The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-07
CHAPTER XII.
A PROFESSIONAL VISIT OUT OF
TOWN.


When l received this note, early on Tues
day morning. 1 at once made arrangements
for a short absence Now that duty. and
not inclination alone, called me elsewhere,
l had no scruples about leaving New York.
and when. few hours later, after visiting
my most urgent cases. / found myself on
a train bound for Beverley, blessed F'reds
leg. which had procured me this unexpect-
ed little holiday. What a relief 1t was to
leave the dust and the noise of the city be-
hind and to feast my eyes once more on
the sight of fields and trees.
On arriving at my destination L drove i'm
mediately to The Cowpers' cottage. L found
Fred in bed. with his leg a good deal swol-
len. His anxiety TO go to the Derwents
had tempted him to use it before 1t was
sufficiently strong: consequently, he had
strained 1t, and would now be laid up with
1t for some time longer.
well, Charley he said, when had fin
ishesi replacing the bandages, Il don't sup
pose you are very sorry to be in this part
Of the world, Ell? Ny leg did you a good
turn, didn't it?''
L assented CURLY, for, although j agreed
with him from the bottom of my heart. /
didn't mean to be chafed on certain sub
ject, even by him.
In order probably to tease me he made
nc further allusion to the other subject of
my visit. so that 1 was at last forced to
breach the subject myself.
"Oh, May? She's really much better
There is no doubt Of it. think the idea
of brain fever thoroughly frightened her.
for now she meekly obeys orders and takes
any medicine 1 prescribe without a muir
muir"
well, but then, why did you write that
you wished to consult me about her?'
Because. Charley" he replied, laying
aside his previously flippant manner, al
though her general health has greatly i'm
proved, can't say as much for her nerv-
Gus condition. The latter seems to be so
unsatisfactory that L am beginning to be-
lieve that Mrs. Derwent was not far wrong
when she suggested that her daughter
might be slightly demented."
l felt myself grow cold, Notwithstanding
the heat of the day. Then, remembering
the quiet and collected way she had be-
haved under circumstances as trying as
any could imagine a girls being placed
In, 1 took courage again. May was not in
sane. 1 would not believe it.
"At all events" continued Fred. II felt
that she should not be left without medical
care, and, as L can't get out to see her and
place, L suggested to Mrs. Derwent that
she should consult you. Being a friend of
NINE ostensibly here on simple visit. II
would be the most natural thing in the
world for you to go over TO their place,
and you could thus see May and judge Of
her condition without her knowing that she
was under observation
That's we'll. It's always best to see a
nervous patient off guard If possible. Now,
tell me all the particulars of the case
When he had done this l could not re-
frain from asking whether Norman was
Certainly! And seems likely to remain
indefinitely
Really"
Yves; 1 forgot to tell you that May
begged to be allowed to see him yesterday.
AS she was able to get up and lie on the
sofa, l consented, for / feared refusal
would agitate her too much. / only stipu-
lated that he should not remain with her
over half an hour. What occurred during
this meeting, of course, L don't know. But
contrary, her mother writes that she has
seemed calmer and more cheerful ever
since"
They are probably engaged. Don't you
think so?" And as / put the question 1
knew that if the answer were affirmative
my chance of happiness gone forever.
81 don't believe it," he answered, 'for
after his interview with Nav Norman spent
the rest of the day sunk in the deepest
gloom. He ate scarcely anything, and when
forced to remain in the house Feeling, L
suppose, that politeness demanded that he
should give us at any rate a little OF his
society he moved restlessly from one seat
to another. Several times he tried to pull
himself together and TO join in the CONVEX
sation, but il was no use; notwithstanding
all his efforts, he would soon relapse into
his former state of feverish unrest. Now,
that doesn't look like the behavior of a
happy lover, does it?
most of his time prowling about the Der
vents house, and as Alice was leaving
their place yesterday evening she caught
a glimpse of him hiding behind a clump of
bushes just outside their gate. At least,
she is almost sure that it was he, but was
so afraid ii would embarrass him to be
caught playing sentinel that, after a cur
sorry glance in his direction, she passed dis
creetly by Afterwards it occurred to her
that she should have made certain of his
identity, for the man she saw may have
been some questionable character. We are
not sure that Mays extreme nervousness
is not due to the fact that she is being per-
secuted by some interruptions person-her
brother, for instance. You know L have
always believed that he was in some way
connected with her Illness"
81 know you have.
but to return to Norman" continued
Fred II not only suspect him of haunting
her door by day, but of spending a good
part of the night there. At any rate / used
TO hear him creeping in and out of the
house at all sorts of unusual hours. The
first night L took him for a burglar, and
showed what L consider true courage by
starting out after him with an empty pistol
and-a crutch."
II don't think that anything you have
told me. however. is at all incompatible
with his being Miss Derwents accepted
sutton His distress is probably due to
anxiety about her health" 1 said this
hopine he would contradict me.
Whether he would have done so or not
I shall never know, for at that point our
conversation was interrupted by the en-
trance of his sister, and, as 1t had been pre-
viously arranged that she was TO drive me
over to the Derwents, we started off at
once.
At last / was to see my lady again. 1t
seemed too good TO be true.
Having given names to the butler.
we were ushered into a large drawing
room, redolent with flowers. So this was
Mays home,
/ glanced eagerly about. These chairs
had held her slight form: at that desk she
had written, and these rugs had felt the
impress of her little feet. A book lay near
me on a small table. i passed my fingers
lovingly over il. This contact with an OBJ
ject she must have touched gave me an ex-
traordinary pleasure-a pleasure so great
as TO make me forget everything else-and
started guiltily and tried TO lay the book
down unobserved when a tall, gray-haired
lady stepped from the veranda into the
ROOM
Mrs Derwent greeted Miss Cowper affec-
tionately and welcomed me with quiet
grace.
Fred has told me so much about you,
DR.. Fortescue, that am very glad to meet
| you at last.
Then. turning TO Alice Cowper. she said