The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-09-16
1rse as we'll as / could in such q short

time.
Miss Clinton must have nursed her
patient better than l expected she
| would, for he passed q fairly good night,
! and when l saw him at II O'Clock Oh
| Sunday morning the fever had abated
! somewhat, leaving him, Of course, very
! weak and III a more or less precarlous
condition.
The nurse whom Miss Shepherd had
sent to take charge Of the case during
the day was a highly experienced wom-
ali. whoa I knew well.
Its a bad case, DOCTOR she said.
''Will YOU pull him through?'
II can't say yet,' l answered. ASK
ne tomorrow morning. What time did
you relieve Miss Clinton?'
Eat 8 o'clock. She didn't like to go
away, but l insisted Oh her having q
rest. l cant help thinking that Miss
Clinton takes something OF a personal
interest i'll the case, said the day nurse.
"Have you read the mornings paper::'
Not yet. Is there anything III it?'
She produced a Sunday paper and
pointed to a paragraph headed Daring
Attempted Burglary The burglars
had entered a window On the first floor
by means of a ladder, but they We're
disturbed at their work and had been
forced to escape hu1rieGly, leaving the
booty behind them. 1t struck me at
once that in all probability Bill was one
Of the burglars. In making his escape
he had no doubt fallen from the ladder.
But there was another feature in the
case which was more striking still. The
owner of the house which had been en-
tered was named Clinton.
On first seeing the sick man Miss
Clinton had lost her composure to an
extent that surprised me. What was the
link that bound these three people to-
gether-a wealthy city merchant, a
young lady devoting herself to work
among the poor and a broken down
ex-convict lying sick, perhaps dying, i'll
an east end Stun?
On returning to his bedside at 5
O'Clock in the afternoon l found Miss
Clinton was again on duty. She was
quite calm and self possessed and with
out a trace of nervous excitement.
The progress which had been shown
in the morning was all lost and a
change had set in for the worse. A brief
examination told me that he was in a
state of collapse, which was the one
thing l dreaded. Within a few hours
he would be a dead man.
"When will it be?:' she said in a
steady voice.
Before midnight" l answered.
Would you like me to stay with you,
Or shall l ask Miss Shepherd to send
somebody in your placer
II will watch alone"
Are you a relative Of the Mr.. Clin-
ton whose house was entered Saturday
morning." l asked, leading her to the
window.
He is my uncle" she said.
"And who is Bill?" l asked.
He is my brother"
She spoke in the same steady voice.
"He went wrong as a boy Of 10" she
continued. MY uncle might have
saved him, but refused to. That is why
I have taken up nursing. l knew he had
sunk, but l didn't know he had come to
this. l hoped l might find him if I
mixed with the poor"
In one little matter I was able to save
her some pain.
At the door I met an officer in plain
clothes whom l knew by sight.
I'm after a man for the Forest Gate
robbery. l hear he is in this house"
HE is up stairs" said, 'but you
are too late. He is dying" The detect
i've hesitated.
Il give you my word as a physician
hat he will be dead before midnight.
If you arrest him, he will certainly die
on the road to the station. Do you know
his real name?' l asked.
The detective looked at ne sharply.
"No; what is it,"
William Clinton, a nephew Of the
man he tried to rob. At the present mo.
ment his sister is watching by his bed. y
The officer made a note Of it in his
book.
Il shall have to keep an eye on him,
DOCTOR" he said kindly, but you may
depend l sha'n't interfere, for the sake
Of the young lady"
And SO William Clinton passed
through the gate Of life in peace. An