out her
hands to him as she asked:
Roland have I been dreaming? I
thought 1t was Christmas night, and
We were all playing ut hide-and-seek,
Grace was persllading me to hide In the
turret-chamber in the old tower, and
suddenly I thought I was falling down
some awful chasln, and then I woke
with the fright. But where am /? I
don't know this place, and who are
these pe0ple:"
She asked mo in low tone, not
wishing to seem rude, but Mrs. Fair.
field came forward and asked:
Don't you know me, dearie?"
"Of course d0-Nurse Fairfield, my
foster-mother; but that isn't Frank?"
1T Is Frank" was the reply.
But now the doctors interposed and
suggested quiet and an absence of oil
excitement.
The operation had been completely
successful, but 1t was well not to put
too great q strain upon the newly
awakened intellect.
So Kate was persuaded to try and
sleep for while, having previously
been assured that everything should
be explained to her in good time, and
Lord Roland and Frank went away
with the doctors. willie Mrs. Fairfield
alone remained to guard her pursling.
Tho young lady should be taken to
some quiet place by the sea,n and ex-,
element Of every kind should be care
fully avoided for eeveral months to
come" said the great surgeon who
had conducted the operation.
"Eor several monthsr' repeated
Lord Roland, in disnay; do you mean
that several months mus elapse be-
fore it will be safe for her to marry?"
"Most decidedlyR was the reply;
under very favorable conditions, and
provided she 10 kept free from oil
trouble and anxiety IN fine interval. 1t
may be safe for her TO marry In De.
cember, but certainly not before, and
1t is now the end Of July"
Lord Roland almost groaned.
He had arranged all his plans 80
that n the operation were successful
his marriage with Kate might take
place almost immediately, and then