The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-19


skulking criminal / did when 1 at
length realized that / was actually
standing in the apartment of some SUI
fering woman, in no licensed character,
with no power to alleviate her suffer-
ings, merely there as a frivolous adj
venturer. though. it may be conceded,
an unfortunate one. Any male rela-
tive would have been justified, could
have been unmasked. in. then and
there. pitching me bodily from the Win
dow Indeed, at that moment. ! think
should have blessed the avenging foot
which should have removed me from
the scene of my confusion; and yet had
any one searched my heart as 1
dragged my heels heavily behind me
across the threshold, he would have
found it so filled with shame and con-
triton. so Astounding in respectful COM
passion. that. had he been a human
being he would have been more in
clined to. take me by the hand nd lead
me forth like some plying elder
brother.
A small white bed stood in one cor
! ner, draped about with some pinkish
stuff, just what 1 could not tell. for
/ had not the temerity to more than
| glance in that direction, and when a
] tall, portly woman rose slowly from
one of the dark corners and confronted
me, l should certainly have sunk grow
cling at her feet, had she SO much as
] pointed a finger of suspicion at me.
I "How is she now, Mrs. Hoskins?
Still unconscious" asked my compan-
| ion, shortly. He seemed filled with a
restless impotence, and looked at the
| woman as though much inclined to leap
| at her throat and drag the words from
| her. without waiting for the process of
| articulation.
From the look she gave him 1 gath
cred that she, too, felt that time was
grudged her, but she was of RAM
! bling habit of thought. and could not
concentrate, whatever the need. shes
| been a-laying much as you see her, sir,
but l give her them drops" she said.
nervously That's four she's had since
II, counting-but no, forgot-she
heaved them first into the wash bowl
Her employer eyed her until she
shifted uneasily to another foot. She
don't take the hot milk as ! could
WISH" she ran on, as though hoping to
strike something propitious, but was
cut short by stern gesture.
1.-The creature fairly drips with talk,
my host muttered, irritably.
Would the doctor like to see the
young lady?" asked the nurse. amiably.
while at the fatal word young l
came well-nigh leaping into the air and
a species of death damps broke out all
over me.
It's very probable he would" came
dimly to my failing senses. THAT was
my main object in sending for him.
Dead to irony, Mrs. HoSkins took TINS
able stab in good part, and, with
loose motion of her thumb. beckoned
me to follow her as she approached
the dainty white bed For full mo-
ment. as it seemed, 1 stood in hang
dog uncertainty. and then, as the
woman glanced back in surprise, 7 fol-
-t,,l~ hn.a ~r
which seemed really dangerous to its
safety. For a long time. as it seemed,
l walked and walked. Then curtain
moved aside; someone held up a smoky
lamp at a better angle, and l saw
shall never forget i'll saw before me
one of the most charming women
had ever beheld or have ever since be-
held. do not say that she was pretty;
/ did not get that far. / passed the
analytical stage at single bound.
But knew she was charming. with her
crisp, dark hair curling about her
flushed cheeks. her spare little chin
surmounted with scarlet lips and the
sauciest little nose that ever defied
humanity in general. How she was
dressed cannot say, only that it was
in something pink, much the color OF
the bed hangings, and l think IT was
made up baggy. though that isn't eX-
actly the word for it, either Her eyes
We're closed for which l was humbly
grateful, for had she looked at me cir
ing those first dreadful moments she
must have read me like an open book.
Somebody showed a chair under me.
and / sat down gracefully. for my
knees were shaking beneath me; and
then, feeling that the eyes of both
Brown and Mrs. Hoskins were upon
me- / realized that / must Immediately
do something to sustain my profess
sional role. l must question them, that
was plain: but what to ask, On the
rare occasion when I had been indis-
posed, back in my boyhood days. it had
always been an overloaded stomach
that had played havoc with me, and it
was really the only part of the hu-
man anatomy / felt up on; but was l
to hint at Indigestion with this fairy
like creature before me; Never, lit
was not to be thought of. Her nerves.
Happy thought, What could be a safer
topic than the nerves of any lady? But
for all that, my voice sounded hoarse
with embarra sSment. and | approached
the subject with a timid delicacy that
would have admitted me. without
chaperone. into the very heart of any
nunnery extant.
sHas:has the young lady exhibited
within the last few days?' / faltered-
Not that 1 wish to intrude"-but here,
fortunately, the loquacious HoskinS
cut me short before the miserable end
ing of my speech had fairly escaped
my traitor lips.
'She has been dreadful Uneasy like"
she broke forth loosely, her tye rolling
nervcusly at Brown, who was standing
grim and statuesque, beside US. But
young wimmen is that way, you know,
mostly: it's the mater of them. 1 was
given to them spells myself some. be-
fore
"The doctor will attend to your
symptoms later on Mrs. Hoskins,'
broke in Brown frostily. please IA
vor my niece's case with your entire
attention at present"
And her appetite?"7I asked hastily,
HAS it been quite normal: or has she
grown caprice in that also?"
l was getting quite proud of my
DISCRIMINATION. and growing con-
fidence lent me some majesty of bear
ing 1t was evident that not the faint
est suspicion Of fraud had been as yet
reused in the mind of either Brown or
Mrs. Hoskins.
''She never do eat as one might call
heavy" exclaimed the latter, poking at
the pillows about the young lady's head
with SO heavy a hand that I could
scarcely restrain the impulse to reach
out and drag her back. Some days
then she won't have none of 'em, and
1 am at great to do to find a thing as
she will have brought a'nigh her.
"All that is easily accounted for
broke in Brown harshly. by explain
ing to the doctor that she is very
gh-spirited. willful young lady 1t
should not have paid the slightest at