The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-12
DUE TO A DOG.

Il nope you VIII thoroughly enjoy your
holiday, NURSE said the matron, looking
thoughtfuIly at the slender figure before
her.
Nurse Villiers turned away with smile
lingering about her sweet lips A little
worn and tired she looked, for "12 months
hard labor as she laughingly asserted,
"leaves it's mark on tbes fairest face but
the three weeks rest would soon chase
away the lines of care and bring back the
hue of health into the thin cheeks.
al am lucky" she thought, ito have
dear old Betty to fall back upon. When
papa died and left me a homeless orphan in
the old vicarage, little dreamed that in
little more than a year I should be SO
thankful to pay visit to my nurses old
farm. 1 wonder if I shall meet my fate at
Brambleton? Fairy tales are out of fash
ion.''
eyes, Miss Eva, the woods are free to
people staying at the farm. We have
sort of right of way through them, and it
includes our visitors. They all belong to
the owner of the park. Who is he? Well,
we haven't seen him yet, dearie I have
heard he was doctor in London, who
came quite unexpectedly into the property.
He was a distant cousin of old General
Upton's, and they say he was very poor.
Beyond that we know nothing of him.
Half an hour later pretty picture met
the eye of wandering squirrel, who look
ed down from the branch of neighboring
tree in surprise at the sight of a visitor.
Nurse Villiers was seated on messy bank,
with her head against the trunk of fallen
oak, eagerly devouring the last chapter of
her novel. Her eyes filled with tears as
she road.
"Poor Trilby,'' she said half aloud, "and
Door little Billiel' Then, womanlike, she
turned to the earlier chapters and read
again the description of those wonderful
white feet AS a sequence her eye Travelled
| downward to her own daintily shod pedal
extremities. CHOW, have Il pretty foot -
she thought, "but I could never be a Tril-
| by. am not bad locking, but I cannot
sing. Still, my foot is really presentable.
| She looked cautiously round, and, acting
on impulse, slipped off the little bronze
shoe and silken stocking and gazed with
no small degree of satisfaction at the bit
of marblelike flesh lying so white against
| the green moss. Then she slowly drew on
| the stocking, leaving the dainty bit of
! bronze leather ON the ground at little dis
| lance.
Her head dropped against the trunk of
| the tree, and in few moments she was
| fast asleep. She did not hear the cracking
of the underwood as large retriever dog
| pushed his way through the bushes. She
| did not see him as, with 4 knowing look
! at the sleeper, he seized the little shoe be-
tween his teeth and made off with it, to
/ drop it some ten minutes later at the feet
of his assonished master, DR.. Gilbert Fan
Shave, the owner of the park.
But it was with q rucful face, after
much fruitless search, that sho limped her
way back to the farm, rating herself sound
ly for the vanity that had caused her dis
com1iture and her unlucky 40 winks
"Fanshawe, old boy, I'm awfully glad
to see you; but I m in an awful fix. Here's
my uncle taken suddenly i'll and has sent
for me in a hurry. The Junior house sur
geon is off for holiday, and 1 can't go ut a
moments notice without q substitute
| What am to do? Would you do? Rather!
| But you wouldn't stay. You would, you
say? You always were brick They all
! know you by repute, so there won't be any
! bother about that. Your treatise on tuber-
culosis in children has made your name
for you here as in London"
And the house surgeon at St Philips,
! Bardsley, wrung his friends hands in an
excess OF gratitude.
The two friends went off together, Fan
shawe's dark, intellectual face and tall
form in strong contrast with his compan-
ion g rubicund checks, CHEEKY manner aud
somewhat stunted proportions.
That night as Dr. Fnnshawe went his
midnight round he came upon a vision.
| In the spot of light thrown by the reflector
lamp sat girl with child in her arms
! Her fair hair was like an aureole round
her sweet face, md the look of love and
pity in her eyes she bent over the little
one stamped itself upon his memory for
ever. She looked up, and their eyes met
| In that one glance some of DIR. Fanshawe' 8
heart slipped out of his keeping, and Eva
Villiers was the happy possessor.
81 never thought one odd shoe would be
of any USE said Nurse Villiers, holding
it.up for inspection, 'but little Jenny Will
liains will be glad of it, since her foot was
amputated She placed it on her table,
to be ready for the morning.
The sister laughed and went down stairs.
A shadow darlzened the doorway, and DR..
Fanshawes voice said:
Nurse, how are your patients tonight?''
Then, advancing into the little room, he
caught sight of the shoe on the table.
''Whose is this?" he said eagerly. "And
where is the other?''
at was mine,' answered Eva. "But as
to tho other cannot tell you that, for it
mysteriously disappeared six weeks ago."
His heart began to beat rapidly.
Nurse" said he, Gin the story of Gin
derella the prince, when he found the
wcarer of the slipper, took her for his bride.
Is it not so?''
Eyes" was the reply. "But cannot see
what this has to do with my shoe -
He drew from the pocket of his shooting
coat-worn for the first time since his
walk in the wood six weeks before-the
counterpart of the little bronze shoe and
placed it on the table beside its fellow.
"History repeats itself, we are told, u
said he ''Shall the old fairy tale have a
modern equivalents"
After all, Jenny Williams did not have
the shoe. To her great grief, she had q
now night nurse instead. And at the we'd
ding every one was surprised by seeing G
large retriever dog receiving a great
amount of attention. His new mistress
has changed his name from Rover to Fate.