Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-11-23
"It's an awful day." said Susan,
land dreadfully slippery;

look out for yourself"
Il will! Kiss mother for me, When
she awakes;" and in another minute
Mary was on her way, and battling
bravely along against the driving
snow and the fierce north wind.
The morning train that day had
brought stranger to this quiet town.
He was rather a grim-looking per-
sonage, and was apparently in very
bad Eumor. It had been clear when he
left the city in the early morning,
and he found himself landed-um-
brellaless- driving storm WI hen he
reached Hillsboro'. That had an
noyed him, and his first thought was
to take train right back to town.
But when on inquiry he found that
there would be no return train until
the one he had originally intended to
take, late in the afternoon, he de-
cided to go on and get his disagree
able business over with and done with.
Then he had found that there was
no conveyance to he had at that for
saken station, and no telephone con-
nection with any stable, and that there
forward on foot through ths storm.
which he finally did in an ever-increas-
ing ill-humor.
He had but mile to go-the man
at the station had told him, and the
| road was straight, so he could not
miss the small, white cottage. just this
side of The covered wooden bridge.
But the road had seemed to stretch
out interminably, and the snow and
freezing street combined to make
walking more difficult at every step.
So there was not often a man in a
worse humor than this man was, when
the low, white cottage he was seeking
| at last came into sight. And now, as
he suddenly fastened his footsteps, he
somehow slipped and fell heavily,
striking his head and doubling his left
arm under him. But he made no MUIR
muir at this misadventure, but lay still
and quite unconscious on the ground
When he again opened his eyes, he
was on the bed in small, neat room;
but all that he thought of at first was
that his head was paining him ter
ribly, while his arm was hurting him
even more. Some one whom he could
not see was fussing with his head and
making the pain still worse. He felt
SO desperately cross and i'll that he
| mpatiently ordered the unseen med
dler to leave him and his head alone.
Il beg your PARDON said pleas
ant voice, "but it's a bad cut, and it
should be dressed at once. I'm per-
fectly competent to do it, but your
>arm will have to walt until the doctor
comes''
"What's the matter with my con-
founded arm?" He tried to move it,
and groaned outright with the pain.
cts broken, I'm afraid; but the doc
tor will be here to set it soon'
Then the hapless stranger fell TO
rating the place, the storm and his
accident SO soundly, that another
voice, from another as yet unseen in
dividual, spoke up in sharp rebuke:
"Aren't you ashamed of yourself to
'talk so-when we're doing our best to
help you!"
ooh, hush, SUSAN" broke in the
pleasant voice. "He's suffering dread
fully; he really don't know what he's
saying"
Eyes, dol" said the stranger, gruff-
ly, "an2 I beg your pardon; but you've
been hurting me like the deuce!"
"Ah, here's the DOCTOR" said the
pleasant voice in tone of relief. And
then the stranger found himself trans
ferred into the skillful hands of the
professional-whose treatment of his
wounds was much more rigorous than
that OF the deft and gentle fingers he
had rallied against but now.
When at last his head had been ban
daged, and his arm had been set, the
physician gave some brief instructions
to his new patient. He would have to
remain where he was for several days,
and must keep very quiet, on account
of the wound in his head.
"But 1 must return to town today"
the stranger said, peremptorily. II
have an engagement fer tomorrow
and Thanksgiving dinners are not to
be put off,
'All right, co." said the doctor,
land the consequences will be brain
fever"
The stranger was silent for a mo-
ment. Then he said, shortly: II see
that must submit. But how did this
thing happen? Where am I? And
who was flushing with me until you
cameo"
"You slipped on the icy path. Miss
Mary North saw you fall, and when
she reached you you were insensible.
She ran to get help. Fortunately it
happened within few yards of her
home. and she and her sister together
managed to carry you in; and they
must have found you a heavy load!
Then Mary ran to my house-full
quarter Of a mile away-and left word
for me to come here as soon as I got
home. I found her working over you,
and your scalp was all ready for the
stitches when came. She's clever
girl, was studying to be nurse. but
unfortunately the money gave out,
and she couldn't go on. She had to
turn nursery governess, instead"
"And the other, the sharp one, who's
she?'