The Somerset reporter., 1898-08-11
the eighteenth time in the young girls

life, and i'll accordance with the custom
she searched high and low for lady
bug among the shrubs of her aunt
garden. The season was late. and the
bugs and beetles had not come out a.
early as formerly Ladybugs were un-
Usually scarce that year, and Martha
was sorely disappointed when her search
availed her nothing
In bitter tears over her hard lot the
could remember, unable to carry out the
charm with the ladybug.
Her sleep was restless and frequent
ly broken by the sobs she could not
control At midnight she arose. Per
haps she would find ladybug, after
all, if she went out now in the moon
light and renewed her search among the
grapevines that trailed around the fence
at the far end of the garden. Softly she
crept down stairs aud out of the rear
door. Her aunt was sound sleeper,
and the girl felt safe from her molesta
tons She hurried down to the fence,
the moon guiding her footsteps as it
peeped out from underneath a cloud.
Soon it shone full and white over the
entire landscape, bringing into bold re-
lief every object in the garden. The big
wine leaves were silhouetted against
the darker background. The dewdrops
sparkled like diamonds, and busy ants
that crawled over them We're distinctly
visible Suddenly Martha stopped.
There. away up near the top of the
fence. she saw ladybug perched on a
leaf which stood out straight and firm
like "a tray. 1t was asleep sound asleep,
and Martha had no trouble in breaking
the leaf from the stem and securing the
coveted prize
"Ladybug, ladybug, fly away
Bring me beau without delay"
cried the girl, hope, longing, anguish,
expressed in her voice
A loud groan answered in the dis
lance. The girl trembled. Help helpl"
cried the voice of man.
Martha's first impulse was to fly TO
the house, but her better nature assert
ed itself. A human being was in dis
tress; that was clear. She must go to
him; that was also clear.
where are your" shouted Martha at
the top of her voice.
Here, under this clump of cotton
wood trees. Help, for heavens sake p
81 am coming" answered Martha,
this time not SO loud, for the cotton.
wood trees We're not far off. She climbed
over the fence and ran as fast as she
could to the spot indicated. which was
about hundred yards away There i'll
the moonlight she saw lying i'll the
grass man. He was young and hand
some and he wore the garb of hunts
l9an. His face was pale and distorted
with pain, but look of gratitude shot
from his feverish eyes as they glanced
up at the tall graceful girl bending
over him.
Where are you hurt?" asked Mar
tina.
Il was thrown from my horse, said
the injured man, while hunting this
afternoon. In the fall | broke my leg.
The horse ran away, and at first | was
glad of this, because | hoped that the
riderless animal would tell the story Of
some ones INJURY and that help would
come to me. For hours | waited for the
sound of a human voice without avail.
Then | dragged myself to the edge of
this field | must have tainted, for
when | recovered my senses it was
night l tried to sleep, but the pain was
so intense that | could not do So Then
came your voice. 1t was like the voice
of an angel.
1t did not take Martha long to debate
what she must do for the injured man.
Her fathers most intimate friend was
DIR. Godlove, the town physician. 1t
was a mile to his house, but she was
young and agile, and she knew the doc
tor would come with her instantly In
less than an hour she returned, bringing
with her DR. Godlove, followed by
light spring wagon, into which mat
tress had been laid. The doctor and the
driver placed the injured man ON the
mattress and lifted him to the wagon
bed. Then the drive back to town be-
gan.
caused the patient to groan with pain
The doctor took him to his house even
before the young man WAS able to give
him his card, which he did as soon as
he was comfortably laid on the bed i'll
the guest chamber The operation of
setting the broken limb began, and
when that was over the young man
dropped into sound sleep brought
about by opiates given by the doctor
Martha learned from her old friend that
the injured man whom she had found
under the cottonwood trees was the son
of one of the richest merchants of Phil
adelphia. He had come to the Virginia
mountains on hunting trip and was
about to return to his home when mis-
fortune overlook him.
The six weeks which followed were
the happieSt i'll Martha : life. DR.. God
love insisted that he needed her to help
him nurse his patient, and thus obtain
ed permission from Martha s aunt to
keep her at his house. The request was
made at the lnstigation of the young
Philadelphia, who had fallen i'll love
with the girl as she bent over him in
the moonlight and brought him the sue
cor that had been denied him so long.
1t is needless to say that Martha loved
him i'll return, and before he departed
for his home they were married in the
Doctors parlor. The young wife confid-
ed her romance of St Andrew night to