Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-07-06

had exchanged into a home regiment
and would shortly sail for England.
My affection for Laura was only
strengthened, and one day, after pay
ing my morning visit, l asked her in
her fathers presence to become my
wife
''She burst into tears, and when she
| had recovered her cCmposure she
answered.: 4 feel that | am honored
by the affection of good and noble
man, and, though l cannot give you
the love | ought, l will try to make
you a good and faithful wife
ION the day that our engagement
was published Kerr's wife died. | was
present when she passed away in a
cataleptic fit, and gave my certificate
to that effect. AS is usual in hot
climates, she was buried within "a
| hours
"Forty-eight hours later my brief
cup of happiness was dashed to the
! ground. Capt. Kerr had left for Eng
land, and Laura White had fled with
him. They had been married in Bonn
| bay and had sailed for England before
the colonel and I reached that port.
Il returned to England few
months later, to find that Kerr had
never entered upon his duties in his
| new regiment, but had sent in his pa
pers Immediately after his arrival
, | sought for news Of them, but could
learn nothing.
About three years later | read in
the. papers the announcement of
Laura Kerr's death. 1t had taken
place at Cheltenham, to which town |
at once proceeded. Here my inquiries
led to my ascertaining that she had
died in lodgings in the High street.
and that her husband had taken his
departure Immediately after the
funeral, accompanied by his little
daughter. The landlady of the lodg-
ings gave me the address of the medi-
cal man who had attended her, and on
him | at once called. He cOurteOusly
answered my inquiries, and informed
me that the cause of death was cata-
lepsy.
"Catalepsy, again, That was indeed
singular. But my suspicious were not
as yet awakened. There was no trace
of Kerr or his child, and I could do
nothing.
"Another period of three years
passed. and l had set up my brass
plate here in Birmingham and had
built up prosperous and remunera-
tive practice. One lovely summer
afternoon | received a Geographic call
to an accident case at Dudley. The
carriage came and | started But we
had not passed through Handsworth
when it became evident that one of the
horses was dead lame. | accordingly
dismissed the carriage and decided to
complete the journey by cab. This
was done, and it was nearly 9 o'clock
when, after partaking of some food, l
left my patients house.
There is always scarcity of cabs
in the outlying parts of the Black
country, and / had perforce to make
my return by train. At Handsworth
| changed on to a cable tram, and
mounted to the top of the vehicle to
enjoy cigar in the pleasant night
air.
My nearest neighbor on the tram
roof was tall, thin man, close
shaver and with short, iron-gray
hair, and apparently so years of age,
though he might be younger He had
mounted the vehicle at it's first stop
ping place, bearing in his arms a lit
tie girl-a wee, winsOme maiden of
four or five summers, with long sill1en
blonde hair and lovely violet eyes.
Surely | had seen those eyes before I
could not see the mans face; it was
too dark a night.
Suddenly, from some failure of the
brake, the car collided roughly with
the preceding one and was thrown off
the line The child was jerked violent
ly from her fathers knee on to the
back Of the so-called garden seat in
front of us, and her face was badly
cut, the blood streaming down.
4 have never seen such horror and
dismay as blazed forth in an instant;
the silent, self-contained man snatched
up his child's senseless form, sprang
to his feet and almost screamed: My
child is hurt, Run for a doctor: don't
lose a moment l put my hand on his
shoulder and said quietly, I am
medical man, and as I saw those steely
gray eyes, I added Capt. Rupert
Kerr.
He turned angrily upon me, and I
thought he was about to strike me.
Then he remembered his little one,
and said: DR.. Dawson, I did you a
great wrong once But be merciful and
save her child.'
The child was carried downstairs
and into a shop close by. took out
my instrument case, lint, ETC., and
washed, stitched and bandaged the
wound in the baby's forehead. Then
I asked. Where do you live? I will
see her safely to bed Thank you
was the sullen response, my address
| is my own business; and he carried
! his child out, got into cab with her
and said birmingham to the driver.
! There was no means of stopping him,
but l had presence Of mind enough to
jot down that drivers number on my
shirt cuff
The next day I employed a secret
inquiry agent 10 find Rupert Kerr.
He had driven 10 a new street, taken a
fresh cab and doubled back to Hands
worth. where he directed the cabman
to take him to Il Roman road. The
second cabby had been found through
the help of the police at New street
| station.
Il now did what should have been
done before. While the first agent