The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1896-11-26
\lII.-CoNTINUED.

Nanished again, after once more in
forming me that his prolonged absence
was wholly inexplicable. Presently
one of her sons brought my horse and
carriage to the door, and, somewhat
reluctantly, l forsook the cool quiet of
the Office 10 begin the drive to the house
OF one of the patients whom / was
attending during Mr.. Banks GONZALES
conce from his injury. Miss Gray was
reading in the shade of the porch of
the house over the way, and, in hopes of
pcrsuading her to join me, l crossed
the road and went up to her.
Really, l should be delighted. but
I've promised my aunt TO see her safe
iy Off" said she, in response TO my in
vitation. You know she is to take
tea in the village, and her hostess is to
sent for her | don't know at just what
hour"
"Oh, then there's no hope for me-
said !, grumpily. However, / shall
be back in an hour or two. I'm expect
ing DIR. Banks to call for my report
of the case, and he may appear before
my return. If he does, will you kindly
ask him to wait for me? Then, too, if
Jones coudescends to drive up with
his load of gravel, and you happen to
speak to him, please be so good as to
tell him that | should like to see him..
"lf you care to wait a little" she an
swered, 1--WE may interview him to-
gether. The team is in sight now"
Looking along the track toward the
house of the knoll, I saw Mrs. Weston's
horses jogging homeward at a trot,
which indicated that the wagon they
drew could not be loaded very heavily.
where's the driver?" Miss Gray
asked. "Do you see him?'
mo. don't" said /. "Quet as the
team is, it must have got away from
him.
One of the boys ran up to the ap-
preaching horses and stopped them.
We could see him pick up the reins
from the ground, examine the wagon,
and climb to the seat. BY the time
he drove up to us Mrs. Weston, Mrs.
Clark, and one or two others had joined
the group, and Mrs. Loring, who looked
down from the window of her room.
Dorothy! Dorothy" she called out,
pcned? anything terrible? Where.
oh, where is the man? Is he dead
Is he killed? Oh, Dorothy, I'm sure he
must bel"
Don't be alarmed, Mrs. Loring," said
I, saving her niece the trouble of ex-
planning that nobody knew more about
the matter than she did. "The horses
have probably started for home while
Jones' eye was off them. No doubt
he'll be along in an hour or So"
She tried to ask more questions, but
no one took the time to answer them.
All of us were busily inspecting the
. wagon and it's steeds. The convey
ance was loaded to perhaps quarter of
its capacity. One of the movable side
boards was gone, but that was the limit
of damage.
ats all plain enough" said ]. "The
horses became he nesick and trotted
off, very possibly while Jones, not sat
isfied with the gravel he had found.
was prospecting for better. He'll he
here in time for supper, with splendid
appetite from his tramp"
81 guess that's about it," said Mrs.
Weston, with IA sigh of relief. but it's
queer, must say. Might as well count
it a day wasted"
(which is n ain-in New England"
/ whispered to Miss Gray. Come,
now, can't you change your mind?"
She smiled and shook her head
Climbing into the buggy. l drove off,
wishing her aunt's teas and social OBJ
4, "a
myself to dul! afternoon. The bay
appeared 10 be unusually slothful, but
let him choose his own pace, and away
we dawdled toward our destination.
The sufferer proved to be convalescing
satisfactorily, hut the doctors visit
was an event of Importance, and half
an hour passed before / could get away
from the sick room. Then came a slow
progress back TO the Weston residence.
AS l drove up to it, Miss Gray emerged
from my Office, caught sight of me, and
called TO some one within. A moment
later DR.. Banks followed her, and hur-
ried out to the road.
For Gods sake, Morris, come in as
quick as YOU cam" he cried. There's
been terrible piece of business"
Reassured as TO Dorothy Gray's safety
by the sight of her, and therefore ready
to deal courageously with the misfor
tune of anybody else, l sprang to the
ground and followed Banks into the Of
flee. There on lounge lay Jones,
his face ashen pale, his eyes closed, and
great beads of sweat on his forehead;
his breathing was heavy and sterto-
rous, and broken by low means. His
right boot and the leg of his trousers
had been cut away, revealing the limb
crushed from the knee down into q
terrible wreck of bone and muscle,
witha jagged fragment of the tibia pro-
truding from the skin.
Banks eyes caught mine for an in
slant; both of us read the meaning of
the look we exchanged.
mo alternative" said he.
"The sooner the better" aided
The senior glanced at his disabled
arm.
This puts Inc out of it," said he,
''cxcept as l may manage to administer
the anaesthetic. Have you ever con-
Quoted such an operation?"
"Nevcr. saw plenty of the sort in
my student days, but since then-well,
I've never pretended 10 be, surgeon,
you understand"
"Nor, to tell the truth. have i. In