Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-08-05
CHAPTER xvTI.-(Continued.,

CHAPTER Xvn.-tContinued.)
But the road seemed very rough. Great
ruts had been made in the earth, softened
by the long rain, and these caused her
to trip and fall twice. Both times it had
Jared her arm and drawn forth tears of
anguish. At last the gate was reached
and opened with difficulty, then a dizzy
feeling came over her, and just as her
feet stepped on the porch she fell for
ward in long, death-like swOon.
DR.. Elfenstein had gone into the coun-
try, after his call at the baronet's, to
visit a rather critical case, and did not
return until quite late.
He had reached his home, given his
horse to the man in waiting, and then
turned to enter his door. But what was
this he saw lying in a heap upon the
porch? STOPPING to discover if it might
not be large, strange dog, his fingers
came in contact with human hand, and
from its small size he knew it belonged
to child or woman.
Throwing open the door with his latch
key, the light from the hall revealed
Ethel Nevergail's pale, unconscious face
to his astonished gaze.
"Ethel, here senseless! Oh, my darl-
ing, my darlngv' he murmured, as he
lifted her in his arms and bore her to the
parlor sofa. What can this mean?'
Placing her there, he ran to the foot
of the stairs and called Mrs. Clum to
his assistance. With joy. at last, they
saw her eyes open; but the cry of pain
that followed filled both with surprise.
"My arm! my arm!' she cried. You
hurt my arm! / cannot stir my hand or
arm, and fear it is broken. l came here
TO show it to you"
'Then it was hurt before you left the
Hall?" returned the doctor, passing his
hand over the useless member, in order
to see the nature of the injury.
SIN order to replace it, l fear must
cause you pain. 1t will be impossible
for you to go out again in this storm,
therefore Mrs. Clum, my housekeeper,
must prepare you a room, and you will
remain here tonight. After she has made
you comfortable in your bed, l must re-
place the bones, and then you must keep
perfectly quiet, or, after all this excite
ment, you will be thrown into a fever"
Giving Mrs. Clum several instructions,
ile saw her leave the room to prepare
one for poor Etheps reception; then, and
not until then, he bent over the sofa
where she lay, and asked her in a low
voice:
"Why did you not tell me this, instead
of coming out in the storm, when 1 was
at the Hall this EVENING"?
81 did not know you were there, and
could not have seen you if had known
1t. Sir Reginald flew into a furious pas
sion as soon as he saw me to-day, and
bade me instantly leave his house. AS
any arm was hurt, l was obliged to come
to you"
h0xx
dislocated? and what means the mark of
those fingers, which see upon the sur
faceT
''Do not ask me, doctor, for I cannot
tell your
'Well, if you cannot tell me that why
did Sir Reginald bid you leave his
houseT'
81 cannot tell you" was still her only
reply.
"Was 1t for any willful fault you had
committed?
'No! oh, no. l had met with an acci-
dent the nature of which 1 cannot ex-
plain. In short, 1 had. without intend
eng it. neglected a duty he had charged
me with on the day of my fright by the
railroad. My nervousness then caused
me to forget something. He had just
discovered it and flew in a rage"
"Then the brute seized your arm and
gave it this wrench! You need not tell
me, child, l know it by instinct. 1t is
well I was not there, for one reason"
"Why?"
81 should have struck him as he lay
helpless in bed. l could not have helped
It'll But you are safe now; he shall never
touch you again. Stay here, of course,
until you are we'll; then a place will be
provided. never fear! Promise ME one
thing now. which is, not to worry about
the future. Leave everything of that
nature for time and Providence to make
plain, and try to compose yourself in or
der to recover the sooner. Will you do
this?''
He took her we'll hand kindly, almost
tenderly. as he spoke; and, meeting his
anxious. beseeching gaze bent upon her,
she blushed family and gave the requir-
ed promise.