Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-12-05

SA VI day when the ring
NV y master of the cir
!. !. ] ! !. /: !: ! ; !. ! ! : ! !. . !. !. ! ! |. |. !
rRN~SS Gus came to see her
NAlt pony jump. She
E7%HWjNT was proud of her
ENSN1g, W pony, who was
mIyE-Rgd8y dapple gray and
Wt NpYN Welsh, and could
I'M MIDn.f@ jump nine inches
~ lA W higher than him.
4 ERl H, self.
| NYJ W. Gabrielle was
III ~, five, and had rid
-, SHYHiS den without lead
L; ;sss.-;sS,J s.:S<J ing-rein for two
years, but her father never let her
jump Roland, the pony. So the pony
jumped by himself, greatly to the
ediacation Of the ringmaster, who had
been bidden to see the feat.
While all this was going on, Mana
called her to nursery tea, and as she
trotted down the long yard, past the
stables, and toward the drive, the ring
master turned to Jack Ainslie,
Gabrielle's father, and said:
"Has the little missile hurt her foot?
She's thought lame"
Jack Ainslie looked hastily after the
idolized little figure, and noted that
the ringmaster was right. She was q
thought lame.
Hastily excusing himself he ran
after the child.
"Have you hurt your foot. dar-
ling?" he asked anxiously. you're
limping little. Did you twist your
ankle?"
"oh. no, Daddy dear, I'm not hurt.
I'm going to tea
Gabrielle put up her face for the
ever-expected kiss, and ran after her
nurse. Jack Ainslie dismissed the
subject from his mind and showed the
ringmaster the rest of the horses.
From that day, however, things
changed for Gabrielle. Other people
noticed the little limp, and her parents,
terrified and distressed, sent for the
family doctor. He discovered that in
some way, probably at birth, her hip
had been dislocated, and had formed
new socket for itself, and that hence
forth she would limp unless-and here
all the mischief began-something
could be done. Her father was fran
tic. OF course something must be
done. That his Gabrielle, his dainty
little lady, with her pretty face, her
quick Intelligence ana her gracious
ways, should be lame-oh, it was in
tolerablel He was broken-hearted and
rebellious. and even his wife's stead
fast patience and unchanging tender
ness could not make him resigned.
Then began for Gabrielle series of
visits to London. She was taken from
one great doctor to another till she
grew quite used to marching about on
thick piled carpets, clad in nothing
but her bonny hair, while they dis
cussed her interesting Cease"
doctors are chilly men," said
Gabrielle; "their hands are always
cold to my body"
An operation was arranged, but at
the last moment Jack Ainslie drew
back, for the surgeons would not guar
antee success, and the family doctor
said grave things about Gabrielle's
constitutional delicacy. So it was de-
cided that more gradual means must
be tried to bring about the desired re-
suit. The gradual means" assumed
the shape OF an instrument, hideous
to behold and painful to wear. 1t
broke Jack Ainslie's heart to see his
little lady cabined and confined in such
cruel cage, and for the little lady
herself, it blotted out the sunshine
and made life very gray and terrible.
Ono thing was quite plain to Gabri-
ellie, and that was that evidently
nature was very much to blame in
having provided new "socket" for
the poor little dislocated bone. That
impertinence must be interfered with
at all costs-the doctors seemed to
agree upon that. And Gabrielle won
dered why it was so wrong to have no
pain, to be perfectly unconscious in
her "affliction," as her nurse called it.,
and so interesting Ito the doctors),
and right, to be uncomfortable and to
wear a hideous high-soled boot and an
iron cage, with crutches under the
arms that pushed her shoulders up to
her ears.
As for that instrument, it was de-
signed and ordered by three famous
surgeons, and it cost the price of many
ponies. Gabrielle tried to be brave.
She was curiously conscious that the
pain her parents suffered was far
greater than her own. The instru-
ment was adjusted in London, and on
the way home in the train her mother
asked her many times, "Does it hurt
you, my darling?" And Gabrielle al
ways answered bravely, 81 can bear it,
mother dear; can bear itl'
When she got home that night the
poor little leg was black from the cruel
pressure and Mary Ainslie bre ke down
and cried till she could ory no lonoer